Free Summer Activities Abound in San Francisco and the Peninsula

Summertime is almost here, and that means school’s out! Yay!

I have the opportunity this year to spend a good portion of the summer with my 12- and 8-year-old kids. I am really looking forward to it!

First, I looked into local summer day camps and they charge around $140 per week! Are you kidding me? The Junior Giants program filled up in an hour. Even the waiting list is full!

So, I am in the process of creating a list of fun, FREE, or super cheap things to do nearby for us to enjoy. Once I get the list compiled, I am going to put them on the calendar just like I do in my real estate business, otherwise they may not get done! Ha! I don’t want to end up in front of the TV or lounging around ALL summer now!

SO, here is what I have so far, and I can’t wait:

• Drive the coast! We don’t HAVE to go as far as Santa Cruz! There are lots of cool beaches for us to stop off at. Just need to pack homemade sandwhiches, plenty of apples and bananas and water. Am I right? Am I right?!
• Drive Golden Gate Park from the windmills at the beach to the Children’s Playgroud off 7th. We can hit up various picnic grounds, playgrounds, ponds, climb trees, Stow Lake, etc…
• Fort Point: It’s FREE and only open on Fri., Sat., and Sun. I used to like going on filed trips there as a kid. We’ll see what it’s like now! Ha!
• Japan Town: Anime, Pokemon, Yugio, and Dragon Ball Z….and they have GOT to have a ramen house and what kid doesn’t like Top Ramen? I can’t imagine it being very expensive.
• China Town: Lot’s of walking and wandering to do! “Fortune Cookie” alley, Trans America Pyramid, some of the cheapest trinkets in the world can be found here.
• Cliff House Caves: The walk down to the old Sutro Baths brings back my fondest memories of exploring as a kid. It’s a pretty quick hike so a picnic at Kelly’s Cove where I used to hang out as a teenager is a must!
• Russian River: With an early start, it could be a great day trip! Johnson’s Beach is still there and waiting for us to jump in the river! There has GOT some inexpensive hotels, just in case we get tired!
• Kids Bowl Free!: I have never taken advantage of these coupons that get sent home from school but we will this year!
• Rinconada Pool in Palo Alto: This place looks like so much fun! The weather is usually nice there during the summer, too! 

So, budgeting for gas, food and sometimes bridge toll, I think we could manage a great summer vacation and make some awesome childhood memories.

If you have any economical ways to spend a vacation in the Bay Area or Northern California, feel free to add to the list. I’m sure a lot of people could benefit besides me! Talk soon!