Berkeley Travel Guide

In Berkeley, stroll the world-famous University of California campus, and visit the University Art Museum and the University Botanical Gardens. Outside University environs, don't miss the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles ( http://lacismuseum.org).  Dine in the world-class restaurants of "gourmet ghetto," a neighborhood north of the university. Also see the John Muir Historical Site in Martinez.

Berkeley has fantastic food from all over the world- and more high-quality bakeries per capita than any city in the U.S. (maybe).  Be sure to get fresh bread and pastries, as well as any cheese you could possibly desire, from Cheese Board on Shattuck Avenue.  A block down you'll find beautiful treats like the perfect Passionfruit Cake at Masse's Pastries, and even after that you should drag your protruding belly to Crixa Cakes where Russian pastries are treated like the art they are.  Wind down the night with Beckett's Irish Pub on Shattuck, with live music nights and a cozy, classic, genuine Pub feel (the right atmosphere, the right food, the right games on the tv, and the right beers).  Raleigh's (a pub/bar) also has a nice backyard patio for those warm summer nights to relax. For a lighter meal (although that is debatable!) Intermetzzo Cafe has delicious (and huge!) sandwich and salad portions!

East Berkeley holds Tilden park, a large expanse of forested hills with hiking, fun for the dogs, and lots of picnic areas.  Especially fun for kids are the petting farm, the pony rides, the carousel, and Lake Anza for a dip and tan. The view from Lawrence Hall of Science or Grizzly peak cannot be missed! On a clear day, you can see the whole panorama from south of Oakland, to the beautiful skyline of San Francisco to the Golden Gate bridge, to the northside of the bay (Saulsalito).

For browsing or buying, College Avenue and Fourth Street have plenty for adults to look at (Tail of the Yak on off College on Ashby is worth singling out for its unique scents, decor, and vintage jewelry) , including lots of steals to be found if you've got the nose for it.  Telegraph Avenue (right next to the campus) is generally preferred by the 20s-and-under, but it has the greatest amount of interesting shops all concentrated together.  Ameoba Music is worthy of hours of your time, and Cody's and Moe's bookstores have fantastic collections. On Sundays, Telegraph Avenue is designated to foot traffic only and there is a little street market set up with vendors.