As a Bay Area native, I’ve been told (and wholeheartedly believe) that I have a Southern California soul. Being from the Bay Area and going to college in Berkeley, California was definitely not on my bingo card, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It does make me uber-qualified to provide a list of Bay Area sights, activities, and cafes that will make life feel a little more like my idealized version of sunny SoCal. Spring is a very unpredictable time weather wise here, so making the most of the sunny, warm days we do have is imperative, or else it feels like Punxsutawney Phil’s projected six additional weeks of winter are taking over in the form of a disproportionate amount of grey, foggy skies, and icy wind.
1. Komeya No Bento & Painted Ladies
SoCal is home to some of the best and cutest cafes in California, but San Francisco has its fair share as well. I think Komeya No Bento is the perfect spring-time cafe, as they are known for their delicious strawberry and mango matcha lattes and fresh bento boxes, which make for the perfect snack on a sunny day. Located just a 10 minute drive (although a bit of longer walk) away from the Painted Ladies, this makes for the perfect picnic/photo op. Some tourist spots in San Francisco are cuter in the fall/winter months, but the Painted Ladies make for the cutest photoshoot background when the skies are clear and blue, making this an ideal picnic spot.
2. Mount Tamalpais State Park
Located in Sausalito and about 45 minutes away from Berkeley, this is one of the most gorgeous sights I’ve seen in the Bay and is definitely on my bucket list this season! The ideal time to go is at sunrise or sunset, where you can watch the sky change colors from above the clouds in a bright green field. This seems like the perfect location to quietly contemplate life, to take pictures with friends, and just appreciate nature. Whether going by yourself with a playlist or a good book, with a pet, or with friends/family, Mount Tamalpais is a great view to reign in the warmer months, especially after a long winter spent staring at textbooks, grey skies, and dead trees. Views such as these definitely make me appreciate the geographical diversity of the Bay!
3. Flower Bulb Day – San Francisco
On March 21st, there will be a garden of 80,000 tulips in Union Square, free for the public to pick and make a bouquet out of. Although there are usually huge crowds, I think this is still a super fun seasonal activity to get into the spirit of spring. I always see aesthetic seasonal activities like this on social media, like the Lavender Festival at 123 Farm and all kinds of elaborate pumpkin patches, so it is nice to have something like that closer to the Bay. This truly makes for a great activity for people of all ages and seems super wholesome, definitely worth checking out, as it only comes around once a year!
These are a few of the activities I want to do this spring semester to get into the sunny spirit, as I’m definitely not a winter person. I often see videos of SoCal schools and wish Berkeley was a little more beachy, but then I remind myself how diverse the Bay truly is. It can be beachy if you want it to, you just have to catch San Francisco on the right day! There are definitely more things to do during spring, like going to drive in movies, picnics on Memorial Glade, trips to Baker Beach, and so on, but these are a few of my must do’s as an avid sight-seer!