Other Fun Stuff to Do

What are other fun things I can get into while I’m visiting? Wow, we’re so glad you asked!

Things to Eat

Bake Sum, Cantonese inspired pastry that will blow your mind.
Belly, Korean tacos. Enough said.
Butcher’s Son, one of the finest vegan delis in the country, which confused Natalie for several months because she assumed it was about literal butchers.
Cholita Linda, pan-Latin food, including great vegan/veggie options.
Tacos Sinaloa, for the best carnitas in the East Bay.
Champa Garden, neighborhood Lao food.

Prizefighter, Cayden’s favorite cocktail bar. Talk to the bartenders about amari, you won’t be disappointed.
Mokha House, probably the best Yemeni coffee place in Oakland, walking distance from Cayden’s house.
Melo Melo Kava Bar, you can drink kava if you’re a freak. Natalie loves this place.
North Light, great cocktails and a cute patio in Temescal.

Gardens at Lake Merritt, also close to the venue. Often good birdwatching nearby.
Redwood Regional Park, great hikes of easy to moderate difficulty, cutting through most of the major biomes of the East Bay (including redwoods, duh).
UC Botanical Gardens, also has a redwood grove, and lots of neat flowers and plants.
Take the ferry to San Francisco. It’s like a teeny tiny vacation and you get to see some gorgeous sights, especially if you go around sunset.

Browse for some books! We like Womb House, Clio’s, Marcus, and Spectator Books.
Play some board games at Victory Point Cafe. They have a great library that you can borrow from for a modest table fee.
Oakland Museum of California, which includes both local history, natural history and nature, and art. Appropriate for visitors of all ages. There’s also a gorgeous courtyard and koi!

Children’s Fairyland, an Oakland classic, is literally the inspiration for Disneyland. But it’s so much trippier than that.
Lawrence Hall of Science, a hands-on science and natural history museum, also has an excellent cafe that serves Ohlone food.
Tilden Little Farm, see adorable animals every day. It’s also free!
Tilden Steam Trains, because trains are freaking cool (obviously).
The Chocolate Dragon, cute hot chocolate themed cafe.