Where's the best place to check out meteor showers? The top of the tallest mountain in the Bay Area, of course. At 4,209 feet, Mount Hamilton beats out Mount Diablo as the Bay Area's highest peak by 360 feet. And perched on its summit is the Lick Observatory, which has been looking to the heavens for 130 years. This place isn't open to the public at night—unless you can grab a ticket to one of their summer programs. Pre-registration for the Friday-night Summer Visitors Progam begins May 13. Lucky visitors can star search through the powerful 36-inch refractor or 40-inch nickel reflector telescopes. Those rings on Saturn never looked so clear! If you like a little live music with your stargazing, snag a ticket to the Music of the Spheres program. On six Saturday nights during the summer, Celtic, jazz, or Bolivian music add some spice to the night. These tickets go fast, so get ready.

The Lick Observatory is about an hour east of San Jose on Mt. Hamilton Rd. Pre-register for the Summer Visitor Program from May 13 to May 27; tickets are $5. Music of the Spheres tickets go on sale May 13 (V.I.P. and preferred) and May 20 (standard); tickets start at $30. Click here to see the dates of the programs, to register, and to buy tickets.