Berkeley Cool

The Bay Area’s coolest place to go this summer? Berkeley’s your basecamp! Say goodbye to summer heat and hello to cooler experiences. From its chill college town energy to the refreshing ocean breeze, Berkeley’s got an abundance of cool things to do.

Botanical Bonanza

Located in lush Strawberry Canyon, Berkeley’s UC Botanical Garden showcases over 10,000 species, including some rare and endangered plants, as well as rhododendrons and delicate magnolia. There’s a 5-acre forest of redwoods that beams, so be sure to wander among this grove of giants with picnic spots and benches to sit down on, and look up … way up!

Berkeley’s famous hiking, biking, and wildlife spotting haven, Tilden Regional Park offers an outdoor escape that is essentially adjacent to downtown Berkeley.  Inside the park you’ll find the 18-hole Tilden Golf Course, 10-acre Regional Botanical Garden where visitors can walk through every California plant zone, and family-friendly attractions like the Redwood Grove Steam Train, Tilden Merry-Go-Round, and Little Farm, which is as it sounds—a little farm with a lot of adorable animals to visit and feed, including chickens, pigs, and goats.

 BONUS SAVINGS: Book your Berkeley basecamp and get up to 30% off best available rates and cool add-ons this summer.

Go West for Wine!

How much sipping and swirling can you do within a one-block radius? Quite a bit if you’re wine tasting in West Berkeley’s Gilman District! It’s home to the Wine Block, an enclave of a half-dozen wineries and tasting rooms where the common theme is natural wine … that’s wine made naturally … naturally. Broc Cellars, Donkey & Goat, Lusu Cellars, Hammerling Wines, Tessier Winery and—okay this one’s a few minutes away from the cluster—Covenant Winery.

Expect the unexpected, and while you’re in this cool industrial area, see its graffiti mural art and stop in for deeply discounted outdoor gear at the North Face Outlet … that’s the wine talking!

First Fridays Bonus: The Wine Block hosts First Fridays each month on (you guessed it) the first Friday of the month. There’s live music, wine, local art, and a rotation of pop-up food trucks.

Cool Brew Bonus: Legendary for craft brewing with icons like Triple Rock, Fieldwork, and Trumer Pils, Berkeley’s innovative style and energy means tapping into new brewpubs too, with spots like Gilman Brewing and Olfactory joining the ranks. Here’s where to find beer in Berkeley.

BONUS SAVINGS: Book your Berkeley basecamp and get up to 30% off best available rates and cool add-ons this summer.

Be a Little Berkeley

There’s a saying in Berkeley: Come for the culture, stay for the food. Because Berkeley’s got a lot of both. This cool college town is a gastronomic adventure—from the iconic farm-to-table influence of Chez Panisse, to a thriving scene focused on plant-based eating. There are more than 350 restaurants with a wide variety of culinary creations.

Try a food walking tour in Berkeley’s North Shattuck district.

Berkeley’s location makes it easy to expand your food explorations. It’s easy to do a day trip in San Francisco to taste the flavorful creations at the Ferry Building or in the Mission District. Napa and Sonoma are also easy day trips to make from Berkeley.

Summer culture meets Berkeley culture with Summer Events like the Sunday Concert Series, First Fridays, and a food and jazz festival in August, the Front Row Music and Arts Festival.

Good vibes, cool vibes. Make Berkeley your #BayAreaBasecamp.

BONUS SAVINGS: Book your Berkeley basecamp and get up to 30% off best available rates and cool add-ons this summer.

Top sunset photo by Joe Parks; woman guitar singer photo by Freight & Salvage/Dave Weiland; Cheese Board photo by Nancy Rubin.