Wildflowers and Wine: Catch the tail end of the wildflowers on a 5.5-mile panoramic loop hike in Sunol Regional Wilderness.Bag a Local Peak: At 2,800 feet, Black Mountain stands watch over the Peninsula. Hike to the top of it for a 360-degree view of the South Bay.
Whale of a Time: Get onboard the first trip of the season to the Farallon Islands. The Oceanic Society's marquee whale-watching trip launches this weekend.
Slough Motion: You haven't seen cute until you've spotted a sea otter up close from a kayak. Rent a kayak at Monterey's Elkhorn Slough and paddle the protected waters.
One-track Mind: Learn the ropes of cycling's version of NASCAR—track bicycling. The Saturday morning beginner's session at San Jose's Hellyer Park Velodrome has rental bikes and volunteer coaches.
Cheese Wheel: Road bike 34 miles along the rolling green hills of Marin and Point Reyes. Finish up at the sprawling picnic ground of the Marin French Cheese Factory.
Egret Explosion: These giant graceful birds are still making the redwood trees of Audubon Canyon Ranch their home base for the next few weeks. Walk .5 mile up to the Henderson Overlook for a bird's-eye view of these beauties.
Black Gold: Beat cheeks over to Marin's Black Sand Beach overlooking the Golden Gate. It's roughly the size of Baker Beach with a fraction of the crowds.
Rock that View: 26,000 square feet of pure rock climbing bliss await at the Presidio's Planet Granite. Practice on their top-out boulders or rent a harness and climb 45 feet high (views of Alcatraz included).
Haight Hike: Make a short and sweet urban hike that connects two of San Francisco's classic hilltop parks: Buena Vista and Corona Heights Park.