Skates on the Bay

The Marina stop that actually suits little ones: a small beach where you can hunt for crabs at low tide. Check the tide before you drive over, it makes the whole difference.

The only playground where kids get real hammers, saws, and paint to build their own forts out of scrap lumber - a staff-supervised junkyard wonderland on the Berkeley Marina. Kids earn tools by turning in stray nails first.

The only Berkeley hotel with an indoor pool - year-round swimming regardless of Karl the Fog - right on the Marina with kite-flying lawns, the Bay Trail, and Adventure Playground a short walk away. Warm cookies at check-in seal it.

Miles of flat path right on the water at the Berkeley Marina, and the wind that makes it chilly is exactly what makes it the kite spot. Good when you need somewhere everyone can just move.

Festive Fourth Street taqueria where the decor absorbs kid noise and outdoor tables let sound escape - plus trainspotting on the adjacent tracks. A reliable reset button during errands-with-kids days.

A Fourth Street diner serving breakfast and sandwiches all day with indoor and outdoor seating.