San Francisco's Exploratorium offers free admission to the public on the first Wednesday of every month.

Housed within the walls of the Palace of Fine Arts in the Marina District, the Exploratorium boasts more than 400 interactive science, art, and human perception exhibits for kids of all ages.

Also offering public presentations such as hands-on workshops, lectures, performances, films, and other special events, the museum aims to create a culture of learning through innovative environments, programs, and tools that help people nurture their curiosity about the world around them.

San Francisco's most visited museums offer FREE admission on the first Tuesday of every month. Take advantage of Free Museum Tuesdays at:

Cartoon Art Museum
The Cartoon Art Museum is the only museum in the western United States dedicated to preserving and exhibiting cartoon art in all its forms. In addition to housing approximately 6,000 pieces of original art, the museum also has an extensive research library and a classroom for cartoon art classes and workshops. As a bonus, the museum has one of the best bookstores in the city with a vast collection of interesting and eclectic coffee table books.

Conservatory of Flowers
Located in Golden Gate Park, the Conservatory of Flowers boasts almost 2,000 plant species in five immersive galleries. From tropical flowers to giant water lilies, the conservatory is a lush and diverse living museum for all ages.

de Young Museum
Founded in 1895 in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, the de Young boasts a state-of-the-art new facility that integrates art, architecture, and the natural landscape in one multi-faceted destination. The museum showcases collections of American art from the 17th through the 20th centuries, and art of the native Americas, Africa, and the Pacific. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

Museum of Craft and Folk Art
As the only folk art museum in Northern California, the museum is known for a rich offering of focused and unique exhibitions of traditional and contemporary folk art and craft from around the world, demonstrating how folk art, contemporary craft, and fine art are all part of the same continuum.

Palace of the Legion of Honor
Built to commemorate Californian soldiers who died in World War I, the Legion of Honor is a beautiful Beaux-arts building located in San Francisco's Lincoln Park. Displaying an impressive collection of 4,000 years worth of ancient and European art in an unforgettable setting overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, the Legion is also home to an early cast of Rodin's famous "Thinker" sculpture. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
Located in downtown San Francisco, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art. Opened in 1935 to "explore compelling expressions of visual culture," the permanent collection comprises more than 25,000 works of modern and contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture, media arts, architecture, and design. Admission fees to special exhibits still apply.

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
YBCA presents contemporary art from the Bay Area and around the world that reflects the profound issues and ideas of our time, expands the boundaries of artistic practice, and celebrates the diversity of human experience and expression.

Dare to tread the San Andreas Fault where the earth's crust shifted and moved 5 meters (16 feet) in 1906!

Meet a Point Reyes National Seashore ranger at the start of the Earthquake Trail for this easy one-kilometer (0.6 miles) walk.

Join a Park Ranger for a leisurely 1.3-kilometer (0.8-mile) tour and introduction to the history and culture of the Coast Miwok people.

The walk ends at Kule Loklo (meaning "Bear Valley"), a replica Miwok village.

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.

NOTE: Until the spring of 2012, the lighthouse itself is not accessible by the public -- the suspension bridge between the tunnel and the lighthouse is currently under construction.

Set in the tiny town of San Gregorio near Pescadero, the San Gregorio General Store is more than an old-time shop selling both practical and whimsical goods in an historic building. It's also a saloon serving 18 kinds of tequila, and a popular gathering place for both locals and those just passing through.

On weekends, the General Store hosts free, live music performances. See their website for a schedule of upcoming shows.

California State Parks docents offer free, half-hour guided history walks around the grounds of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (except on rainy days).

No reservations necessary. 

Midtown Stomp offers swing dancing every Friday night at Sacramento's Eastern Star Ballroom, a historic landmark built in 1928. Join the beginning swing dancing lesson from 8-9 p.m., and then keep dancing until midnight!

Lessons are social with rotating partners -- you don't need a partner to join. Dance the Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, Charleston, Balboa, and many other fun, vintage dances.

For more than 20 years sea music enthusiasts have gathered at San Francisco's Hyde Street Pier on the historic tall ships C. A. Thayer and Balclutha to sing chanteys and other sea songs.

