When you search the internet for the best Bay Area views, the lists that appear often include places like Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Overlook. They are right about both. I’ve been to Alcatraz twice, once during the day and once at night, and you can’t go wrong either way. On this trip, I visited the Golden Gate Overlook and it is awesome or awe-inspiring, if you will.
However, so many readers love that I find the less-talked-about locales for this blog that I was feeling the pressure on this trip. I don’t even remember, honestly, how we learned about Indian Rock Park, but I am so glad I did. The consistently uphill two-mile walk between the Residence Inn-Berkley and the park would have been bearable without the heatwave. As it was, I felt ready to give up the moment I arrived. Then, my husband convinced me to climb the ancient rocks and check out the view.
The park is barely an acre and it is hidden in a neighborhood. You know you are getting close to it when you see boulders substituting for front lawns of the lucky neighbors’ houses.
The ancient rocks, in fact, tell the prehistoric history of the area. Native Ohlone communities gathered up here, grinding acorns into meal and wearing depressions into the rocks that you can still find today. During the 1930’s mountaineering enthusiasts climbed here and practiced new techniques that revolutionized that sport.
Thankfully, the walk home was more downhill than uphill. That night, having worked up a legitimate appetite, our friends treated us to dinner outside on the water at Brotzeit Lokal, a German “boathaus and biergarten.” Yum.
This view of the Oakland marina was very different from the one we got at the park, and yet, it was every bit as relaxing. We strolled along a boardwalk and watched the sun set. My vegetarian Truffelspatzle (pasta and shiitake mushrooms with truffle oil) was out of this world. My husband happily ate every bite of his Sweet & Spicy Fried Chicken sandwich (with coleslaw, jalapenos and Sriracha aioli).
So, readers, the search engines don’t know all. Not all the time. With a little digging and one very important local recommendation, I found for you the best secret views of the Bay area. There are no tourists at either spot, only locals, so you can enjoy a true taste of Bay area life. Have you bought your plane ticket yet?
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