Oakland

Oakland lies across the bay from San Francisco, connected by the Bay Bridge, with liberal college town Berkley as its other neighbor. A diverse and vibrant destination, Oakland is host to great outdoor experiences, superb restaurants and alluring architecture as well as a crackling nightlife scene. From the necklace of lights around Lake Merritt to the renowned Oakland Museum of California, whimsical Children's Fairyland and picturesque Jack London Square, there's never a dull moment in this first city of the East Bay. As the sun sets over the waterfront, the city's upscale Michelin-starred restaurants, historic dive bars and boutique wineries offer experiences from the upscale to the laid-back.