This free event, which takes place the first Saturday of every month, has garnered a loyal following, drawing 80 to 200 people monthly.

Hear California history come alive with chanteys that describe the perils of San Francisco's Barbary Coast, the dangers of rounding Cape Horn, cruel ship officers, the joys and curse of drink, and hopes for riches during the Gold Rush.

Be sure to bring a mug for complimentary apple cider!

Reservations required; call (415) 561-7171.

Held every second Sunday of the month, the Sacramento Antique Faire is a meeting place for hundreds of antique dealers from throughout Northern California.

Come paw through furniture, textiles, architectural pieces, jewelry, cultural pieces, china, glassware, garden accessories, rugs, art, collectibles, and more.

While you're hunting for your one-of-a-kind treasure, fortify yourself with the variety of offerings from the numerous food vendors at the Faire.

The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco offers free admission to all visitors on the first Sunday of every month.

One of the largest museums in the Western world devoted exclusively to Asian art, the Asian Art Museum collection spans 6,000 years of history and includes 17,000 objects, from tiny jades to monumental sculptures, paintings, porcelains and ceramics, lacquers, textiles, furniture, arms and armor, puppets, and basketry.

The collection galleries are divided into seven geographic regions: South Asia; the Persian World and West Asia; Southeast Asia; the Himalayas and the Tibetan Buddhist World; China; Korea; and Japan. Winding through all the galleries are three major themes: the development of Buddhism; trade and cultural exchange; and local beliefs and practices.

Vipassana, or mindfulness meditation, was first taught by the Buddha 2,500 years ago. In this style of meditation, widespread today in Southeast Asia and increasingly popular in the West, one learns to watch what arises without judgment or reaction.

In so doing, the mind can become clear and steady, and we begin to see things as they really are, without the distortion of our hopes, fears and confusion. Some apply mindfulness to reduce stress and control pain, and many find the practice a help with daily life, but the Buddha's purpose was clear: this way of seeing leads to freedom from suffering.

Coastside Vipassana meets at the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel on Wednesday evenings, for meditation and a dhamma talk from a visiting teacher. Everyone is welcome -- the merely curious, the earnest beginner, or the dedicated practitioner.

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.

Cetrella Bistro and Cafe offers seasonal Mediterranean cuisine and an award-winning wine collection, and routinely garners some of the best restaurant reviews on the Coastside.

If the Bistro menu is beyond your budget, try dropping into the bar for a drink and live jazz music, presented every Friday and Saturday night. As the San Francisco Chronicle notes, "Cetrella is celebrated for its well-crafted dishes and extensive wine list. But it offers just as delectable and intoxicating fare when it comes to music. Cetrella has become an invaluable venue for Northern California jazz and blues singers." The restaurant closes occasionally for private events; please check their music schedule for details.  

A bar menu featuring small plates, wood oven pizzas, and a few entrees is also available.

Join your guide Henry for an extensive walk through the streets (and over the hills) of San Francisco.

Enjoy the sights of the city as you wander through neighborhoods such as Russian Hill, Nob Hill, Chinatown, North Beach, and Telegraph Hill. See Lombard Street, Coit Tower, and some of the oldest homes and hidden gardens in the city.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels. Please sign up in advance.

Most Thursday nights, the California Academy of Sciences opens its doors after hours for NightLife.

Adults have a chance to explore the museum at night in a whole new light, as they dance to some of San Francisco's most popular DJs, enjoy food and cocktails, and mingle while perusing the Academy's world-class exhibits and getting up close and personal with aquarium critters.

Take in some knowledge with your libations -- each week features provocative science programming and a few surprises.

Guests at our three San Francisco hostels even get a 15 percent discount on admission to NightLife (as well as general admission) if you order tickets in advance. More info on how to get that discount is found here.

The Station House Cafe in Point Reyes Station has been serving the West Marin community since 1974. Offering American cuisine, the cafe uses fresh organic and sustainable ingredients, supporting local farmers and harvesting from their own gardens.

