Located directly across the bay from San Francisco, Oakland is the eighth-largest city in California! Here’s how I recommend to take it in.

First, there is the historic Jack London Square in downtown Oakland. It’s a great place for food and drinks in Oakland.  This shopping center has kid games, bowling, and food. I am solely vegan, and at Jack London Square they can make soul food in a vegan style.  One of the favorite things to do in Jack London Square is to kayak on the Oakland Estuary; if you don’t happen to have a kayak handy, you can rent one. Finally, don’t leave Jack London Square without stopping by Jack’s old cabin, which is next to the bar that he actually used to frequent way back in 1883.

For dinner, I have three recommended spots in downtown Oakland. First up is Drake’s Dealership, a great place for high-quality pub food and beer. I recommend either the pretzels or the pizza known as the “Out In” which tastes like an In-n-Out burger. Next up is Shake Well, which is a hip modern bistro that serves Spanish-style tapas. I recommend the Octopus (if you’re brave) and the Churros as a dessert. Lastly, Boonton at Lakeside is great wood-fired pizza in classic Italian style. I recommend the Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza with an egg added on top.  Finally, finish the evening at Longitude by grabbing a drink that’s gonna be on fire.  Remember, I told you it was gonna be on fire.

I have two great options to start your day.  First up head over the original Blue Bottle Coffee and grab yourself a pour over.  Next, start your day in Oakland at Redwood Regional Park.  Redwood Regional Park has lots of great trails, but I recommend the stream trail. It’s easy and you see a lot of great groves.  I also recommend you head up to Grizzly Peak Boulevard where there are lots of turnouts with amazing views of the entire San Francisco Bay Area.

If you’re ready for lunch walk about five minutes to Cholita Linda which has great tacos and a wide variety of options, or hop in the car and drive down to Chinatown for some amazing dumplings.  Don’t leave Oakland’s without going to the Shandong in Oakland’s Chinatown. After lunch I recommend visiting the Cathedral of Christ. This church is one of those ones you have to see to believe.  As you can probably tell, I like eating so on the way to the last few stops be sure to stop by Fenton’s Creamery for some of their famous ice cream.

OK, let’s finish with something a little off beat.  Chapel of the Chimes is a funeral home but it is unlike any you have ever seen. Constructed in 1909, this historic building is immaculate and it deserves a visit. Head up to Mountain View Cemetery where you can look over the entire city that you just explored.  Thanks so much for exploring Oakland with me!