SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Experience San Francisco and create lasting memories
- Stroll along Crissy Field
- Visit Torpedo Wharf
- Explore Fort Point
Crissy Field has become a gem of the Presidio, but that wasn’t always the case. When the Presidio was still an active military base, a walk along Crissy Field or a visit to Torpedo Wharf felt like you were exploring an abandon industrial zone. Fort Point has changed little except for more traffic and less parking.
My father would take us for weekend crabbing trips to Torpedo Wharf back in the 1980s. It felt abandon. So many empty warehouses, waiting for the next war to become useful again. Relatively few…
Experience San Francisco like a local
A quirky memorable spot, a perfect place to take out-of-town visitors
Whenever friends or family come to visit, I love to find memorable out of the ordinary experiences to share with them. You can find endless lists for places to visit around the city, and those typical suggestions create wonderful memories for their visit to this wonderful city.
Many of those suggestions won't eat up your time playing tour guide. Hopefully, you won’t see them driving around one of those little yellow three-wheeled motorcycles with the extra-loud audio tour.
- Go have lunch at the Ferry Building.
- Have a nice day out playing at the Exploratorium.
- Tour the Academy of Science.
- Find…
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Walk the Panhandle, Play at Children's Playground, and ride the Carousel
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Panhandle Walk and Playtime at Children’s Playground — A Bonus Adventure
This playground has been THE destination for kids living in the Bay Area for well over 100 years. Lucky for us we can still enjoy the Carousel, and bring our own kids here for their adventures.
It is said that Children’s Playground in Golden Gate Park is one of the first public playgrounds in the nation (with previous examples in New York’s Central…
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Bike JFK Drive (closed to cars on Sundays), hike to the top of Rainbow Falls, and stroll around the rose garden.
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Bike Sunday on JFK Drive — A Bonus Adventure
When I grew up in the Sunset District, my family always seemed to take part as pedestrians during Sunday closures of JFK Drive. We rarely had a car, and the logistics of bringing our skates or bikes were probably too complicated.
I think also, it was never a destination for us. It was more likely that we were visiting somewhere else nearby and…
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Stroll around the Music Concourse, visit the Japanese Tea Garden, tour the free areas of the de Young Museum, and visit the Shakespeare Garden.
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Stroll around the Music Concourse — a bonus adventure
I always enjoyed taking a walk around the concourse and through one of the tunnels here (now the entrances to the subterranean parking garages). Looking at all the artists and enjoying the weekend street performers here was always entertaining. Sometimes we would get to see the Golden Gate Park Band perform here, or any number of acts over the years. And if the…
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Stroll around Stow Lake, hike to the top of Strawberry Hill, paddle a boat around Stow Lake.
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Stroll around Stow Lake — A Bonus Adventure
One of my favorite holiday traditions growing up was taking a Christmas day walk with my family around Stow Lake and to the top of Strawberry Hill. …
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Stroll along the Great Highway from Golden Gate Park, visit the Camera Obscura, learn some history about the Cliff House.
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Cliff House Stroll — A Bonus Adventure
A visit to the Cliff House is a step back in time. As a kid, the Musée Mécanique was located in the basement of the Cliff House, the entrance across from the Camera Obscura. During its last renovations, the Musée Mécanique had to relocate to Pier 45. But visiting it at the Cliff House gave added effect to stepping back in time playing…
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Rent Archery Equipment in the Richmond District and head over to the park to discover your inner Robin Hood or Katniss Everdeen!
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Golden Gate Park Archery — A Bonus Adventure
Archery can be a lot of fun. Having an archery range here in Golden Gate Park with an Archery Pro Shop only a few blocks away makes this a convenient way to spend part of your day. …
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Enjoy the model boats at Spreckels Lake, hike around the Bison Paddock, Walk around North Lake, and visit the Fly Casting Pools
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Spreckels Bison Loop — Bonus Golden Gate Park Adventure
Growing up in the sunset, my childhood dog would love a ride to the dog run behind the Bison Paddock and Spreckels Lake. She would go nuts when we got close to Spreckels Lake. After a romp in the fenced-in area of the dog run, we would often have a walk around the Bison or the lake to wind down. …
SF BAY AREA DAY TRIP ADVENTURE
Stroll through Speedway Meadows, cross the Polo Fields, visit the Portals of the Past at Lloyd Lake, and climb to the top of Rainbow Falls
This is part of a series of family-oriented day trip outings around the San Francisco Bay Area I look forward to enjoying with my kids once social distancing and shelter in place isn’t the norm any longer.
Portals of the Past — Bonus Golden Gate Park Adventure
I really enjoy taking this walk along old Speedway Meadows to see the Portals of the Past. So much of what we see in San Francisco is recently built. Even if something seems old, it likely doesn’t date back before the 1906 earthquake (with a few exceptions). …
Cody Tolmasoff
Parent-adventurer, creating memories for my two daughters around the SF Bay Area. Author & publisher at @adventuringin & Chief Happiness Officer at @kiddiewalks