Many a Sunday evening, the cafe hosts live music, including blues and bluegrass acts such as Paul Knight and Friends, Doug Adamz and the Trio Bravo, and the New Copasetics.

Check the cafe's schedule to see who's playing this week.

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.

Join your tour guide Joe for an evening excursion to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Located in downtown San Francisco, SFMOMA was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art. Opened in 1935 to "explore compelling expressions of visual culture," the permanent collection comprises more than 25,000 works of modern and contemporary art, including photography, painting, sculpture, media arts, architecture, and design.

SFMOMA offers half-price admission and extended hours every Thursday starting at 6 p.m., making this the perfect chance to soak up some culture with your fellow hostellers.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels. Please sign up in advance.

San Francisco City Guides offer free historical and architectural walking tours of San Francisco's most famous (or, in some cases, infamous) districts, as well as some of its more hidden neighborhoods.

Approximately 30 different walks are offered each month, year-round, rain or shine. Walkers meet at the place and time designated in the current tour schedule. No reservations are required.

Come see and select from a wide variety of flowers and greenery, all grown on the San Mateo County coast.

Motorheads far and wide rev up to come to Pillar Point Harbor in Half Moon Bay for Harbor Nights, a coastal car and motorcycle show held on the first Thursday of the month at Princeton Seafood Company.

Owners of classic cars, trucks, tricked-out motorcycles, and hot rods show off their pride and joy while providing a glimpse of early automotive and motorcycle technology. Chat with the owners to learn about the process that went into each machine, as many of them have taken years to create or restore. Just be careful not to drool -- it's bad for the paint.

The James Johnston House, a.k.a. The White House of Half Moon Bay, sits overlooking the Pacific Ocean, its silhouette a striking sight against the surrounding hillsides.

This classic New England salt-box (two stories in front, one in back) was built by 49er pioneer James Johnston between 1853 and 1855, for his Californian bride, Petra Maria de Jara. In 1971, the Johnston House Foundation was established to protect, preserve, restore, and refurbish the house, and to promote the history of the Coastside and California.

The Johnston House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is open to visitors on the third Saturday of the month, January - September, with docent-led tours available. A special "Holiday House" event is held the first two weekends in November.

Join State Parks docents for a guided nature walk through Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve. Part of Pescadero State Beach, the marsh is the only extensive wetland along the coast of the San Francisco peninsula, and includes a complex of several habitats.

More than 200 species of birds have been recorded in the marsh, including more than 60 that nest there, among them the Great Blue Heron. Species in the marsh listed under the Endangered Species Act include the San Francisco garter snake, California red-legged frog, tidewater goby, steelhead trout, and Coho salmon.

Pie Ranch is a complex place with a simple mission: to teach people where their food comes from.

A hands-on farm and food system education center, Pie Ranch is located on a 14-acre plot of land above the historic Steele Ranch. Using the ever-popular dessert pie as a model, the ranch teaches visitors -- many of them urban youth -- about the full cycle of food production. The farm grows or raises almost every element needed for the pie, including wheat for pie crusts, berries for filling, bees for honey, goats for milk, and chickens for eggs.

With a place like this, the best way to experience it is to get your hands dirty, which visitors can do every third Saturday of the month when Pie Ranch hosts a community work day, guided ranch tour, potluck dinner, and barn dance.

Join in the celebration as farmers, volunteers, and "food system change makers" gather to work throughout the afternoon, then let their hair down once the evening comes around.

Bring something to share at the potluck, then swing to the sounds of the County Line Pickers, accompanied by a live dance caller. You don't need to volunteer during the day in order to join the party at night, but volunteers do get a discount on dance admission!

The ranch's Roadside Barn Farm Stand is also open seasonally on weekends, for folks who just want a peek at the farm and to purchase its goods, which include handmade pies, fresh local produce, and eggs from the ranch's free-range hens

The Downtown Sacramento Partnership offers a variety of walking tours designed to introduce visitors to the people, places, and events that shaped California history. At least one walk is offered daily (except most Saturdays), and topics range from art and architecture to cultural, religious, and urban history.

