WHERE TO STAY
We stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Rooms and facilities were very nice and very clean, and the staff were really friendly. Cookies in the check-in are always a nice add.
The on-site restaurant, Bay VIew Grill, was good, nothing amazing, but with great views. Indoor pool was a fun end to our day.
WHAT TO DO
As I already said, this weekend turned to be pretty adventurous.
The Adventure Playground (FREE, open weekends 11am-5pm)
Located in the Marina, just a few minutes from the hotel. Named one of the top 10 playground in National Geographic, and so extraordinary, we had to pay a visit!
It is basically a scrap junkyard, where kids can borrow paint and tools (saws, hammers, workbenches, and nails), and build the playground.
Staff are on hand to help, and make sure everyone is safe and enjoying their visit.
Kids are encouraged to explore and create, as well as play in the climbing play structure, and ride the zipline.
Daniel was dirty, messy, and had so much fun!
Indian Rock Park (FREE)
Another unusual, and somewhat adventurous, playground.
It’s one of Berkeley’s rock parks, providing great challenges for early-level rock climbing, and children :)
Carved steps help inexperienced climbers to get to the top and enjoy the amazing views of San Francisco Bay.
Tilden Park Little Farm (FREE, open daily 8:30am-4pm)
The little farm features a variety of farm animals including cows, sheep, goats, rabbits and chickens.
Guests are encouraged to feed the animal, but please bring only celery and lettuce!
Check out the online calendar for variety of family-friendly activities (they had giant bubbles out for the kids when we visited).
Tilden Park Merry-Go-Round ($3.5/ride, open Friday-Sunday, 11am-5pm)
A fun carousel for everyone! Purchase the 7-pack, so you can go on the ride more than once.
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| Photo: Nancy Rubin |
We can’t get over how fun this hike was, but it’s not an easy one for little feet.
Narrow passes, rocks to climb, muddy areas, and rocky trail might be harder for children, but lots of fun.
It’s about 1.3 miles and took us about an hour, including a snack break with a view.
The loop trail start and ends at the parking lot.
TIlden Park - Steam Train ($3/ride or $12/5-pack, open weekends 11am-6pm and weekdays on summer months and holidays)
Redwood Valley Railway offers steam train rides along a scenic ridge on a scaled-down steam train.
The ride is pretty long (about 12 minutes) and so much fun. While line seems long, it usually isn’t, so don’t skip because of the lines!
