Chabot Space & Science Center

Chabot Space and Science Center, located in Oakland, California, is a hands-on center featuring interactive exhibits, a digital planetarium, a large screen theater, hands-on activities and three powerful telescopes.

The Center is the continuation and expansion of a public observatory that has served San Francisco Bay Area schools and citizens with astronomy and science education programs since 1883. It is named after the father of hydraulic mining and benefactor of the original Oakland Observatory, Anthony Chabot.

My favorite attraction would have to be the telescopes. Theyhave three observatory telescopes. "Leah", an 8" refractor telescope that was built in 1883."Rachel" is a 20" refractor telescope, commissioned in 1914. It is the largest refractor in the western United States regularly open to the public. "Nellie" is a 36" reflecting telescope which opened in June 2003. The telescopes are available for free public viewing on Friday and Saturday evenings when the sky is clear.

Aside from its telescopes, it contains, The Ask Jeeves Planetarium. It is a full dome digital projection system, with various shows running daily. They also have the Tien MegaDome Theater, a 70-foot dome screen auditorium with various IMax shows running daily. Lastly, it contains the Challenger Learning Center. This is a hands on simulated space mission environment where 8 teams work together to complete a mission.

The Saddle Rack Fremont, Ca.

The Saddle Rack
42011 Boscell Road
Fremont, Ca. 94538
(510) 979-0477

Age Restrictions: 21 and over only
Cover Charge: $20 after 10pm and $10 before 10pm

The Saddle Rack is the largest club located in Fremont. It has two open
dance floor areas that are surrounded by three bars, a mechanical bull,
an oxygen bar, a "Margarita Chair", several pool tables, darts, and
food service. The main dance floor is used for dancing, lessons, line
dancing, or seating. In addition, there is a smaller dance area where a
majority of the line dancing takes place. Located in the front is a
large stage where well-known musicians and vocalists perform weekly,
along with video screens located on the perimeter walls.









Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night from 7:30 p.m. till 9:00 p.m., the main dance floor is filled with a variety of almost anyone over 21 years old stepping and
twirling to the voice of a patient dance instructor. The dance instructor teaches all different types of line dancing and couples dancing to the wonderful beat of country music. There is no extra charge for line dancing. However, every night there is live music and on Saturdays there are two live bands who perform.

The Rock: Alcatraz Island

Alcatraz Island is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Bay Area and just a few minutes away from San Francisco harbor. The island first was home for a lighthouse and became later a military fort before it served as probably the world's most famous prison from 1934 to 1963.

Nowadays you don't need to be Al Capone to go to Alcatraz Island which is meanwhile a National Park. Everyday Alcatraz Cruises is offering several trips to "The Rock". Of course, it is quite expensive (tickets start at $26) but Alcatraz is definitely worth the money. It is a great experience to walk around the cell blocks and the listen to stories of real Alcatraz prisoners through the audio tour (which is already included in the admission). Apart from that you have a phenomenal view of San Francisco, so don't forget to take your cameras.

A special tip is the night tour which is held Thursday through Monday: It is much less crowded than the day tours and the National Park Service is offering special guided tours and activities. Another tip is to book tickets far in advance: Especially during peak seasons and around holidays it is nearly impossible to get tickets at short notice.

Tour times and online ticket reservations: www.alcatrazcruises.com

Official website of the Alcatraz Island National Park: www.nps.gov/alcatraz

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Santa Cruz beach boardwalk is a place you can go to have fun in the sun! It features a beach, restaurants, an arcade, shops, games, and rides! Admission is completely free!! (There is a cost for rides.) The main featured ride at the boardwalk is the Giant Dipper. It is a wooden roller coaster and has been at the park since 1924 when the park first opened. It is the 6th oldest roller coaster in the U.S. and goes 55 mph. There are also occasional concert events on the beach if you like music.

The park is open during the summer everyday. (Weekends only during off-peak months. Check website for hours.) An Endless Summer Season Pass is offered for unlimited rides all summer season for just $68.95 (plus tax). There is also an unlimited ride pass that also includes 3 attractions good for one full day of fun for $36.95 (plus tax). An unlimited ride wristband that is good for one day of fun is just $16.95 (plus tax). They also offer a 60-ticket strip for $39.95 (rides range from 3 to 6 tickets at 75 cents per ticket). So try it out if you enjoy fun in the sun!!! For more info go to http://www.beachboardwalk.com/

Vikingsholm Castle

Vikingshom Castle is a castle that was built by Mrs. Lora Josephine Knight in 1929. It is located at Emerald Bay, just minutes outside of Lake Tahoe, CA. It was the summer home to Mrs. Knight (who was the mother-in-law of Helen Fargo heiress to Wells Fargo bank). She purchased the property in 1928 for $250, 000. She designed and decorated every inch of the castle. She had a staff of 15 working at that castle. She threw extavagant parties at the castle every summer and when the summer was over she returned to her home in Santa Barbara.

Vikingsholm is about a 3 hour drive from the Bay Area. Tours are available 7 days a week from mid-June to the end of September from10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the tours lasting 30 minutes each. The tour's admission price is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for youth ages 6-17, and admission is free for children under age 6. There may be parking fees as well depending on which lot you park in (ranging form $0-$3.00). There is also a 1.7 mile hike on an upward and downward trail. So if you're feeling adventurous and you don't mind spending a little money to get out of the house, then Vikingholm is the place for you!! http://www.vikingholm.com

Kayak Sightseeing Tours

Sightseeing tours look nearly the same everywhere: You hop on a bus or a boat and within an hour or two you see the most important spots of the city. In San Francisco you can don't have to follow these standard procedure. Do some workout and see sights like the Embarcadero, Ferry Building or the Bay Bridge at the same time.

CityKayak, who are located in San Francisco's South Beach Harbor, are offering a wide range of paddle trips in the SF Bay. The length of the trips last between 1 and 3 hours and some of them don't even require any kayak experience. CityKayak also offers various special tours like seeing the New Year's Eve fireworks from a kayak. All tours are guided by experienced staff members who know both: kayaking and the city.

Don't wait any longer and take a look at CityKayak's calender to see when the next trips are offered.

Jelly Belly Factory

The Jelly Belly Factory is located in Fairfield, CA. It offers a FREE tour of the factory most days of the year from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The factory offers restaurants, free candy, and other activities. During the tour (it is 40 minutes) you will learn the history of Jelly Belly, the different tastes (150 different ones!) that Jelly Belly has to offer, and a whole lot of fun!! . You will also be given the ingredients of how to make Jelly Bellies. Jelly beans are not the only thing that this factory makes. They also make taffy, chocolates and wild gummi critters. The best part of all is reservations are not needed. You can come and enjoy all the fun completely free!!! There is also a souvenir store conveniently located on the premises so you can purchase all of the souvenirs and candy you want! The factory is located just an hour away from San Francisco, which means if you live in the East Bay it's even closer! Tours begin every 15 minutes. The address to the factory is 1 Jelly Belly Lane Fairfield, CA 94533. So come and enjoy all the fun at the Jelly Belly Factory!! http://www.jellybelly.com

Kai's Japanese Restaurant

Kai's is located in the Old Oakland Neighborhood in Down Town Oakland. The food is great and the prices are cheap. They also have a full bar. My favorite plate is the Chicken Teriyaki Bento Box. It comes with chicken triyaki, stem rice, noddles, and a salad (this plate is under $5). They also have a full sushi bar. I don't really like raw fish so my favorite one is the California roll. They give complementary soup and tea while you wait for your food. The service is great and fast. I love the atmosphere. So, if your a student and you love good food this is the place for you. You will not be disappointed.