Current scheduled walks include:

• Old Sacramento Speakeasy Tour, special 2-hour tour runs only the third Saturday of the month
• Rock and Roll History and Pub Crawl, special summer tour runs every Friday, May - August
• Kids Meet the City, a tour of California history especially for kids
• Tales of the Central City, an overview of early Sacramento history
• Structural Stories, local examples of historical architecture styles
• Art Is All Around Us, a tour of Sacramento's collection of art in public places
• Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, about K Street commerce, growth, and redevelopment
• The Art of Terra Cotta, an architecture tour featuring local clay artisan Gladding McBean

Tours are $10 and leave from within a short walk of the Sacramento Hostel.

Reservations are required; call (916) 442-8575 or email dsp@downtownsac.org.

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.

The Half Moon Bay Brewing Company is a casual oceanfront restaurant and brewpub in Half Moon Bay, located on Pillar Point Harbor (just half a mile from the world-famous Maverick's surf break).

Friday - Sunday each week, local bands perform live at the Brewing Company, bringing sounds to the shore from jazz and blues to world beat and reggae. Bands perform Friday and Saturday nights from 7-10 p.m., and Sundays from 5-9 p.m.

So, relax like the locals do, with a pint of locally brewed beer, some live music, and a seat near one of the pub's patio firepits, beside the Pacific.

The Torch Club is known as one of the best blues clubs in Sacramento, and features bands from all over the Bay Area as well as some national acts. They've recently been called "the center of the blues in Sacramento" by the Sacramento Bee.

Every Sunday during happy hour they have a blues jam with no cover charge.

Open every day, San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace is a foodie mecca, offering fresh organic produce, gourmet treats, and fine dining. With a focus on small, regional food producers -- and many eateries and small businesses owned by well-known top chefs -- you can sample local artisan cheeses, chocolates, breads, and more.

Most Saturday mornings, celebrated Bay Area chefs stop in to demonstrate ways to prepare the sustainable, seasonable goods found in the Farmers' Market. Visitors can watch these experts in action, taste their creations, and leave with recipes to try themselves at home. Programs sometimes include interviews with farmers, food artisans, or other Farmers' Market vendors.

See the CUESA's website for a full event schedule.

On Wednesdays and Sundays, the Heart of the City Farmers Market sets up shop in United Nations Plaza near City Hall, bringing locally grown produce, fresh flowers, and artisan goods to the city's Civic Center.

Stock up on goodies to cook up back at the hostel, or snacks to bring along on your travels.

The Westminster Presbyterian Church on Capitol Park hosts free noontime concerts every Wednesday. Musicians include pianists, cellists, violinists, guitarists, and more.

For a full schedule of concerts, visit the series website.

Join us on Friday evenings to sample California wine and cheeses at the San Francisco Downtown Hostel.

Meet and mingle with fellow travelers, whet your appetite for San Francisco’s nightlife, then hit the town together, or settle in to plan your next day's adventure.

This event is open to all guests (ages 21 and older) at our three San Francisco hostels.

The Fort Mason Center Farmers Market is one of many year-round farmers markets around the city -- but it's the closest to the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel, just a short walk away through Fort Mason.

The market features 50 local farm and prepared food stalls, including vendors selling fresh and/or organic produce, farmstead cheese, fish, meat, eggs, and fresh baked goods.

Forget about the traditional hostel pasta dinner -- we know you're craving tacos!

Anthony will be dishing up this California Mexican classic in the hostel lobby. They're just $3 while they last!

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel. Please sign up in advance.

Put on your drinking shoes, grab your ID (gotta be 21!), and join Jesse, Erinne, and Anthony for our weekly pub crawl.

Sip some brew (or a cosmo? tequila?) at five of the best bars along Polk Street, near our City Center and Downtown hostels. Meet a bunch of other travelers and enjoy a night out in SF!

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Off the Grid is a regular gathering of San Francisco street food vendors -- or, as they describe it, "a roaming mobile food extravaganza!"

This is a great chance to sample unusual and gourmet foods at cheap prices, and enjoy a little al fresco dining. Korean tacos, jambalaya, empanadas, onigiri, BBQ ribs, dim sum -- you'll be amazed at the tasty treats that can be made and sold from the back of a truck.

