City: San Francisco

The University of California Berkeley stands as the foremost institution for research in California’s broad system of universities. Founded in 1868, it has since gone on to boast producing 107 Nobel laureates, 20 Academy Awards, 207 Olympic medals, and much more. It’s been a cornerstone in progressive thinking for the whole state, having been a historical focal point at times such as the Free Speech Movement of 1964 and its students’ opposition to the Vietnam War. Over time, UC Berkeley has accumulated a wide range of buildings with a wider range of architectural designs and distinctions. Its academic programs and departments number in at over 130, is at the leading edge of medical and mathematical research, and its 32 libraries combined make up the fourth largest academic library in the United States. American Literature aficionados should take note that among all of its rich collections, The Mark Twain Papers are housed here.

While there are actually four notable Chinatowns in San Francisco, the oldest and largest is the main Chinatown to visit. Since its establishment in 1848, it has played an important and influential role in the history and culture of Chinese immigrants in North America. Chinatown spans a total of 24 city blocks and it is the most densely populated neighborhood west of Manhattan. San Francisco’s Chinatown offers visitors the opportunity to experience Chinese culture. One of the most photographed locations in Chinatown is the Dragon’s Gate, which is the southern entrance to Chinatown on Grant Avenue, which runs the length of Chinatown. Once in Chinatown, visitors can explore a maze of herbal and tea shops, souvenir stores, bakeries, karaoke bars, and dark cocktail lounges. Other notable attractions include St. Mary’s Square, the Sing Chong and Sing Fat buildings, and Portsmouth Square, which is the oldest public space in San Francisco.

The San Francisco State University campus includes a total of six academic colleges and the college’s mascot is the Gator. Overall, students can choose from 118 different bachelor’s degrees and 94 master’s degrees. Doctorate degrees are also available across five unique disciplines. The university is part of the California State University system, which includes a total of 23 campuses throughout the state.    San Francisco State University was originally founded in 1899. It first went by the name of San Francisco Normal School and was a two-year teacher-training college. The first graduating class, which consisted of 36 women, earned their diplomas in 1901 and the first four-year program at the university wasn’t initiated until 1930.    Today, the campus covers more than 144 acres and is home to a student body consisting of almost 30,000 undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate students. More than 90 percent of the student body is originally from California and the average fees for undergraduate students taking more than six units totalled $3,632 per semester in the spring of 2019. Some of the university’s most distinguished alumni include Annette Bening, Danny Glover, and Johnny Mathis, who some consider to be “the greatest romantic singer of our time.” 

San Francisco Bay is actually a drowned river valley that parallels the California coastline and connects to the Pacific Ocean via a strait known as the Golden Gate. The bay is 60 miles (97 kilometers) long and ranges from three to 12 miles (five to 19 kilometers) wide, depending on the exact location you’re looking at. The bay is home to a total of four islands: Treasure, Yerba Buena, Angel, and the infamous Alcatraz. Predominant theory in the scientific community suggests that the bay was submerged during the melting of the last glacial ice sheet. The bay covers an area of approximately 550 square miles, which is larger than the combined sizes of the cities of San Diego and San Jose. It is largely filled by fresh water from the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers.

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum is THE place to take your group if you want to experience the bizarre, explore the mysterious, and enjoy the weird. Their exhibits feature incredible artwork, but also showcase some very interesting items, including shrunken heads and an Egyptian mummified foot. The exhibits, video displays, and illusions you’ll find here are hardly believable and, yet, somehow true. The museum’s Odditorium is home to more than 70 interactive and hands-on exhibits in and of itself. In total, the museum is home to more than 400 exhibits organized across 18 themed galleries. Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum usually takes most visitors around 45 minutes to an hour to move through, but there’s enough to keep your attention for much longer. Visitors are allowed to take both pictures and videos while touring the museum.

The Presidio is a really interesting location for history buffs. The earliest visitors to the area date back to the arrival of the Spanish in 1776. Eventually, the area fell under Mexican rule for 24 years before the U.S. Army took control in 1846. For the next 148 years, the military transformed the Presidio of San Francisco from windswept dunes into the region’s preeminent military post. The park was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1962 and it has officially been part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area since 1994. Visitors to the Presidio can engage in a variety of activities. After getting oriented with the park at the Presidio Visitor Center, you have the option to hike to a scenic overlook of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay, learn more about the park’s history at the Presidio Officers’ Club, smell bouquets of native wildflowers at Crissy Marsh, or simply enjoy a family picnic and Frisbee toss on the Main Parade Ground.

Originally built in the late 1970s, Pier 39 has always served locals and tourists alike with a sprawling selection of shopping, places to eat and play, sightsee, and watch the sea lions laze about on the docks. Rarely a day goes by when there isn’t something going on here, especially when considering its seasonal events, performances, art installations, 7D theatre, and the Aquarium of the Bay. Pier 39 is also a hub for a huge amount of tours and activities both wet and dry. There are just as many boat rides, sailing activities and whale sighting tours that take you out over the water as there are guided bike rides. But why should you venture elsewhere when there’s more than enough to see immediately around the pier? Activities for the kids like its Mirror Maze or ornate Carousel will keep the kiddies busy while you enjoy some wine tastings and views of islands and the unforgettable Golden Gate Bridge.

In 1915, the city of San Francisco was still recovering from the devastation of the earthquake and subsequent fires less than a decade earlier. At a time of turmoil for the city and the world abroad, San Francisco’s city leaders developed a plan to encourage trade and demonstrate how a rebuilt San Francisco would play an active role in the international community for years to come. The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre was designed by Bernard R. Maybeck. He based the design for the Palace on his impression of a Roman ruin. With its soaring colonnade, grand rotunda, and carefully constructed pond, Maybeck’s design was meant to invoke quiet sadness and solemnity. True to his vision, the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre fell into ruin for a number of years after the Exposition, but it was rebuilt in 1965. The lagoon and walkways were renovated in 2009, at which time the whole site also received a modern seismic retrofit.

A 42,000-seat stadium situated right on the foggy shores of the San Francisco Bay, Oracle Park has quickly become a top location for baseball fans since it first opened in 2000. With an average attendance of 3.3 million spectators that places it in the top three stadiums for viewing America’s Favorite Pastime. Locals may remember this stadium as the original home to the San Francisco 49ers, when the space was originally home to a multi-use version of its former self. However, true Giants fans will know the place well: With features named after the baseball greats of yore like Willie Mays, Barry Bonds, and Willie McCovey, Oracle Park is a fresh structure that’s been built on hallowed grounds. For example, the China Basin located just beyond its right field has been renamed the McCovey Cove after the player of the same name knocked more than his fair shares of home runs into it.