Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bohemia still thrives along the shoreline of Richardson Bay, where free spirits inhabit hun-
dreds of quirky homes that bobble in the waves amongst the seabirds and seals. Structures
range from psychedelic mural-splashed castles to dilapidated salt-sprayed shacks and im-
maculate three-story floating mansions. It's a tight-knit community, where residents tend
sprawling dockside gardens and stop to chat on the creaky wooden boardwalks as they
wheel their groceries home.
You can poke around the houseboat docks located off Bridgeway between Gate 5 and
Gate 6½ Rds.
Bay Model Visitors Center
MUSEUM
BayModelVisitorCenter.aspx
; 2100 Bridgeway Blvd;
9am-4pm Tue-Sat, plus 10am-5pm Sat & Sun in
summer; )
One of the coolest things in town, fascinating to both kids and adults, is the Army Corps of
Engineers' solar-powered visitor center. Housed in one of the old (and cold!) Marinship
warehouses, it's a 1.5-acre hydraulic model of San Francisco Bay and the delta region.
Self-guided tours take you over and around it as the water flows.
Bay Area Discovery Museum
MUSEUM
$11, free 1st Wed each month; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun; )
Just under the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, at East Fort Baker, this excellent
hands-on activity museum is specifically designed for children. Permanent (multilingual)
exhibits include a wave workshop, a small underwater tunnel and a large outdoor play area
with a shipwreck to romp around. A small cafe has healthy nibbles.
Plaza Viña Del Mar
PARK
Near the ferry terminal, the plaza has a fountain flanked by 14ft-tall elephant statues from
the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.
Activities