Regularly participating vendors include local favorites like Chairman Bao Bun Truck, Creme Brulee Cart, Curry Up Now, Gobba Gobba Hey, Hapa SF, and Kung Fu Tacos.

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., Off the Grid sets up shop in Civic Center's UN Plaza (next to the Asian Art Museum), just four blocks from the San Francisco City Center Hostel.

Wednesdays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., the trucks visit the intersection of 5th and Minna streets, just south of Market Street and five blocks from the San Francisco Downtown Hostel.

Fridays, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., you'll find them in Civic Center Plaza (directly in front of City Hall), also just four blocks from the San Francisco City Center Hostel.

Fridays, 5 - 10 p.m., check out the original Off the Grid event, which happens in Fort Mason near the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel. The largest of the Off the Grid events, this night features more than 30 street food trucks and tents each week!

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.

Take advantage of "Pay What You Wish Day" every third Sunday of the month at the Crocker Art Museum. 

Established in 1885 and expanded in 2010, the Crocker Art Museum is one of Northern California's largest and best museums of regional artists. The collection spans from the 10th century to contemporary periods and includes a stunning collection of European master drawings and a notable selection of contemporary California art. Museum programs include touring exhibitions, educational programs, public tours, and concerts.

Located in San Francisco's Pacific Heights neighborhood, the Haas-Lilienthal House is a beautifully restored Queen Anne-style Victorian built in 1886.

It's the only intact private home of the period that's open regularly as a museum in San Francisco, complete with authentic furniture and artifacts, elaborate wooden gables, a circular corner tower, and detailed ornamentation.

Tours of this house museum are offered year-round on Sundays from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., and on Wednesdays and Saturdays from noon - 3 p.m. Tours leave every 20 to 30 minutes and last about one hour. All visits to the house must be guided. Reservations are not required.

Gung hay fat choy! Welcome the new Year of the Dragon at the Bay Area Discovery Museum's annual Chinese New Year celebration.

Learn more about your Chinese zodiac sign or try your hand at calligraphy, decorate a lucky red envelope in the art studio, and make your own traditional sweet pastry. Inside, see vibrant dance performances by local youth, and outdoors watch a traditional lion dance.

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.

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.

This month's First Fridays event at the Mill Valley Public Library is a storytelling series. Previous events have included an arts showcase and a cinema cabaret! 

The Naked Truth: Real Stories Live, is hosted as part of a First Friday series of events. This season, on the first Friday of February, June and October, the library will be transformed into a venue for seasoned raconteurs as well as storytelling novices to showcase the human experience. Based on a theme, each guest will tell a ten-minute true story without the benefit of notes. The February theme is "missed connections." Registration is required for this  event.  

Point Reyes Seashore is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth -- nearly 20 percent of the state's flowering plant species are represented on the peninsula and over 45 percent of the bird species in North America have been sighted here.

While you're visiting, help preserve our beautiful park!

The bi-monthly restoration team of volunteers meets in front of the Bear Valley Visitor Center at 9 a.m. on the second and last Sunday of each month. Drop-ins are welcome.

The crew will visit some of the most beautiful areas in the park and help eradicate invasive plant species encroaching upon rare, native habitat. You'll learn about invasive plant ecology and the flora and fauna of Point Reyes National Seashore -- and work up a sweat removing the nonnative European beachgrass, iceplant, and other invasive species.

Bring lunch, water, and sturdy shoes. Gloves and tools are provided. Contact Ellen Hamingson at 415-464-5196 or by email for more information, and call in advance to confirm the workday (occasionally the team travels to another park).

Housed in a restored barn in Point Reyes Station, the Cowgirl Creamery has been making handcrafted, farmstead cheese in small batches since 1997. Nationally recognized for its artisan quality, the Creamery offers a 60-minute cheese-making demonstration and tasting at its ecologically conscious facilities on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. and Fridays at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Foodies and dairy junkies won't want to miss the chance to go behind the scenes, where the Creamery makes about 3,000 pounds of cheese per week. Peek through a viewing window and watch how they make the goods, and learn about the cheese-making process during their presentation. The class ends with a tasting of Cowgirl Creamery cheeses.

