Centennial Dr, UC Berkeley Oakland

Centennial Drive rises up from behind the old football stadium up into the Berkeley hills to Grizzly Peak right by Tilden Park. Along the way, you get your choice of tennis courts, hiking trails, the Berkeley Botanical Garden, the Lawrence Hall of Science and probably the best vantage point from which to see the East Bay from Berkeley.

This is the best place to come if you want to see a lightning storm or just to look out to the Golden Gate or down into the Campus. The steep road takes you up, up and up ending only at Grizzly Peak Boulevard. There are several trailheads along the way, so if you like hiking this is definitely a fun place to visit.

Lawrence Hall of Science is a great place to bring the kids or plan school science outings. The summer exhibits always change but the permanent parts of the Hall are worth it in themselves. First, there are the fun water works outside the hall and the telescopes that let you look out over the features of the city. Inside on the bottom floor you will find a room where you can look at (and sometimes pet) reptiles, and spiders and other unusual creatures of the furry and scaly variety. Student volunteers will bring them out and answer questions about them. There are also bones of a mastodon, and many interesting science related exhibits.

The botanical garden is also world class. If you are interested in wild varieties of flowers and other organisms from the plant family, this is definitely the place to go. Located within reach of several picnic benches in Tilden Park, this is definitely a family friendly place in the day.

At night, many young people journey up here to hang out, take in the view, and occasionally make out. It can get fairly crowded, but because of this it is still relatively safe.