Local Gems to Visit in Sacramento, SF Bay Area, & Seattle!

Sacramento, SF Bay Area, and Seattle destinations

We are ready to get out and explore! Are you? Check out a few of our favorite local gems in your area. Just Grab a Gig…and get adventurous!

Sacramento

Monkey Puzzle Tree
You can find this tree growing in a planter on Land Park Dr., near the Sacramento Zoo orangutans. It is native to Chile and Argentina (it's actually the national tree of Chile). They say the branches look like monkey limbs. Grab a Gig and go check it out! 

Sacramento’s Historic City Cemetery
This cemetery was founded in 1849, making it the oldest existing cemetery in Sacramento. Not only is it a resting place for some of the most important people in California, it’s also a beautiful example of Victorian gardening. Take a drive, and then explore the history on one of their walking tours. 

Original Street Level — Old Sacramento
Did you know Sacramento used to be 10 feet lower than it is today? Because of flooding, residents raised the city in the mid-19th century, but you can still see original sections of the city at its original elevation throughout Old Sacramento under boardwalks and in basements. 

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SF Bay Area

Spite House — Alameda
A spite house is a building constructed or modified to irritate neighbors or parties involved with land stakes. Alameda, in the East Bay, has a few spite houses, but this one is quite famous. It was built in the late 1900s and measures 20-feet high, 54-feet long, and a mere 10-feet wide. The home, located at Broadway and Crist St., is currently occupied but at one time fell into disarray.

Spanish Monastery Stones — Golden Gate Park, SF
These stones were originally part of a Cisterian monastery in Spain. William Randolph Hearst purchased the abandoned buildings in 1931 and had a ship bring them over. They were going to be part of his Wyntoon estate, but he ended up selling the stones to the city. The stones were distributed throughout the park in the 1960s. You can see them near the southern entrance off of Martin Luther King Dr. and 9th Ave. 

Cesar Chavez Park — Berkeley
This multi-purpose outdoor space at the Berkeley Marina offers 90 acres with spectacular views of the three bridges, Alcatraz, and Angel Island. Originally known as North Waterfront Park, it was renamed in 1996. Mark your calendars — the Berkeley Kite Festival and West Coast Kite Championships take place at the park on July 30 and 31 and offer a great time for the whole family!

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Seattle

Neukom Vivarium
Take a trip to Olympic Sculpture Park to see Neukom Vivarium, a mixed media installation by Mark Dion. The Seattle Art Museum describes the work, housed within a greenhouse, as a hybrid work of "sculpture, architecture, environmental education and horticulture that connects art and science." Grab a Gig and get your art on! 

The Fin Project: From Swords into Plowshares
This public art installation created by John T. Young features “fins” made from decommissioned submarines. The fins are arranged to simulate a pod of Orcas. You can find The Fin Project in the Sand Point neighborhood, in Magnuson Park, near the Magnuson Park Swimming Beach. 

Kubota Garden
Fujitaro Kubota was a self-taught Japanese master landscaper, and he created this amazing 20-acre garden over five decades. With 11 ponds, 30 hydrangea varieties, and 140 maple varieties, it really is worth a trip. The garden is in the Rainier Beach area of the city, and you will find driving directions on their website. Seattle Parks & Recreation now owns and operates the park.

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