Berkeley and the East Bay


Outdoors
The beautiful Berkeley Rose Garden should be just about to bloom during the conference. Built in the mid-1930's, it has over a thousand rose bushes on a terraced amphitheater overlooking the nearby woodland. To get to the garden, walk to the North Gate of the campus and follow Euclid avenue uphill (an eleven block walk) or take the AC Transit 65 bus. Read more...


Further up the hill is the beautiful Tilden Regional Park; you can get there via AC transit bus on weekends. In addition to its many hiking/bicycling trails and the botanical gardens, Tilden Park also has a lake with a lifeguarded public beach. And there are even steam trains! (Yes, you can ride them)


One of the most popular trails is the Nimitz Way; it is about four miles long with very little change in altitude and some amazing views, like inspiration point.

An excellent list of walking tours starting from the campus has been compiled in what was apparently the appendix to somebody's thesis: Berkeley's longest paths or, why I took so long to graduate.

Museums
Up the hill behind the campus is the Lawrence Hall of Science museum. It overlooks the entire city of Berkeley and the bay beyond. If you're interested in California's history, further to the South is the Oakland Museum of California.



On Campus
The Doe library complex is a great way to spend a few hours. If you visit, take a look at the ornate Heyns Reading Room and Morrison Library. The library also gives guided tours and a small exhibit hall with a rotating collection.

No trip to Berkeley would be complete without walking by the iconic Campanile, also known as Sather Tower. Visitors are allowed in the tower during a few hours most weekdays; a schedule can be found online.

Cal Performances maintains a list of local performing arts events; many are held in Zellerbach Hall on campus.

Restaurants
Berkeley is awash in great restaurants; here are just a few recommendations: Gather (Gourmet), Zatar (Middle Eastern), Nan Yang (Burmese, particularly recommended), and The Musical Offering (eclectic, combined with music store). Also try La Note (French) for breakfast. If you're looking for a slice of pizza, you can't beat The Cheese Board Collective. "For more detailed recommendations, including lunch options near campus, see the Dining page.

San Francisco


Just east of the Golden Gate Bridge is the Exploratorium, an exciting hands-on science museum. It sits beside the Palace of Fine Arts, an unusual outdoor Greek/Roman-inspired structure built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. Further south, in the center of Golden Gate Park are the California Academy of Sciences and the Conservatory of Flowers. For a more historical experience, try the Cable Car Museum.

You might also take a stroll along Ocean Beach; on the way, stop by Cliff House and check out the ruins of Sutro Baths. Ocean Beach still allows bonfires.

Pier 39 has sea lions with their own web cam.



Peninsula

If you make it down to Silicon Valley, be sure to visit the Computer History Museum, which includes a working replica of Charles Babbage's difference engine.


Napa/Sonoma

Many of California's famous wines come from the Napa/Sonoma area, about an hour's drive north from the campus -- appropriate for an afternoon trip. The wineries all offer tastings; some also have a restaurant. The Hess Winery has a substantial art gallery as well.