A secret jewel of the Bay Area, Point Bonita is still an active lighthouse maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard. Discover Point Bonita's wild landscape, geology, and fascinating history.

The lighthouse is reached by a half-mile trail, with a tunnel that is open only on Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays, from 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. Point Bonita docents are on hand along the trail, and the setting offers breathtaking views.

During the tense years from 1953 to 1979, the United States Army built and operated a total of 280 Nike missile firing batteries in the United States, emplaced as the last line of defense against Soviet bombers. Today, site SF-88 in the Marin Headlands has been turned into a museum, and is the only restored Nike missile site in the country.

Visit SF-88 and see the tools of the Cold War up close. The site is open Wednesday through Friday, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m., with guided walks beginning every hour. There is also an "open house" on the first Saturday of every month, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m., with volunteer docents and Nike veterans on hand.

The only children's museum in the U.S. to be located in a national park, the Bay Area Discovery Museum is a one-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor children's museum nestled at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The first Wednesday of the month, admission is free to the museum. Bring the family down to explore the 7.5-acre, indoor-outdoor environment that harmonizes nature and nurture.

Check out permanent exhibits such as Lookout Cove, which includes a shipwreck with clues to dig up and discover, and the San Francisco Bay Hall, a playful simulation of the Bay Area with an "underwater" tunnel, 300-gallon sea star tank, a fishing boat, a model of Fisherman's Wharf, and a play shipping port.

Long closed to public access, Battery Townsley in the Marin Headlands has been refurbished and is now open to visitors the first Sunday of the month.

Come explore this labyrinthine fortification, and learn about San Francisco's most extensive -- and most secret -- World War II military fortification.

From 1940 to 1948, it mounted two massive battleship guns and housed more than 100 soldiers in an extensive network of underground tunnels; during the Cold War, it was used as an underground research facility.

Battery Townsley is reached via a moderately strenuous hike up the Coastal Trail, approximately one half-mile north of the Rodeo Beach parking lot.

Join docent Warren Riley for an illustrated talk about the history of the lighthouses of San Francisco Bay and their critical role in the growth of California.

Reservations can be made by calling (415) 331-1540.

Artists, art patrons, art lovers, and everyone else is welcome on 4th Street in San Rafael every second Friday of the month for the city’s art walk.

Browse open studios and art galleries, and enjoy the latest and greatest work by some of the Bay Area’s most talented artists -- along with a glass of wine or two. Galleries and retailers will have special extended hours so that art walkers can experience the full variety of downtown commerce, from art and artisan gifts to clothing and accessories.

Every second Wednesday of the month, from May through October, the Caledonia Street neighborhood in beautiful Sausalito welcomes residents and visitors to the Sausalito Art Walk.

Businesses, galleries, and restaurants on and around Caledonia Street host Bay Area artists and are open to the public for viewing.

Each week you might see oil painting, photography, jewelry, sculpture, pottery, or watercolors, all crafted by local artists.

In addition, you'll find many musicians and entertainers performing on the street, as well as a children's stage to keep the little ones engaged.

Check out the bounty of produce grown in Northern California at one of the state's largest farmers markets, held each Sunday, all year round, in the Marin Civic Center parking lot. There's no better way to shop local!

During peak summer season, you'll find more than 200 local farmers, artisans, and food vendors selling everything from oranges to tamales, fresh cheese to creative jams to locally made pottery.

Come for lunch, shop for dinner, or for graze the booths for a mid-morning snack of free samples!

The Sausalito Farmers Market offers an abundance of locally grown and/or produced vegetables, fruits, organic products, gourmet cheese, herbs, seafood, meats, organic coffee, desserts, and wines, available right from the people who produce them.

This is the perfect spot to sample Marin County's agricultural bounty, grab fixings for a picnic, or stock up on groceries for your hostel stay.

The Farmers Market is held year-round at Dunphy Park. 

Head to the Bay Area Discovery Museum for their family Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Gain a greater understanding and appreciation for the culture and folklore of Mexico through music, dance and traditional crafts. Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno, established in 1967, will perform a free outdoor dance performance at 11 a.m., followed at noon by the music of Mariachi Los Cachorros.

Stop by Studio 10 and make a paper flower or a "tin" ornament as a 'recurerdo' or remembrance of the day.

All festivities are free with paid museum admission.

The 75th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge will be a public celebration, culminating in a spectacular event on May 27 that will span the San Francisco waterfront from Fort Point to Pier 39. This two-day festival will feature many events and activities, including an amazing display of fireworks on the evening of the 27^th.  

Major program venues include Crissy Field and the Marina Green; additional activities and events will be held at the Presidio, Fort Mason Center, Ghiraradelli Square, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39.

Please Note: At the time of this writing, the hours, performers, transit information and other details surrounding this event are still being developed and will be posted here in the coming weeks.   

Enjoy good music, good food, and good friends every Friday night from June 3 through August 26 at Sausalito Jazz and Blues by the Bay.

Breathtaking views of Angel Island and San Francisco are the backdrop to this weekly musical celebration.

Refreshments are available for purchase from local nonprofits, or bring your own picnic and soak up the Bay-side summer delights.

The Angel Island Company in Angel Island State Park has partnered with Lagunitas Brewing Co. and Hog Island Oyster Co. to present this series of summer weekend live music performances on the deck at the Cove Cantina, overlooking Ayala Cove near the island's ferry dock.

Saturdays and Sundays, the music is free, the beer is cold, and the oysters are fresh and delicious!

While you're there, explore the park, the former U.S. Immigration Station, and other historical sites on foot, by bike ($10/hour or $35/day rental), by shuttle ($5) or by tram ($13.50). There's plenty of hiking on the island, in addition to several secluded beaches.

At the Immigration Station, take a self-guided tour (daily) or opt for the guided experience ($7, offered Wednesdays - Sundays), and imagine what it was like for the many immigrants who were once detained here en route to California.

There's no direct ferry service from Sausalito to Angel Island -- drive out to Tiburon and take the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry from there ($13.50 round trip for adults), or get take the ferry (or drive) from Sausalito to San Francisco and catch the Blue and Gold Fleet boat from either Pier 41 or the SF Ferry Building ($16 round trip for adults).