Coyote Point Museum/Wildlife Center

1651 Coyote Drive, San Mateo 650-342-7755
As a visitor, you can experience the importance of protecting our environment through hands-on exhibits, live animals, extensive gardens and a walk-through aviary.

Japanese Tea Garden

5th East Street/El Camino, San Mateo 650-522-7409
Designed by an architect from the Imperial Palace, San Mateo's tea garden is known throughout the state. Weekdays: 10am - 4pm. Weekends/Holidays: 11am - 5pm.

San Mateo Arboretum

109 9th Avenue San Mateo, CA 94401
Open Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.

San Mateo County Historical Museum

777 Hamilton Street, Redwood City 650-299-0104
San Mateo County's colorful past is recreated in special exhibits. Tours are available. Monday-Thursday: 9:30am -4:30pm. Sunday: 12:30pm ­ 4:30pm.

Allied Arts Guild

95 Arbor Road, Menlo Park 650-322-2405
Fine arts and crafts studios and shops. For lunch or tea reservations, call 650-324-2588. Monday-Saturday: 10am - 5pm.

Filoli

86 Canada Road, Woodside 650-366-8300
Setting for the old "Dynasty" TV show, this gorgeous estate features beautiful grounds and a mansion. Guided garden tours are available by reservation.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse

210 Pigeon Point, Hwy 1, Pescadero 650-879-0633
Historic lighthouse. Tours available on Sundays by reservation.

Pulgas Water Temple

650-872-5900
Completion of construction and reopening of Pulgas Temple is expected in early 2004.

Sanchez Adobe

1000 Linda Mar Blvd., Pacifica 650-359-1462
Restored mission adobe (circa 1848), complete with period furnishings and archaeological artifacts. Tuesday-Thursday: 10am-4pm. Saturday-Sunday: 1pm-5pm.

San Francisco Bay Discovery Site

Sweeney Ridge, San Bruno 650-556-8371 This monument is a tribute to the sighting of San Francisco Bay by Gaspar de Portola in 1769. Spectacular views.

Sunset Gardens

80 Willow Road, Menlo Park 650-321-3600
The Sunset Magazine and Sunset Books headquarters. Open daily 9am-4:30pm.

Woodside Store

Tripp Road, Woodside 650-851-7615
Once a general store, dental office and post office run by Dr. Tripp. Reflects the days of the old lumber industry in San Mateo County.

San Francisco Academy of Sciences

55 Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park 415-750-7145
Winter Hours: 10am - 5pm. Free first Wednesday of the month: 10am-8:45pm.

Alcatraz Tours

Tickets: 415-705-5555
Ferries leave from Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 41, f or the island and former prison. Open 9:30am-4:30pm. (Summer closes at 6:30pm.)

Angel Island

Tiburon Peninsula Ferry Info: 415-435-2131 Island Info: 415-435-3522
Picnicking/Hiking. Open 8am-sunset.

De Young Memorial Museum

34th Avenue/Clement, San Francisco 415-750-3600
Completion of construction and reopening of the museum is expected in the year of 2005.

Exploratorium

3601 Lyon Street, San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts 415-EXP-LORE
Science and Technology museum. Tuesday-Sunday: 10am-5pm. (Wednesday till 9pm.)

Fort Point

Located in The Presidio, San Francisco 415-556-1693
Civil War fortress open for tours guided by rangers. Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Friday-Sunday: 10am-5pm.

Mission Dolores

3321 16th Street, San Francisco 415-621-8203
San Francisco's oldest building (1776). Cemetery, garden and museum. Open daily: 8am-4pm.

National Maritime Museum

At the foot of Polk Street on Beach Street, San Francisco 415-561-7006
Ship models, artifacts on display Wednesday through Sunday. At Hyde Street Pier and Piers 43 and 45, Fisherman's Wharf.

Palace of Legion of Honor

100 34th Avenue, San Francisco 415-863-3330
Rodin sculpture, tapestries on display. Tuesday-Sunday: 9.30am-5pm.

Ralston Hall Mansion

1500 Ralston Avenue, Belmont 650-508-3501
Ralston Hall Mansion, a registered National Historic Landmark, was built in the 1860's. Ralston Hall was the country estate of William Chapman Ralston. In 1922, the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur purchased the estate as the new location for their college. Ralston Hall is available for special events including weddings, concerts and conferences. Docent led tours are available by appointment. Visit our website at www.ralstonhall.com.

San Francisco Zoo

1 Zoo Road, San Francisco 415-753-7080
Primate Discovery Center, Gorilla World, and more. Tuesday through Sunday lion feedings at 2pm. Petting zoo, carousel and playground. Open Daily: 10am-5pm.

Steinhart Aquarium

California Academy of Sciences 55 Concourse Drive, San Francisco 415-750-7145
Fantastic aquarium featuring over 14,000 living specimens from the deep.

