The California Academy of Sciences---Free!

The California Academy of Sciences is home to the Steinhart Aquarium, a Planetarium, a Natural History Museum, AND AN INDOOR RAINFOREST! Before its makeover, admission was 15 bucks, but they have raised prices to defray some of the costs of remodeling. Admission is now $22 and change. Except for tomorrow, September 27th, when it will be free to get in, in honor of the Academy's reopening. The park, which is located in Golden Gate Park, is featured in this excellent article in the Contra Costa Times.

Bi-Rite Creamery in Mission District

Located in the Mission district of San Francisco, Bi-Rite can be a bit of a wait on the weekend, but they offer unique flavors like Orange Cardamom, Cinnamon Snickerdoodle, Salted Caramel, and Honey Lavender. On my list is the Strawberry Balsamic cone (I'm a sucker for a good waffle cone!)


According to MANY reviews on yelp.com, the company provides friendly, sincere customer service that is as old-fashioned as the name, including free samples and attentive employees that were more than once described as "on Prozac". In addition to the happy vibes, the shop is very eco-friendly--their treats are organic, all their packaging is either biodegradable(cups and spoons) or edible(sugar cones--yes!)


Bi-Rite is just off the 16th Street/Mission BART stop, which makes it a cinch to visit for those who don't live or work in the city. It's also right along Delores Park, a favorite spot to walk with your tasty cone! We went in the evening (the shop is open until 11pm!), and walked to the highest point of the park, which features a beautiful view of the city lights.

The store is located at:
3692 18th St
(between Dolores St & Oakwood St)
San Francisco, CA 94110

P.S. After stopping by, I would recommend that you NOT take BART if you are coming from the East Bay. It made our "cheap ice cream date" cost about $30. Parking in the Mission didn't seem too bad, even on a Friday night, so next time we go, we'll likely drive.

Hidden Villa

Hidden Villa is a working organic farm on 1600 acres in the Santa Cruz Mountains (about an hour away from Contra Costa County.) It's also a not-for-profit environmental education center.
Some of the many programs available at Hidden Villa include summer camps, workshops, concerts, and a hostel. There are miles of hiking trails for those so inclined, and in the spring, Hidden Villa offers the allure of....Baby Animals!!!
They also offer classes, a few are adult classes (canning, growing edible mushrooms), but the majority of the classes are either kid-friendly, or aimed directly at children, with themes like "Preschoolers on the Farm". Every weekend they have tours of the farm at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., rain or shine. I believe these tours are free.
Parking is $5 and entrance to Hidden Villa is free.
Along those lines, Emandal Farms in Willits is also an environmental education center. They offer family camping in cabins along the Eel River, with all meals included in the cost of your stay. While there, you can milk cows, pick tomatoes, and gather eggs. If that's not your thing, then you can take a dip in the river instead. Sounds pretty nice to me.
http://www.emandal.com