Whether you’re from New York or Denver, a long weekend to Berkeley and San Francisco may be the ticket you need to rejuvenate and refresh!
While you’re there, here are a couple of recommendations:
- Catch a show at the Berkeley Playhouse – When I was in town, I saw Peter and the Starcatcher. The performance was much better than I expected it to be. The cast was great and the choreography was even better!
- Take a run or a stroll along the Berkeley Marina — You will see incredible views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Visit Botanical Gardens – If you want to see unique and different types of plants from all over the world, then you should visit the Berkeley Botanical Gardens! It was incredible there. But beware, it is hilly and if you have issues walking you may want to avoid this one.
- Tour the SFMOMA — This was one of the coolest modern art museums around! They had works from lots of famous and new artists. You could spend the whole day here but we ended up just spending two hours and enjoying every moment. They also have a pretty good cafe that is set in a sculpture garden. The food was reasonably priced and good quality.
- Get Hands on at the Exploritorium — This is perfect for the kids but it’s pretty cool for adults too! If you like science, you will love this museum! It’s set on the Embarcadero in San Francisco right on the SF Bay. The inside and the outside has stuff to explore and the views are fantastic!
- Visit the Berkeley City Club or Just Stay the Weekend —This hotel is a historic landmark building. Originally designed and built by Julia Morgan, the first woman architect, the building has high ceilings and wide hallways. There’s even a 25 yard pool in the building! In addition to that, the restaurant Julia’s has great French cuisine. You won’t leave there hungry. The downside is that the hotel has very small guest rooms.
What about where to eat? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Gather – They have a California flair of food. If you have never been here, the menu may take you back a little. But be adventurous and try everything! The food really is superb and worth the visit. It’s not a cheap restaurant. Dinner cost us around $100.
- Cafe Chez Panisse – This is the cafe and they are open for lunch and dinner. We had lunch there and it was sensational. I had a pasta with mushrooms and my son had Tomato Soup and clams. This is a pricey little restaurant and the “real” restaurant is even pricier! Lunch cost us more than $100.
- Elmwood Cafe – This is a small quaint lunch place. They serve sandwiches of all kinds but they also serve the grilled cheese staple. Prices are relatively inexpensive. We had dinner for two at $25.
- Waterfront Cafe – I’ve been to this restaurant twice. Located in San Francisco overlooking the San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge, they have a large assortment of fresh fish daily. But, don’t order anything from the east coast here because it will be frozen! The chocolate souffle was worth the 15 minute wait! Dinner was approximately $100 for two people.
