EDUCATION

The Bay Area boasts a number of highly-ranked public schools, as well as numerous top-notch K-12 private schools. According to Niche, Palo Alto Unified and Pleasanton Unified School districts rank among the best public school districts. For private K-12 schools, The Nueva School (Hillsborough), Escuela Bilingue Internacional (Oakland), and The Harker School (San Jose), top the list. Two of the top public and private universities also call the Bay Area home in Cal Berkeley and Stanford.

FOR THE KIDS

Grown-ups aren’t the only ones who get to have fun – there’s plenty to do for the kids, too. Enjoy an aquarium, planetarium, rainforest and natural history museum - all under one roof at the Academy of Sciences (Golden Gate Park in SF). Kids can explore the world through science, art, and human perception at the Exploratorium (North Beach SF). When kids need a break from learning, they can have fun at numerous amusement parks - Fairyland (Oakland), Great America (Santa Clara), Six Flags (Vallejo) or at the (Santa Cruz) Beach Boardwalk.

ATTRACTIONS & DESTINATIONS

From San Francisco, Alcatraz Island, the prison that held Al Capone, is just a ferry ride away. Just over the Golden Gate Bridge is Sausalito, known for exquisite restaurants and outdoor cafes with stunning views. A little further into Marin are the Giant Sequoia trees at Muir Woods. Located an 1.5 hours away, is Napa Valley home to over 400 wineries and Carmel home to Pebble Beach and seaside getaways. For a longer escape 3 hours away, is the world famous Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, with hiking trails, ski resorts and views to take your breath away.