Bay Area Parent Visitors Guide 2011 : Page 12

Oakland of rth the trip wo is y cit The Allure y Ba t , this Eas m urban to woodsy Fro San Francisco may steal the spotlight when it comes to well-known tourist haunts and jaunts, but Oakland, its neighbor just across the bay, has plenty of delights for families. Oakland has By Janine DeFao wonderful, walkable neighborhoods; woodsy parks and tons of cultural attractions. Hop on BART or drive across the Bay Bridge for museums, parks, music and more. Lake Merritt Purported to be the inspiration for Disneyland, Children’s Fairyland (f (fairyland.org) has been entertaining kids with its storybook-themed att ractions for more than 60 years. With tot-sized rides, engaging puppet shows and weekend entertainment, this simple, old-fashioned park remains a sh hit with litt le ones. h Even if your children are older, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in Lakeside Park . You can picnic on the shores of beautiful Lake Merritt , L play in one of its playgrounds, visit the nation’s oldest wildlife refuge at the p Rotary Nature Center or rent a pedal boat, kayak, canoe or small sailboat R from the Lake Merritt Boating Center (sailoakland.com). Or, let someone else do the paddling for you in a gondola from Gondola Servizio (gondolaservizio.com), located at the Lake Chalet (thelakechalet.com). Nearby is the recently revamped Oakland Museum of California (museumca.org), M which encourages visitors to “please touch” w many of its hands-on California history and m art exhibits. A new natural sciences wing is a scheduled to open in 2012. s T left: A gondola ride is just one way Top to get out on the water on Lake Merritt. t Left: Children’s Fairyland has been L delighting families for more than 60 years. RY MU NIZ OAK LAN D CON VEN TION & VISI TOR S BUREAU; CHI LDREN’S FAIRYLA ND OAK LAN D CON VEN TION & VISI TOR S BUREAU; BAR Oracle Arena & Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Depending on when you’re in town, there’s always something happening at Oakland’s indoor arena and outdoor coliseum (coliseum.com), home to the Oakland A’s, Raiders and Golden State Warriors, as well as host to many concerts and shows. Janine DeFao is an associate editor at Bay Area Parent . 12 Bay Area Parent | BayAreaParent.com

The Allure of Oakland

By Janine DeFao

From urban to woodsy, this East Bay city is worth the trip San Francisco may steal the spotlight when it comes to well-known tourist haunts and jaunts, but Oakland, its neighbor just across the bay, has plenty of delights for families. Oakland has wonderful, walkable neighborhoods; woodsy parks and tons of cultural attractions. Hop on BART or drive across the Bay Bridge for museums, parks, music and more. Lake Merritt Purported to be the inspiration for Disneyland, Children’s Fairyland (fairyland.org) has been entertaining kids with its storybook-themed attractions for more than 60 years. With tot-sized rides, engaging puppet shows and weekend entertainment, this simple, old-fashioned park remains a hit with little ones. Even if your children are older, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in Lakeside Park. You can picnic on the shores of beautiful Lake Merritt , play in one of its playgrounds, visit the nation’s oldest wildlife refuge at the Rotary Nature Center or rent a pedal boat, kayak, canoe or small sailboat from the Lake Merritt Boating Center (sailoakland.com). Or, let someone else do the paddling for you in a gondola from Gondola Servizio (gondolaservizio.com), located at the Lake Chalet (thelakechalet.com). Nearby is the recently revamped Oakland Museum of California (museumca.org), which encourages visitors to “please touch” many of its hands-on California history and art exhibits. A new natural sciences wing is scheduled to open in 2012. Oracle Arena & Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Depending on when you’re in town, there’s always something happening at Oakland’s indoor arena and outdoor coliseum (coliseum.com), home to the Oakland A’s, Raiders and Golden State Warriors, as well as host to many concerts and shows. Oakland Hills You’ll likely need a car to reach these destinations high above the city, but they’re worth the trip. Set in a beautiful park and home to 660 native and exotic animals, the Oakland Zoo (oaklandzoo.org) is a crowd-pleaser for young and old. There’s a great children’s zoo, a train through an Australian Outback exhibit and reasonably priced children’s rides. For an out-of-this-world experience, wind you way into the hills to the Chabot Space and Science Center (chabotspace.org), which features a planetarium, IMAX theater and hands-on exhibits. There’s free viewing from the center’s telescopes on Friday and Saturday nights. While there, check out Redwood Regional Park (ebparks.org) for a hike or picnic in a redwood forest. Rockridge & Piedmont Avenue For a more urban experience, head over to Rockridge or Piedmont Avenue and join the stroller brigade browsing in boutiques or dining at local cafes. Rockridge’s Market Hall (rockridgedistrict.com), near the BART station on College Avenue, is a popular place to pick up picnic provisions or other tasty treats. There are many family-friendly restaurants, some with outdoor seating, and fantastic bakeries. Rockridge Kids at 5511 College Ave. is a one-stop shop for toys and baby gear. Or check out the delightful play structures at the two playgrounds in Frog Park (rogpark.org), part of the Rockridge-Temescal greenbelt. Not to be missed on a trip to Oakland is a trip to the famed Fenton’s Creamery (fentonscreamy.com), the retro soda fountain featured in Pixar’s Up, which has been serving homemade ice cream since 1894. 4226 Piedmont Ave. 510-658-7000. Downtown/Jack London Square While a hub for business and government workers, Downtown Oakland has a surprising number of family-friendly venues, easily accessible by BART. The Museum of Children’s Art (mocha.org) is a small, handson art studio offering a variety of projects to drop-in visitors. You can also check out the Oakland Ice Center (oaklandice.com) for year-round skating at this public indoor ice arena. If you and your family are looking for music – and you’re in town during August – check out Art and Soul (artandsouloakland. com), downtown Oakland’s biggest festival. Held this year on Aug. 20-21, it offers big-name musical acts, arts vendors and activities, food, a kids’ zone and more. There are also free concerts each Wednesday at noon during the summer at Oakland City Center (oaklandcitycenter.com), which offers several restaurant options nearby. Or, stroll down Broadway to Jack London Square (jacklondonsquare.com) for free Thursday night movies and Friday night dance lessons during summer, or dinner in one of several family-friendly, waterfront restaurants. Or, explore the Oakland Estuary with a kayak from California Canoe and Kayak (calkayak.com). To get out on the water without actually getting in, visit one of Oakland’s best-kept secrets, the waterfront Middle Harbor Shoreline Park (portofoakland.com), which is adjacent to the Port of Oakland. The park has a sandy shoreline, playground, walking and biking trails and phenomenal bay views.

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