Bathing Optional

Bay Area Towns

Continents

Continents

Previous Button

The first town (or should we say city) of note near San Francisco is its sister city across the Bay: Oakland. Oaklands City Hall is one of the prettiest of Oaklands skyscrapers.
Oakland City Halls clock tower.
Another famous member of the Oakland skyline is the Tribune Tower.
Home of the Oakland Tribune newspaper.
One of Oaklands grand old movie theaters: the Fox Theater.
Fox Theater sign.
Fox Theater details.
Another fine historic building in Oakland: the Cathedral Building.
Cathedral Building -- another angle.
Old meets new in downtown Oakland.
Oaklands version of the Twin Towers.
Flags mural.
Old Oakland.
More Old Oakland
Right in downtown Oakland, Preservation Park preserves a few blocks of historic Victorian homes.
Preservation Park street.
Reflection.
Another of Oaklands fabulous old theaters: the art deco masterpiece, the Paramount.
Lake Merrit, escape to nature in the heart of Oakland.
Historic mansion along Lake Merrits shores.
Building details, Oakland.
Jack Londons Yukon cabin sits in a parking lot near Oaklands waterfront.
Reinholds Tavern, an Oakland watering hole since the Gold Rush!
The beautiful Mountain View Cemetery.
Tombstones.
San Francisco views from Oaklands Mountain View Cemetery.
South of San Francisco is a collection of small, suburban towns with not too much of interest to us. There are occasional points of interest, though, such as this Russian Orthodox church in Burlingame.
Further south are towns built amongst coastal hills and deeper redwood forests. While driving highway 9 we came across this Buddhist temple in the forest.
The town of Felton is a fantastic little place that feels hundreds of miles from the big city. Felton is home to this huge, historic covered wooden bridge.
Built into the coastal range, the town of Woodside, once remote, is now home to some ultra richies.
A Woodside mansion (estate?).
South Bay sunset.
Near the city of Palo Alto is the prestigious Stanford University.
Standford University.
More of Stanfords historic buildings.
Stanford University arch and buildings.
Looking through an arch, Stanford University.
More arches, Stanford.
The painted chapel at Stanford University.
Chapel mosaic details.
More chapel details.
Another angel.
Inside the chapel.
Chapel stained glass.
Golden wall tiles.
Blossoms by the chapel.
Chapel altar.
Chapel ceiling and angel.
Arched walkway, Stanford University.
Further south and in the hills is the quaint town of Saratoga, home to the Hakone Japanese Gardens.
Inside the Hakone Gardens.
Teahouse at the Hakone Gardens.
Teahouse corridor.
Garden gate.
Bamboo.
Garden pond and bridge.
Garden building.
Lantern.
Lily pond.
Pond.
Turtles.
The South Bays big city is San Jose and its tech suburbs, Silicon Valley.
Kids playing in downtown San Joses central park.
Historic Peralta Adobe in downtown San Jose.
The Peralta Adobe put into context.
Another historic home: the Fallon House.
San Joses Basilica of St.Joseph.
Basilica tower.
Basilica entrance pillars.
Inside the Basilica.
Basilica dome.
San Jose is also home to the Rosicrucian Center, an Eyptian Temple and Museum.
The Egyptian Museum at the Rosicrucian Center.
Flowers and hieroglyphs.
Fountain at the Center.
Sphinx.
Garden statue.
Obelisk.
Roofline.
More hieroglyphics.
Luxor or San Jose?
Further south along the coast is the surfer town of Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz statue and clocktower.
Lighthouse turned surfing museum, Santa Cruz.
VW, Santa Cruz.
Surfer statue, Santa Cruz.
Memorial bench to a fallen surfer, Santa Cruz.
Cliffs and surfers.
The Beach Boardwalk, Santa Cruzs amusement park.
Beach Boardwalk views.
Jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
More jellyfish.
Even more jellyfish.
Otter at the Aquarium.
Bird at the Aquarium.
Just north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge is the old navy town of East Fort Baker.
Ashe looking out at San Francisco from the East Fort Baker pier.
Ship on the Bay.
East Fort Baker home.
View of Golden Gate from East Fort Baker.
Further beyond is Fort Cronkite.
Sausalito, the town on the Bay just north of San Francisco.
Sausalito hill homes.
Sausalito beach homes.
Sausalito.
Just beyond Sausalito, the town of Tiburon.
Tiburon homes.
More secluded, Belvedere Island is a sanctuary for some of the Bay Areas most wealthy.
Golden Gate views from Belvedere cliffs and homes.
Slightly out of the way (the residents keep taking down the highway sign pointing towards town) Bolinas is a wonderful little town along the Pacific Coast.
Bolinas home.
Bolinas mailboxes.
Bolinas home porch.
Bolinas church.
Local shrine, Bolinas.
Sonoma downtown. Just 45 minutes north of San Francisco is wine country with Sonoma and Napa being the two main towns.
Historic hotel facade, downtown Sonoma.
The historic Toscano Hotel.
The Sebastiani Theater.
Theater booth attendant.
The valley around Sonoma is known as the Valley of the Moon and is filled with vineyards.
Vineyard.
The historic Bartholemew Winery.
Winery coat of arms.
Bartholomew fountain and vineyard.
Winery building.
Wine cellar sign.
Winery stained glass.
Further north is the wine country town of St.Helena.
St.Helenas Richie Building.
Richie Building details.
Orthodox church in St.Helena.
Church courtyard.
Icon.
Winery near St.Helena.
Another winery near St.Helena.
Westerbeke Ranch, our favorite stop near Sonoma every time we find ourselves in wine country.
Westerbeke Ranch flowers.
The main adobe.
View from the porch.
Inside the dining adobe.
Fireplace.
Another fireplace.
The ranch patios are filled with carvings, statues, and art.
More art.
Wall cactus.
Westerbeke Ranch cottage for rent.
Cottage.
Lamp and flowers.
Patio.
Patio.
Much further north, along Pacific coastal Highway 1 is the very pretty town of Mendocino.
Hotel in Mendocino.
Mendocino skyline: water towers, homes, and churches.
Mendocino Town Hall.
Mendocino buildings.
Mendocino home.
Mendocino home entrance.
Mendocino homes.
Water tower and garden.
Tower.
Mendocino Presbyterian Church.
Water tower.

View all picture thumbnails...

Move your mouse over a pin on the map and you will see some information here!