100 things to do in Oakland! Would you believe it!

by Charlie Leocha on May 28, 2011

Oakland_marina_leocha

While attending a travel conference in San Francisco I had the opportunity to take the ferry across the bay to Jack London Square and enjoy an evening of wine and tapas on the water. It was delightful.

The rest of Oakland has been growing as a tourist destination, in many ways competing with its more famous neighbor San Francisco. It always presents an alternative only a short ferry ride away.

Here are the first 25 “things to do” in Oakland from a list of 100. Each activity has a link to the experience website. Looking at this list, one might plan an entire vacation on the East Bay.

    1. Reach for the stars at the Chabot Space and Science Center
    2. Hug a really big tree at Redwood Regional Park
    3. Catch the America’s Cup spirit by honing your sailing skills at J World Performance Sailing at Jack London Square
    4. Sample some great wines and get some exercise by joining a cycling trip with East Bay Winery Bicycle Tours
    5. Rediscover the glamour of Hollywood with a classic movie at the Paramount Theatre
    6. Bite into a ripe peach at one of Oakland’s Farmers Markets
    7. Sip tasty teas at the Tea Garden at Numi Tea
    8. Board a yacht at Strictly Sail boat show in Jack London Square
    9. Stretch your neck with the giraffes at the Oakland Zoo
    10. Captain a kayak on the Oakland Estuary
    11. Toast to Jack London with a beer at Heinhold’s First & Last Chance Saloon
    12. Cheer for the home team at an Oakland A’s game
    13. Relive a moment from the movie UP! with a cone at Fenton’s Creamery
    14. Enjoy the sounds of music at Woodminster Amphitheatre
    15. Discover a rare treasure at THE FIND Vintage Fair in Jack London Square
    16. Shop ’til you drop along Piedmont Avenue
    17. Groove with the jazz at Yoshi’s Oakland
    18. Learn to honor your elders at Dias de Los Muertos at the Oakland Museum of California
    19. Become a kid again at Children’s Fairyland
    20. Rock your socks off during a concert at the ORACLE Arena
    21. Travel presidential style with a cruise on the USS Potomac
    22. Retrace Amelia Earhart’s flight route at the Oakland Aviation Museum
    23. See the sun set over San Francisco with a cocktail on the top deck of the Alameda/Oakland ferry
    24. Catch the latest sounds at the Fox Oakland
    25. Dance with the sugarplum fairies at the Nutcracker

There are 75 more at http://www.visitoakland.org/visiting_100_things_to_do.cfm

Photo: Oakland by Leocha

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Tagged as: California, Oakland, San Francisco

  • http://www.k9stud.com/viewalldogs.aspx Dogs For Sale

    Too many thing to read also!!!!!! I have read half of them and will finish rest of them shortly. And I also have a plan to do many of the work mentioned here.

  • http://www.planestrainsandrunning.com Greg

    Despite its reputation, Oakland has a lot going for it including great weather (better than San Francisco’s), remarkable diversity of cultures, and many attractive neighborhoods.  This year marked the second successful running of the Oakland Marathon.  Leading up to it I wrote a series of blog posts called the “Oakland Marathon neighborhood tour” which takes quick looks at the areas the race course passes through.  See:  http://www.planestrainsandrunning.com/2010/12/oakland-marathon-neighborhood-tour.html

  • Susie

    Oakland. Hmmmmm…Having lived in the East bay Area  for 50 years there were only a handful of things I wanted to see in Oakland. Fairyland at Lake Merritt, now long gone wasa favorite childhood destination, Knowland Park Zoo was a far second behind the San Francisco Zoo, but okay for a short outing without having to go to the city, and Jack London Square has it’s fun spots and tasty restaurants.

    But 100 things to do in Oakland? I would rather cross the Bay and go to San Fran or even go explore Berkely where I lived  for a portion of my time in the Bay Area. Most of it was spent in the North Bay in Sonoma County. NOW, there are some thngs to see up there! Redwood trees! The coast! The vineyards! The winerys! And to whet your tastebuds….The wine! The wine! The wine! And the multitude of restaurants  to go with that wine…. Now that area is the center of the universe…

  • Anonymous

    Well, i am seeking such kind of information. I have plan to visit Oakland after two month with my family. This information helps a lot, thanks for sharing it.

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