Skates on the Bay

A Marina stop with a small beach where you can hunt for crabs at low tide.

A staff-run playground where kids get real hammers, saws and paint to build forts out of scrap lumber, earning tools by turning in stray nails first.

The only Berkeley hotel with an indoor pool, right on the Marina with kite-flying lawns, the Bay Trail, and Adventure Playground nearby. Warm cookies at check-in.

Miles of flat path right on the water at the Berkeley Marina, and it's the kite spot, thanks to the wind.

Festive Fourth Street taqueria where the decor absorbs kid noise and outdoor tables let sound escape, plus trainspotting on the adjacent tracks.

Landmark neighborhood diner with house-made breakfast and sandwiches all day, inside or at the outdoor tables.