Cultural Day Trips

Sacramento. It’s our state capital, the birthplace (or nearly) of the Gold Rush, a field trip mecca, and that’s about it, right? Wrong. Yes, Sacramento is all of those things, but it’s also a happening metropolis with a great arts scene, fun nightlife, and delicious eats. Here, some of the best activities to do in Sacramento. 1. Explore landmark buildings, old-fashioned photography studios, and sweet shops galore in Old Sacramento, the first historic

Railroads abandoned and later rediscovered hold a certain mysterious and captivating quality. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of treks through the English countryside, following old tracks as they boorishly carved their way through rolling hills and deciduous woodlands. So when I heard of a passenger train service on a restored 19th-century railroad in the Santa Cruz mountains, I had to take a journey on the Roaring Camp Railroads for myself. Backtrack(s) This being

The San Francisco Bay is known for a lot of things: piers, sailboats, beautiful beaches and quaint towns. But it’s also got a deeper, darker history of hauntings all along the coastline. Just in time for Halloween, we’ve prepped your itinerary for a haunted day trip with the five most eerily thrilling places along the San Francisco Bay

In case you’ve been away (or living under “The Rock”) for a while, the 34th Annual America’s Cup is coming to our Bay next summer. It’s history in the making, and it promises to be a rollicking good time. To whet our appetites (and get in a practice run for the main event), the ships will be sailing in this year for the America’s Cup World Series (August 21-26 and

It’s a fact: You simply don’t get much more incredible than this. Keeping watch at the edge of the earth (in Marin County), the rugged, wind-swept Point Reyes National Seashore is a pristine strip of quintessential California Coast—just north of San Francisco and yet worlds away. There are tons of activities available in Point Reyes, so it’s best to check in first at the Bear Valley Visitor Center, where the friendly crew

We live in one of the most photographed cities in the world, but city dwellers have a tendency to forget the unparalleled, natural beauty sitting just outside the man-made structures of San Fran proper. Remind yourself why your East Coast friends are jealous of your Nor Cal life by taking a good, long look at it. Escape the city to visit national parks, restaurants, and vineyards for spectacular views of

Yes, San Francisco is famed for its music scene, but there are many great spots—from intimate jazz joints to massive amphitheaters—beyond the city’s hipster hangouts, underground dives, and famed concert halls. From Berkeley to Oakland to Napa and beyond, here are our top 10 picks for the best places to see a concert in the Bay Area. 1. Music with a View: The Greek | 1815 4th Street | Berkeley Don’t let the fact that