Homewood Suites by Hilton Pleasant Hill Concord

Marriott's all-suite extended-stay twin next door to the Homewood: full kitchens, free breakfast, and a pool - pick by price, both work for families.

The booth-and-bloomin'-onion standby where kids get their own Joey menu and eat free on Mondays - a dependable Pleasant Hill family dinner with zero surprises.

Concord's full-service Hilton in the Diamond Blvd corridor: outdoor pool, big rooms, and a location five minutes from Concord Community Park and the Pixieland gate.

Concord's playground-plus-spray-park combo: a traditional climbing structure with a free city spray park running Memorial Day through late September, with separate zones for toddlers and bigger kids. Kids rotate between structure and spray jets all afternoon.

Grill-at-the-table Korean BBQ that turns dinner into an activity - kids love watching the meat cook, and the banchan keeps them grazing. 510 Families' East Bay Korean BBQ pick.

A burger-and-shake spot built around kids from the name down - kid-sized everything, shakes as the headline act, and a room designed for families rather than tolerating them.