Bay Area visit -- looking for where to go

[phirey]

We're visiting the Bay area over Thanksgiving, and I'm looking for cool things to do with DD (One year old this weekend!). DH and I were there three years ago and did many of the tourist sights and also Sonoma/Napa and the coast. I'm looking more for cool baby suggestions, plus any great baby stores. I think I saw that Sally Spicer bags are based there -- I'm always looking for cool stuff.

We'll be staying with my sister in Mountain View -- not quite sure where it is exactly, but she is a professor at Stanford, so I guess near there.

Thanks

[brubeck]

In San Jose there is a park called Happy Hollow. It is a small zoo with a petting area and also has some toddler rides.

On the other side of the Dumbarton Bridge in Fremont is Ardenwood Farm. For $1 admission for adults (kids are free) you can enter and have a picnic on the grass (if the weather is nice) and see the farm animals.

It's a little far away, but the Oakland Zoo is nice too. There is also supposed to be a nice park in South San Francisco based on Where the Wild Things Are. I don't remember the name of it though, can anyone else help?

In Berkeley the Habitot (off Shattuck near the Bart station) is a lot of fun and is indoors, so it's good for a cold day.

As for stores, outside of chains the only ones I can think of are Lullaby Lane in San Bruno (pretty expensive) and Baby World in San Jose. If you have alot of cash to spare you can look around the Stanford Shopping Center at all the expensive boutiques too. I don't live on the Penninsula myself (I'm in the East Bay) so perhaps someone over there could give you more shopping info.

Hope you have fun! If you want to do a mini BBB get-together let me know. Mamahill lives near me and I suspect she would be interested too.

[phirey]

Oh wow! What great ideas. Thanks so much for your prompt reply!

I'd love to get together but orchestrating it may be troublesome. I see my sister maybe twice a year, and we will be depending on her car. She's a little possessive about her time with DD and with her car! But I'll certainly see what her plans are and let you know closer to the date.

Thanks again!

[macassi]

You might also want to look into the Children's Discoery Museum in San Jose. It's a lot of fun for kids.

As for shopping, with all the board talk about Hanna Andersson, you might be interested in hitting the Valley Faire mall -- they have a brick and mortar store there.

Your daughter might be a bit young, but Roaring Camp in Santa Cruz is fun for train loving kids.

Marci

[C99]

Mountain View is about a 45-minute drive or train ride from San Francisco. It's just south of Palo Alto (Stanford). In Mountain View, there is a park along the waterfront called Shoreline, which has lots of trails and a play area. I looked up Sally Spicer bags online, and it says that they carry them at the East-West Book shop in Mountain View, which is right in MV's downtown/shopping area. There's also this awesome little bookshop there called Book Buyers, lots of cool used books in really good condition. And a wide array of mediocre restaurants. ;-)

In San Francisco, there is much to do that would interest or entertain a toddler: the most touristy area, Fisherman's Wharf, always has street performers on the sidewalks and sea lions off the pier; Golden Gate Park has duck ponds and paddleboats and a huge, huge playground and a carousel; Sony Metreon's "Where the Wild Things Are" interactive exhibit is pretty cool; near the Metreon is the Cartoon Art Museum and the carousel at Moscone Center; China town; the Exploratorium is a cool, interactive museum; the San Francisco Zoo; and there's this cool ice cream/cafe with an old toy theme to it in the inner Richmond area. In terms of shopping in SF, I'd think your best bets would be the stores along 24th Street in Noe Valley. There are also some boutique-y stores along Sacramento in Laurel Heights, but I'm not sure any one of them is worth the drive -- there is a great place called Good-Byes that has fantastic deals on women's clothes on consignment, but I don't think they carry children's things.

Man...now I am "homesick" for San Francisco all over again. If you need any ideas of where to EAT in the bay area, I've got tons of 'em!

[doubleL]

I lived in Marin over the Golden Gate Bridge when I was pregnant with DS. If you find yourself over there, make sure to hit Heller's 514 4th Street in San Rafael (415) 456-5533. I can't tell you how many times I went in there looking at diaper bags. About 2 weeks after I made my first diaper bag purchase, they started carrying the Sally Spicers. Rats! Anyway, I love that store.

I too miss the Bay Area tremendously and can't wait to take my kids there!

Enjoy!!!

Lou
~DS 5.01
~DD 6.03

[brubeck]

You're right Marci, the Discovery Museum is great. Unfortunately I think the Sesame Street Exhibit will be over by Thanksgiving. :( But there is still lots of other cool stuff for a toddler.

[miki]

I live in Mountain View. That bookstore mentioned above is on Castro St. That's pretty much the whole downtown. The Sally Spicer bags are probably at a store at the Stanford Shopping Center also--maybe Edwards Luggage. Their store in SF at the Embarcadero Center has them. The nicest (but also most expensive) baby clothing store I've seen is also at the Embarcadero Center--called Kidnikki.

You might also check out the Tech Museum in San Jose. They have lots of interactive things for kids. When my husband and I went, they had a video exhibit where you could push buttons and build your own roller coaster and then sit in a pretend coaster seat and ride your creation via the large screen they had set up.

If you can do a day trip, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is great. It's not such a long drive if you are staying in the SOuth Bay. In addition to looking at the wildlife, they have exhibits where you can touch animals like starfish and such.

Unless it's warm, Shoreline Park can get pretty cold and windy since it's by the water. But they do have a nice play area for kids next to the water. At the entrance to the park they also have a dog run--some of the dogs can be entertaining. Right past the entrance is a kite flying area--bring your own or watch some fancy flying.

[heidi_timms]

I am in the South Bay Area too. At Valley Fair mall, they also have Naartjie baby store that everyone raves about and they just opened a new mall across the street that is called Santana Row. Lots of good restaurants there!

http://naartjie.homestead.com/newhome.html


~Heidi
Mom to Kailey Ashlin
4/27/03

[alleyoop]

I also vote for the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It will be well worth the day trip!