Discover California Bay Area and Beyond

I live in the area known as the San Francisco Bay Area, or East Bay. I'm not a native, but I've lived here so long that I feel I know California as if I was. I live here because my husband is one of those Silicon Valley Tech Guys, but if I could choose where I lived, I would choose right here.

I love the weather. There's no rain from May to November, and even when there is rain, it's not much. When it's hot, it's dry heat and not humid. When it rains it's not cold. And that's perfect in my opinion.

Pleasanton, where I live, is a great city to reside in and an amazing place to raise children. Many of the streets are lined with trees, so it's a pleasure to drive through the city. But every city has it's minuses and I think there are too many police for the population. Almost everyone in Pleasanton has a when I got stopped by the police story.

These are all the hubs I have written on California. I'm putting them together in what is called a round up hub.

One of the best places to eat is in one of the restaurants on Pleasanton Main Street. There's lots of choice and great atmosphere, both on Main Street and inside the restaurants.

Next to Pleasanton is Livermore, a large thriving city and the start of the wine growing area.

Tracy is situated between the Bay Area and the Central Valley.

The Bay Area is a wonderful place to raise children, there are just so many places to go and things to see. Apart from all the National Parks, there are a lot of fun museums, from The Tech Museum of Innovation to the California Academy of Sciences and numerous zoos too. Also, a short way from the Bay Area is Yosemite, Lake Tahoe and lots of places you can go skiing. There's no excuse for being bored in the Bay Area.

The Tech Museum of Innovation is one of my favorite places to take the children. I've lost count of how many times we've been.

The sheer wealth of California is in its beauty, and the best areas are protected by the National Park system, which are numerous and varied. Only some were listed in this hub.

The Mojave Desert is my family's favorite National Park.

We've all heard of Disneyland. The first time I went it was a little confusing to get from the airport to the resort, so I write detailed instructions.