Page 41 - 2025-2026 Travel Guide to California

INSIDER’S TIP
The Bay Area’s renowned food
can be sampled best at FARMERS’
MARKETS and food truck gatherings.
SAN FRANCISCO’S FERRY BUILDING
is arguably the area’s top market. Other
awesome markets are held in Berkeley,
Healdsburg, Mountain View and at
Marin Civic Center. FOOD TRUCKS
serve up a mouth-watering array of
choices all around the Bay Area.
Silicon Valley—home of Apple, Meta,
Google, Intel and other high-tech power-
houses—has emerged as a center for the arts,
with a vibrant cultural scene and attractions
such as San Jose’s Museum of Art and The
Tech Interactive, which pays homage to the
valley’s innovative spirit. Mountain View’s
Castro Street and Palo Alto’s University
Avenue are hopping, and San Jose’s booming
downtown and Santana Row shopping and
dining center are bustling.
Neighboring San Mateo County’s coast-
line still shows its traditional fishing and
agricultural roots. It’s within a short drive
of major population centers yet a world
away, with its sprawling artichoke fields
and miles of pristine beaches. Santa Cruz
County to the south offers visitors a wealth
of attractions, including parks and
wineries in its redwood-covered mountain
range, and laid-back beaches where surfers
polish their technique.
East Bay: Berkeley & Oakland
On the eastern side of the bay lies the col-
lege town of Berkeley, with its history of
political idealism, University of California
academic prestige and coffeehouse intel-
lectualism. Berkeley is almost synonymous
with Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse and the
movement to organic food. Berkeley’s
larger neighbor, Oakland, is a diverse city
with a booming downtown.
City Living
San Francisco remains the cultural hub of
the Bay Area, but Oakland and San Jose are
becoming stronger contenders in shaping
the region’s evolving cultural landscape.
The city draws approximately 23 million
MUST
SEE,
DO
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE IN SAN FRANCISCO, opposite.
DRIVE TOUR
PETALUMA
Start by crossing the Golden Gate
Bridge driving north, stopping in
SAUSALITO. Head northwest to
MOUNT TAMALPAIS STATE PARK
and take the steep, twisting road to the
Pantoll Ranger Station and drive the
PANORAMIC HIGHWAY for ocean,
city and mountain views. Drive to
MUIR WOODS NATIONAL
MONUMENT for a short walk among
redwoods. Head back toward Sausalito
and Highway 101 and drive north to the
wine country town of SONOMA.
Explore its shady plaza, surrounded by
shops, wine tasting rooms and historic
sites. From Sonoma, it’s a short drive to
California’s other major wine region,
Napa Valley, and the city of NAPA.
• SAN FRANCISCO TOP SIGHTS Fisherman’s
Wharf and Chinatown offer even more reasons to
visit. Along the pedestrian-friendly wharf visitors
can buy fish straight from the boats. The Cartoon
Art Museum lies just east of the reinvigorated
Ghirardelli Square, home to the San Francisco
Brewing Co. and its beer garden. Meanwhile, on
the North Beach edge of nearby Chinatown, the
China Live complex offers an amazing variety of
Chinese food choices.
• sftravel.com
• EAST BAY EXPLORATION Oakland’s lively
Uptown, Temescal and Piedmont Avenue neighbor-
hoods are filled with excellent restaurants, including
Commis and Duende. The neighboring university
town of Berkeley also offers much to discover,
including the UC Berkeley campus, the Berkeley Art
Museum and Pacific Film Archive. The outdoors
beckon at 2,000-acre Tilden Park, which has a lovely
botanical garden and steam train that children adore.
• visitberkeley.com
• SONOMA SOJOURN Sonoma County’s
vineyard-covered landscape features dozens of
renowned wineries. In the Russian River Valley
appellation, visitors stroll among the shops of
Sebastopol, Graton and Forestville and pick up picnic
goodies for alfresco dining while sampling the
county’s famous Pinot Noirs and other varietals.
• sonomacounty.com
• ICONIC HIGH TECH Silicon Valley giants open
parts of their headquarters to visitors. Intel offers
the Intel Museum and Apple’s futuristic campus
includes the glass-walled Apple Park Visitor Center.
Grab a bite along Palo Alto’s University Avenue
where Silicon Valley’s elite dine.
• smccvb.com, santaclara.org
• EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS Mount Tamal-
pais and the coast of Marin County just north of the
Golden Gate Bridge are a spectacular playground for
hikers, bikers and anyone who enjoys the outdoors.
Mount Tam affords stunning views and Muir Woods
National Monument, on its western flank, wows
visitors with its towering redwood grove. Oceanfront
towns Stinson Beach and Bolinas have a laid-back
vibe that is part of their charm.
• visitmarin.org
2025-26 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 39