Activity: Natural History Museum First Fridays
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Description: DJs, Dinosaurs and exhibits! On the first Friday of the month the museum opens up with music and food trucks for a night of fun
Activity: Telluride Blues and Brews Annual Festival
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Description: The location was gorgeous. The food was delicious. The weather was great in the day, but it did get very cold at night. The music was wonderful to enjoy and there were options for all ages. The ticket included a beer tasting day while listening to the opening bands. There is the option to stay locally or camp outdoors. I would highly recommend this festival, but be warned that it is not easily accessible. Flight to Denver than 6+ hour car journey was the most economical way to get to Telluride.
Must do- Gondola ride to the top of the moutain
Activity: Weekend trip to Denver including Red Rocks concert, hiking a St. Mary's Glacier, Paddle-boating and ice cream
Rating: 4.6 of 5 stars
Website:
- Red rocks: http://redrocksonline.com/
- Saint Mary's Glacier- http://stmarysglacier.com/
-Indian hot springs- http://www.indianhotsprings.com/
-Washington Park Paddle boats- http://wheelfunrentals.com/Locations/Denver
-Little Man ice cream- http://www.littlemanicecream.com/
Description: This weekend getaway was jam packed with entertainment. Friday night my friends and I went to a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater outside of Denver. The venue was amazing. It is said the the acoustics of venue are much better due to the surrounding rocks. The venue was nicer than I expected, but be sure to get there early for a good seat!
Saturday my friends and I went on a hike at St. Mary's glacier (short hike) where my friend went cliff jumping into the water. Although I love adventure (and rarely pass it up), glacier water is where I draw the line. After the hike we had a lunch at a great BBQ place nearby. Afterwards, we went to the Indian hot springs where you can pay a fee to go into natural springs that are over 116 degrees! It was so relaxing!
Sunday: We enjoyed brunch at Devils Food and then went to Washington Park. In the park we paddle boated for about an hour. It is a fun pastime on a lazy sunday and slightly more of a workout then we were hoping for. Afterwards, we ended the weekend with a ice cream cone at the famous Little Man's Ice cream.
Recommended: Friends, Family, and the outdoor adventurer
Activity: Outsidelands Music Festival Golden Gate Park
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cost: Daily tickets for GA $135 or $325 for the weekend
Website: http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/
Description: Outsidelands is a popular music festival in Golden Gate Park. Over the years it has become even more popular and therefore even more crowded. This festival is unlike others due to the scenery. For example, Coachella is hot and dry, Outsidelands is in a lush part of the park and can get pretty chilly. There is also a greater presence of wine vendors considering the proximity to Sonoma/Napa.
Pros: line up was full of popular artists new and old (Elton John included), the food was delicious, the wine tent was a nice calm break from the music
Cons: in the late afternoon/early evening the park becomes VERY crowded and lines for the bathrooms are ridiculous-- essentially the same problems of any mainstream music festival
Recommended: Post college group of friends
Activity: Saturday adventure to Hog Island Oyster Co. and Sunday free Symphony in Embarcadero
Rating: 4.1 of 5 Stars
Website:
Description: Hog Island Oyster Co has an Oyster farm in Marshall, CA. It is about 1-2 hour drive from SF and it is right on the water. You can bring your own snacks and drinks and purchase oysters and appetizers. The oysters are fresh and delicious! They sell BBQ or raw oysters. If you reserve ahead of time you can have a picnic table for a large group and shuck your own oysters. If Hog Island is booked check out Tomales Bay.
On Sunday my friends and I went to a free concert from the SF Symphony by the Pier. I recommend to arrive early for a spot and bring some food because it gets very quiet during the concert.
Recommended: Both are great summer activities for a group of friends. I also would recommend the concert for families without very small children, as I mentioned it was a quiet and relaxing environment.
Activity: Jazz Age Lawn Party on Governor's Island
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Website: http://www.jazzagelawnparty.com/
Cost: $35-55 pp for General admission. VIP and tables are also available
Details: This is a lawn party where everyone is dressed in 20s theme attire and brings a picnic to listen to jazz. I am not exaggerating when I mean everyone is in costume, so go prepared.
First you take a ferry to Governor's island which is short ride and only $2 round trip. Then you walk a short bit to get to the party. Arrive early for the best spot or take your changes with a late arrival as we did.
We had a wonderful meal courtesy of a friend who picked out a buffet of Whole Foods appetizers. I would say the majority of people brought a picnic or had already eaten. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed inside so be prepared to wait in very long lines for any drinks. First you have to buy tickets to the drinks which still did not cut down on the wait time for the second line to cash in the ticket.
Pro: theme was executed nicely (vintage cars, memorabilia, etc.) and the music was nice.
Cons: lines were long for food, water, and drinks. Preparation is key for a good time.
Recommended: Groups of friends for a day activity
Part 2
Sheep's Meadow- The last picture was taken from a day in Central Park at Sheep's Meadow. A hot and sunny day in Manhattan leads to a craving for nature and the outdoors. The best and most accessible way to find this is with a trip to the park packed with sun screen, water, and of course more picnic snacks.
