San Francisco Off the Beaten Path Tips by guell

Purisima Creek Redwoods Open Space Preserve:
I hesitate to share this information with you, simply because one of the nicest aspects about this place is its serenity. Located about 20 miles south of San Francisco, this piece of heaven offers the visitor the opportunity to enjoy an outing under the canopy of the magnificent redwoods.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE:
Along the 20 miles of trails, you will see giant redwoods, beautiful vistas, banana slugs, the creek and very few people!

The following ratings are my opinion only.

NATURAL BEAUTY RATING: This is very subjective, but I rate this hike 8 out of 10.

DIFFICULTY (easy=1 difficult=10): This rating depends on which trail you do. The 10mile loop changes in elevation about 1500 feet and takes about 5 hours to complete. Anybody with an active lifestyle can complete it. I rate it a 7.

HOW TO GET THERE:
The preserve's main entrance and the Whittemore Gulch trailhead are located on Skyline Boulevard (Route 35) 4.5 miles south of Highway 92. Parking is available for 20 cars. For visitors going on the Redwood Trail, there is a five-car parking area at the trailhead 6.5 miles south of Highway 92. The preserve's western access point is off Higgins-Purisima Road, which intersects Highway 1 about one mile south of Half Moon Bay. Parking is available for 10 cars.

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Phone: (650) 691-1200
Website: http://www.openspace.org
Other Contact: in www,click on Preserve Locator

The Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory located in the city of Berkeley just across the bay offers free one-hour tours daily. We recently went with some friends and had a blast. We got to sample all the different varieties of chocolate made at the factory and walk through the facilities to see how the chocolate is transformed from a beans to something edible. I recommend bringing a hat or else you will be required to wear the most ridiculous hairnets you will ever see.

Reservations are not required but they are encouraged and may be done online.

Directions:
The factory is located at 914 Heinz Ave, on the corner of Heinz and 7th St, in Berkeley. Take the Ashby Ave. exit off of Interstate 80, make a left on 7th St. and a right on Heinz Ave. The entrance is the second driveway on your right.

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Phone: 510 981-4050
Website: http://www.scharffenberger.com/