Berkeley
- University of California, Berkeley: A compact campus of 30,000 students built on the edge of the Berkeley Hills. Sproul Plaza is the home of many demonstrations in the 1960s. Note that the campus is actually built on a hill, so walking around can be a little work.
- Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley: Not much can describe Telegraph. You really just have to take some time and walk around to soak up the atmosphere.
Oakland
- Jack London Square: A shopping area in a nicer part of Oakland
- Lake Merritt: The "jewel of Oakland," Lake Merritt is quite pretty and on the edge of downtown. It's a very popular sport for a walk or jog. Along the North edge of the lake you'll find the bandstand, the aviary (where injured birds are given space to mend), and the pergola.
San Francisco
- Cable Cars
- Alcatraz
- Coit Tower Great views of SF and the Bay.
- Lombard Street Drive down the curviest street in the US.
- Golden Gate Park SF's equivalent to NYC's Central Park... except that it's not in the center of SF.
- The Castro: The gay quarter, and it's worth a visit to get a taste of SF.
- Fisherman's Wharf: The classic tourist trap.
- Union Square: Shopping in downtown SF
Nature
- Tilden: Good place to go for a picnic, hike, or mountain bike ride. Tilden Park also has many activities for kids including steam train rides, a carousel, and Lake Anza for swimming.
- Berkeley Botanic Gardens
- Muir Woods
- Point Bonita
- Stinson Beach
- Angel Island
Museums
- The Exploratorium
- SF MOMA
- Asian Art Museum
- Academy of Science: A strong early contender for the wedding location. Best on a weekday, as it's very crowded on the weekends.
- The de Young Museum
- Oakland Museum of California