Best of the Bay Area- outdoor
Water activities
Renting a sail boat or taking a sailing tour around the bay is a must, especially because some great sailors come from the area. (http://www.sftravel.com/san-francisco-sailing.html]( http://www.sftravel.com/san-francisco-sailing.html "sailing tours")) Another great water activity for the family or alone is to rent a kayak from the beach in Sausalito. They are open year round and offer classes, rentals, and tours. A new addition is their paddle board rentals which are great to cruise through the famous house boat communities. (http://www.seatrek.com/)
The best of land and sea
There are plenty of great opportunities to combine land and sea. If you are in San Francisco take the Fishermans wharf street car to the end of the line and walk a few blocks to the ferry terminals to catch a ferry to Alcatraz (www.alcatrazcruises.com/ ) and wander island which once held captive the worst criminals. Another great trip from the ferry docks is to go to Tiburon, or if you are in Marin County go to down town Tibruon and take the ferry to Angel Island( www.angelislandferry.com/). There are great hiking trails or biking trails (you can rent a bike in S.F from Blazing Saddles or a few places in Marin), a small beach and pristine views of the entire Bay Area. This is a perfect place to bring a picnic and relax, but make sure to check what time the last ferry leaves as there is no other way to get home and no hotels on the island.
Still more fun to come
Finally, for those who come to the Bay Area to enjoy the night life check out the extensive list of night clubs and bars in San Francisco or the East Bay (sanfrancisco.citysearch.com/). There is live music nightly of a variety of genres or quieter spots to enjoy a wonderful meal and good drinks.
Would love to go to Alcatraz, is it a one full day trip?