Afterwards, peruse the cheese counter which features more than 200 of America's and Europe's most prized producers, or check out the selection of local produce and other goodies.

Reservations for the class are strongly recommended; call (415) 663-9335 or book your tour online.

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!

Head down to Pillar Point Harbor on the first Thursday of every month to discuss fresh views on American politics over a cold beer at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Each night offers a different topic of discussion as well as interesting guest speakers.

Not only is this a great place to learn different perspectives about politics in the U.S., it's also a way to give back! Ten percent of the proceeds from all dinner sales for the evening are donated to the Cabrillo Education Foundation.

CuriOdyssey, formerly the Coyote Point Museum, houses a collection of hands-on exhibits for kids and adults alike to "experience the wonder of science and nature."

Their collections include more than 100 live animals -- mostly California natives, and many which unfortunately can't be re-introduced into the wild after treatment in rehabilitation facilites.

Most of these animals live in 25 wildlife habitats that visitors can explore -- including a 4,000-square-foot walk-through aviary.

Don't miss one of their several daily animal shows (including otter and bobcat feedings).

Every month, they have a different "community day" were admission is free, although a donation is suggested.

Every Thursday, the Crocker Art Museum hosts "Thursdays 'til 9," when they're open after hours to feature film, music, conversation, cocktails, and more.

First Thursdays: Film Frame
Presented in collaboration with local film organizations and festivals, screenings include commentary by film makers, enthusiasts, scholars, and artists.

Second Thursdays: Art Mix
For those who like to mix culture with cocktails. Hear a local band or DJ, sip a specialty cocktail from the Crocker Cafe, and dive into live art demonstrations, short films, interactive installations, special in-gallery tours and more.

Third Thursdays: Playlist
Blues, reggae, indie, folk, country, bluegrass, rock, hip hop, world music and everything in between!

Fourth Thursdays: Open Art
The Crocker’s many arts and community partners are co-creators of these exchanges, programs, and happenings.

Movies on a Big Screen, an ongoing film festival/micro-cinema, is "your alternative to the multiplex."

Held Sundays at the Guild Theater, it features independent films that may not be able to secure week-long runs in commercial theaters, but are worth seeing nonetheless.

Some are old, some are new, most cost just $5 to see! Check out the website for a schedule of upcoming shows, a different film screens every Sunday.

The Guild Theater is 6 miles from the hostel -- if you don't have a car, it's very easily accessed by taking the Sacramento Regional Transit #51 bus. A bus stop is 3 blocks from the hostel on 7th Street -- get off at Broadway and 35th streets, less than 1 block from the theater.

Any Tuesday night, gather up a few hostel friends, pick out an awesome quiz team name, and head down to the Fox and Goose Pub to test your brain power!

The trivia quiz includes four rounds of eight questions -- with plenty of time in between to order a round or two.

Know every European capitol city? Lyrics to a few obscure Paula Abdul hits? You'll be a quiz all-star.

Tuesdays, head to MiX Downtown for their weekly jazz night! At 6 p.m., the music kicks off in the rooftop lounge with the club's own "Singing Saxtress," Ava Lamert, followed by a different jazz musican each week.

Happy hour specials run til 7 p.m., and the week's featured band plays until 9 p.m. It's also Taco Tuesday, so help yourself to $2 chicken tacos from 4-10 p.m.!

Who doesn't love making ice cream sundaes!?

Come hang out with other travelers on our back patio, and get to know each other over some sweet treats. It's just $1 for ice cream.

Because really -- summer on the patio with ice cream? Yes, please.

Join Erinne and your fellow hostellers for a crawl from Fort Mason through North Beach.

We'll head to the "Off the Grid" street food extravaganza in Fort Mason to pre-game with some food and beer, then head to North Beach (Little Italy) to check out some of San Francisco's best bars and one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Monday afternoons, join Erinne and your fellow hostellers for a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, and a ferry ride back to the city.

