You may not have three days to get away this weekend, but there are still plenty of ways to get out of town without going far. In addition to reliably good weather, the East Bay offers plenty of new experiences, even for long-time city dwellers. Following are three of our favorite reasons to head east today:
Explore the Rad Side of Science
Skateboarding exhibits are nothing new, but this one—at Berkeley’s Lawrence Hall of Science—puts a new twist on things, examining not the art or culture surrounding skateboarding, but the physics behind the sport. The traveling exhibit Rad Science debuts in Berkeley June 2nd with an opening demonstration from Tony Hawk and a handful of other skating pros. Unfortunately the demo sold out quickly, but you can still enjoy the exhibit itself, which runs through September 3rd and includes 25 interactive experiences that reveal the physics of skateboarding, ranging from an exploration of balance to a look at the science behind Hawk’s famed 900-Vert trick.
Nosh on Authentic Korean Eats at West Oakland's Smallest Restaurant Opened earlier this month in an obscure West Oakland warehouse, FuseBox serves up delicious Korean street food in a tiny space chef/owner Sunhui Chang calls "the smallest restaurant in West Oakland." With $17,000 in funding from Kickstarter, Chang modeled the place after Korean soju bars, which are commonly found in random industrial zones. The menu is heavy on pork products, with the pork-butt udon and bacon-wrapped mocha—alongside Chang’s famed kimchi—already grabbing the attention of local foodies. Chang is currently working on building out an outdoor patio for the restaurant, which will feature a grill and soft-serve ice cream machine, just in time for summer.
Take the 2012 Trails Challenge
One of the best-kept secrets of the East Bay is its extensive parks system, home to dozens of beautiful and little-traveled hiking trails. In 2012 the East Bay Regional Park District is challenging Bay Area residents to explore its trails, offering a free downloadable guide of 20 East Bay hikes (register online for access to the guide). Options range from the beautiful Bayview trail, which winds through the redwoods in Joaquin Miller Park, to an exploration of native plants in the Huckleberry Botanic Regional Preserve.
