One of my favorite things to do is to as a kid was go to the aquarium, natural history museum, and science museum in the LA area. I know that someday I will go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but today, I decided to go through the trifecta at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park!
After spending the morning at the Oscar de la Renta: Retrospective exhibit, I was so ready to relax. I headed over to the Japanese Tea Garden next door for some light snacks and beautiful garden views. The place is highly reviewed on Yelp and I think I understand why people love it so much.
It kinda sucks but there is an $8 entry fee for everyone to view the gardens. It is otherwise subsidized for SF residents.
There is a little hut in the middle of the garden where you can order from a selection of teas, sandwiches, and Japanese cookies and desserts. Once you order, you can help yourself to the patio where you can see into the rest of the garden. There is also a gift shop a little further up where you can find freshly ground matcha tea and tourist goodies if you like.
Scenic seat of the house
While I still bought the overpriced delicious sandwiches and tea, I am not mad since the views from my table were quite lovely. I easily spent a good hour or two in the gardens which made me feel less miffed of paying the admission fee.
Menu
The garden itself is fairly small so you can walk through the entire place in about 15 minutes. Tourists and young families seem to really like the place and you can definitely find the occasional Instagram-er taking some luxury snaps.
As part of a birthday gift to myself, I used one of my off days from work to attend the Oscar de la Renta: Retrospective, the special exhibit at the de Young Museum. It’s currently at the de Young from March 12 to May 30.
The special exhibit tickets range from $15-$30 for students and adults, which can be a little steep when considering adding the price for general admission ($6-$10). Since this exhibit is immensely popular, I would highly recommend buying tickets online before heading to the de Young so you are guaranteed a spot.
You may recognize this place from Mythbusters where they often used the defunct Navy base for their shows. But for the first Sunday of every month, the space turns into a massive flea market, one if the largest in the Bay Area! My cousin was the first to tell me of this place, so thank you Angela!
Parking: Free
Admission Fees*:
6:00 AM to 7:30 am $15.00
7:30 am to 9:00 am $10.00
9:00 am to 3:00 pm $5.00
* Admission ranges from $5 to $15 depending on time of entry
I’d recommend coming at 9AM and leaving at 1PM to avoid insane traffic going in an out of the area. Mind you, this place is massive.
The layout of the faire is pretty easy to navigate. Each row corresponds to the letter of the alphabet marked on the floor. Even though this place is huge, it ranges from A-Z so if you do have a place to return to, just remember the row letter and you’ll be able to find your way. The program also includes a map of the stalls, which can make your life so much easier.
Yelp reviewers found everything from 50’s furniture, raw fabrics, clothes, jewelry (some stalls specialize in dealing with precious stones), vintage toys, and basically everything in between. I think this market is best for large pieces of furniture. I found tables that can easily fit 12 people for around $500, which is crazy reasonable. I’d definitely consider going back once I get my own apartment!
One person’s lawn ornament… is another’s treasure?
I make it a personal rule since first going to flea markets to take close up pictures of stalls only if I buy something from them since vendors can get defensive of their goods. As usual, I tend to gravitate towards the stalls with beautiful prints! I am skeptical of the true “vintage” quality of these prints, but I find them beautiful nonetheless.
I’m always a fan of fun prints to frame later!
So I actually have been here before. To be honest, while the market is amazing, this is what I remember most about it! If you walk all the way past row Z, you can get your hand stamped by security (you’ll need that to get back). Through the chain link fence, you walk by where vendors park their trucks and vans. After a 5 minute straight walk, you’ll meet the last chain link fence and see a nearly unobstructed view of San Fransisco.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I could stand here for hours just admiring the view, the water, and the quiet. It’s pretty removed from the stalls and not many people know about this point so you can usually have the space all to yourself. I am always interested where I can find great views of the cities I visit! Although I am in Alameda, I don’t think you can beat such a great and complete picture!
Selene 