The first stop is one of our bike rental partners, where we'll pick up bikes and helmets. Then we'll hit the road for a relaxing ride over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge -- an incredible experience for anyone!

From the bayside town of Sausalito, we'll take the ferry back to the city -- it's a mini bay-cruise past Alcatraz with great views of San Francisco the whole way.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Join us Tuesdays - Saturdays for a free movie screening in our awesome new theater-style TV lounge!

Grab a snack at Cafe Franco upstairs, and come hang with us for the film.

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel.

Hiding beneath Sacramento’s sidewalks is a network of underground walkways and spaces created when the city raised its streets to prevent flooding in the 1860s.

This hour-long seasonal tour, offered by the Historic Old Sacramento Foundation, takes you into the underground, revealing the once-first-floor doorways and windows that now lead into basements, brick retaining walls protecting buildings from the elevated roadways, and secret spaces once used for tiny underground shops.

Tours are offered Saturdays and Sundays, every half hour from 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m., and on Thursdays and Fridays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m

Tickets can be purchased online, in person at the Sacramento History Museum, or over the phone by calling (916) 808-7059.

Several other tours also depart from the history museum, including an architecture tour and one focused on the Gold Rush. These tours cost $7.

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. 

Neighboring the Pillar Point Harbor, Sam's Chowder House is one of Half Moon Bay's most picturesque bars and seafood restaurants. This beachside spot boasts beautiful ocean views, from both the dining room and spacious outdoor patios.

Aside from serving food, Sam's presents live local music on Fridays from 5-9 p.m. (inside in the bar area), Saturdays from 4-8 p.m. (outside), and Sundays from 1-5 p.m. (outside). For a list of scheduled performers, visit samschowderhouse.com/news/music.html.

The regular menu prices will considerably lighten your wallet, but for the cost of a beer or cocktail you can stop in to hear the sounds and soak up the surroundings. Grab some fresh shellfish appetizers to share at the seafood bar on the patio, and lounge in Adirondack chairs while admiring the seaside sunset.

Open 365 days a year, The Old Princeton Landing is Princeton-by-the-Sea's nightspot for live music, dancing, and pool. Artists of all stripes -- from rock-a-billy bands to hip-hop artists -- take to the stage on Friday and Saturday nights, often with a minimal cover change.

On Tuesday nights, head down to the Landing, pony up $5, and battle the locals for cash and bragging rights in the weekly pool tournament. Sign-up is at 7 p.m., the tournament starts at 7:30.

Offering seaside dining since 1927, Nick's Restaurant at Rockaway Beach is a local institution with sweeping views of the Pacific. Stop in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the dining room, or head to the horseshoe bar in the cocktail lounge for drinks and appetizers.

On Friday and Saturday nights, Nick's features live music and dancing from 8 p.m. - midnight; check their website for upcoming performers.

Many San Francisco visitors have a trip to Napa somewhere on their itinerary. Wine Country, after all, is one highlight of the California experience.

But vino isn’t the only beverage to sample around here -- we'd hate to see you leave this fine city without tasting some of the locally brewed beer!

So head to the Downtown Hostel's second-floor lounge on Tuesday evenings, for light snacks and a rotating sampling of beer from local breweries like Lagunitas, Anchor Steam, Trumer Pils, and Speakeasy.

This event is open to all guests (ages 21 and over) at our three San Francisco hostels.

Wednesday afternoons, join Erinne and your fellow hostellers for a bike ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito, and a ferry ride back to the city.

The first stop is one of our bike rental partners, where we'll pick up bikes and helmets. Then we'll hit the road for a relaxing ride over the iconic Golden Gate Bridge -- an incredible experience for anyone!

From the bayside town of Sausalito, we'll take the ferry back to the city -- it's a mini bay-cruise past Alcatraz with great views of San Francisco the whole way.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Join Marin Headlands docent Jane Haley on an easy walk to Rodeo Lagoon to learn about the birds that take shelter in the Headlands from the winter storms.

Appropriate for ages 8 and up. Reservations required; call (415) 331-1540.

Join State Parks docents for a guided nature walk through Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve. Part of Pescadero State Beach, the marsh is the only extensive wetland along the coast of the San Francisco peninsula, and includes a complex of several habitats.