Strybing Arboretum

9th Avenue, San Francisco 415-661-1316
Seventy acres of plants. Monday-Friday: 8am-4:30pm. Saturday-Sunday: 10am-5pm.

Wax Museum

145 Jefferson Street, San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf 1-800-439-4305
Weekdays: 10am-9pm. Weekends: 9am-11pm.

County Parks

San Mateo County Parks & Recreation Division 455 County Center, 4th Floor Redwood City Administration 650-363-4020 Reservations 650-363-4021 Telecommunication Device for Deaf (TDD) 650-368-7807

Coyote Park Recreation Area

This San Francisco Bay area features water sports, picnic facilities, magnificent children's playgrounds, marina, environmental museum and animal center. A state-of-the-art wildlife center is a key attraction here. On Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo, east of US 101.

Edgewood Park

Rolling terrain, wildflowers, and woodlands. At the intersection of Edgewood Road, Redwood City, and Interstate 280.

Flood Park

Group picnic areas, oak trees, baseball, softball diamonds, playground and tennis courts. In Menlo Park, at Marsh and Bay Roads.

Huddart Park

Horseback riding, picnicking and hiking throughout redwood forests. Two miles west of Highway 84, Woodside.

Junipero Serra Park

Airport views, nature trails, picnic sites, children's playgrounds. On Crystal Springs Road, off Interstate 280 (San Bruno/Millbrae).

Memorial Park

Oldest park in the county. Campsites, picnic areas, camp store, old swimming hole, group areas and hiking trails. Pescadero Creek, Sam McDonald County Parks, and Portola State Park are adjacent. Take Highway 84 or Highway 1 to Pescadero Road.

Milagra Ridge

Hiking only. Formal federal government property preserved as open space. Spectacular views. On Sharp Park Road, Pacifica.

Pescadero Creek Park

Enormous 5,973-acre park featuring a major steelhead-spawning stream. Hike-in campsites plus horseback and hiking trails. Hikers may follow Pomponio Trail to Portola State Park or Memorial Park. On Alpine Road, west of Skyline Boulevard.

Sam McDonald Park

Pacific Ocean views, great old redwoods and fir trees. On Pescadero Road, south of Highway 84 (La Honda).

San Bruno Mountain

Just south of San Francisco. Over 2,000 acres of rough terrain. Tremendous views of the bay and San Francisco from top of mountain (trails lead to top). On Guadalupe Canyon Parkway, west of Old Bayshore Highway.

San Mateo Fishing Pier

On Beach Park Boulevard east of East Hillsdale Boulevard in Foster City.

San Pedro Valley Park

Group picnic spots, hiking trails. Take Highway 1 to Linda Mar Boulevard, then east.

Wunderlich Park

Riding/hiking trails. Oaks, redwoods, meadows and madrones. Former Folger family ranch. Take Highway 84, two miles southwest of Woodside.

State Parks

Ano Nuevo State Reserve

New Years Creek Road, Pescadero 650-879-2025 or 650-879-0227 (recorded info)
Popular spot for watching elephant seals from December through March. Tickets for tours (2 1/2 hours) should be reserved by calling 1-800-444-4445. To get there, take Highway 92 (less curvy) to Highway 1; drive south about 25 miles.

Butano State Park

Pescadero 650-879-2040
Redwood trees are the main attraction at Butano, which offers trails, family campsites and picnic areas. A 30-minute drive on Cloverdale Road off Highway 1 leads to the park.

Portola State Park

La Honda 650-948-9098
Set in groves of redwoods, the park has hiking trails; 52 family campsites with tables, stoves and food lockers; and accommodations for trailers up to 22 feet and motor homes up to 26 feet. A group campsite holding up to 150 people and group picnic area holding up to 100 can be reserved. Park is reached via Page Mill Road, then continuing on Alpine Road about 5 miles west of Highway 35.

San Mateo County Baylands

Comprising East Palo Alto's bay edge near Cooley Landing and an adjacent salt pond, this preserve is open by permit only.

Skyline Ridge

Located in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2, 840-acre former Skyline Ranch property offers ridgetops, pastures, reservoirs and a Christmas tree farm, with equestrian and hiking trails linking the preserve with Monte Bello Open Space Preserve. Parking is available on the east side of Skyline Boulevard near Alpine Road.

Thornewood

A former 87-acre estate, Thornewood is typical of gracious summer estates of the 1920s. It is located on La Honda Road (Highway 84) 1.2 miles south of the Portola Road intersection in Woodside. Access is limited to hikers and bicyclists who must obtain a permit from the district office.

Windy Hill

Grassland ridges and wooded ravines with creeks that flow year round characterize this preserve that has 9.4 miles of trails and a three-table picnic area adjacent to the parking area on Skyline Boulevard, two miles south of La Honda Road. Dogs on leashes allowed in designated areas.