Area Attractions

OAKLAND

Chabot Space and Science Center
10000 Skyline Blvd.
(510) 336-7300
The 86,000-square-foot center houses the largest public telescope in the United States, a 230-seat planetarium, large-screen theater, and numerous hands-on science and technology exhibits.

Jack London Square
Broadway and Embarcadero
(866) 295-9853, (510) 814-6000
This busy site at the water's edge has dining, entertainment, shopping, and more than a few spots for daydreaming. Take a ferry ride, stroll the scenic boardwalk, catch a movie, or just relax at a sunny sidewalk café.

Chinatown
Broadway, Alice, 13th and 7th Streets
Just a block or two from the Marriott, you can experience Asian culture and character by exploring the restaurants, specialty shops, markets, and bakeries in this vibrant neighborhood. Be sure to visit the elegant Chinese Presbyterian Church (265 Eighth St.) and Pacific Renaissance Plaza (388 Ninth St.), which houses shops, restaurants, and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

For more attractions and information, visit the Oakland Convention and Visitors Bureau in person – just a few steps from the hotel in the same square, or online at http://www.oaklandcvb.com/meeting_about_oakland.cfm

SAN FRANCISCO

Fisherman’s Wharf
San Francisco’s No. 1 tourist destination offers a bounty of activities: Enjoy a cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge, hop a ferry to Alcatraz, take a cable car ride, walk the decks of tall ships, or watch the sea lions frolic in the bay. Other features of the world-famous wharf include a wax museum, Aquarium of the Bay at Pier 39, Ghiradelli Square, the National Maritime Museum and the USS Pampanito Submarine Museum

Pier 39
(415) 705-5500
Part of Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 is one of San Francisco's top attractions. It features 110 shops, 13 restaurants and numerous attractions, including sea lions, an aquarium, ferry excursions, a Broadway-style theater, street performers, and more.

Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the San Francisco Bay, connecting the city of San Francisco to the Marin County headlands near the bayside town of Sausalito. The entire bridge spans 1.7 miles, and the diameter of the main suspension cables is 1 yard. Completed in 1937, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world, but now is second to the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City.

San Francisco's Chinatown
One of the largest outside Asia, this area offers an array of exotic shops, restaurants, food markets, temples, museums and venerable Chinese institutions. Pagoda-style roofs and decorative balconies dominate the architecture; street lamps are dragon-entwined. For eight blocks, between Bush Street and Columbus Avenue, visitors are assured one of the most unusual walks in America.

For more information about San Francisco attractions, visit the San Francisco Convention and Visitor Bureau.

WINE COUNTRY

Napa Valley Wine Train
800-427-4124 or 707-253-2111
Gourmet dining excursions aboard elegantly restored Pullman Railcars dating back to the early 20th Century. Varying tour packages offer wine tasting seminars on the train, in the station, or with a private tour of selected vineyards. Advance reservations suggested.

Napa and Sonoma Valley Wineries
Napa Valley's wines, particularly Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, are known all over the world. The vineyards cover 32,000 acres and the valley boasts more than 250 wineries, ranging from tiny mom-and-pop establishments to immense operations. Call ahead if planning to visit.

Sonoma Valley is home to more than 150 grape growers and 35 wineries, including some of the most familiar names in California wine making. The area produces about 25 types of wines, from Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay to Cabernet and Zinfandel. Most wineries here may be visited without calling ahead.

More information and help planning a tour of Wine Country.