More than 200 species of birds have been recorded in the marsh, including more than 60 that nest there, among them the Great Blue Heron. Species in the marsh listed under the Endangered Species Act include the San Francisco garter snake, California red-legged frog, tidewater goby, steelhead trout, and Coho salmon.

Experience the Point Reyes Lighthouse as many keepers have over the years, watching as the lighthouse's beacon shines over the sea.

This popular ranger-led tour is available on the first and third Saturdays of the month, from mid-April through December. Start times vary depending on sunset. The Lighthouse Visitor Center is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday - Monday, year-round.

Space is limited. Call (415) 669-1534 after 10 a.m. on the day of the tour, for tour schedule and reservations.

Jesse takes you on a bike ride from Downtown San Francisco, across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and back.

Stops include the Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf, Aquatic Park, Fort Mason, Crissy Field, The Palace of Fine Arts and the Golden Gate Bridge.

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco Downtown Hostel .

Join Anthony, our resident "tea master," as he shares various Chinese teas, explains their health benefits, some fun historical facts, and reveals some of the mysticism in San Francisco tea culture.

This is a great opportunity to meet fellow hostellers, relax, and enjoy the warmth of amazing teas!

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel .

It's Mardi Gras all year long at the City Center Hostel!

Enjoy a warm and delicious New Orleans-style meal, while listening to jazz and folk tunes from The South! San Francisco has a great history and connection to New Orleans and Her food.

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel .

Join your fellow hostellers for a trip to one of San Francisco's oldest and most captivating neighborhoods: Chinatown.

Though it's only a few blocks away from our Downtown Hostel, Chinatown is another world unto itself, bustling with shops and buzzing with people. Explore hidden alleyways, sip various Chinese teas, see mysterious historic temples, and visit the famous San Francisco Fortune Cookie Factory.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels. Please sign up in advance.

Our lobby at the City Center Hostel transforms into an old fashioned movie house every week! On Friday nights, zombie-walk down to the hostel cafe for our Midnight Movie Macabre!

Check out this week's campy '70s-'90s horror flick, projected onto a 6-foot-wide screen in Ivy's Place, and pretend to shield your eyes from the cheesy gore of The Lost Boys, Scream, or Tales From the Crypt, to name a few possibilities. Even better, we'll have popcorn, cookies and soda -- all for free!

This event is open only to guests of the San Francisco City Center Hostel.

This fantastic walking tour with Jesse is, at times, pretty fast paced so get those walking shoes ready for a historic stroll (or power walk) through San Francisco. Explore the city’s most interesting hoods like downtown, nob hill and the financial district at a swift and spritely pace. Jessie is a self-proclaimed SF history nerd with a knack for uncovering strange and interesting historical facts!

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Experience the Mission district like a true San Francisca local.  Stop at Zeitgeist for a beer, hit up a thrift store where close are sold by the pound, check out the murals, eat at a taqueria, see the oldest building in San Francisco (hint, it's the mission) and end up in the best local park in the city, Dolores Park.

This event is open to all guests at our three San Francisco hostels.

Comedy fans need look no further than San Francisco this winter as some of the biggest names in sketch, improv, and stand-up comedy gather for the 11th annual SF Sketchfest, the city's 15-day comedy festival.

It runs this year from January 19 - February 4, and features acts such as Paul Rudd, Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh and more.

It takes place at 8 venues across San Francisco, from The Castro Theater to the Dark Room in the Mission District, Yoshi's Oakland to the Marines Memorial Theater.

Though today dwarfed by the Golden Gate Bridge, Fort Point's four tiers of cannon were once the most awesome feature at this narrow entrance to San Francisco Bay.

This mighty fort kept an armed and unwavering vigil over the golden gateway for almost half a century until its original cannons were removed, but no enemy challenged its might.

Discover the fort by the beauty of candlelight on this ranger-led night tour. Seeing the fort by flickering flame, with bright stars overhead, is a special way to take a trip into the shadows of the fort's past.

Our wonderful activities coordinator and North Beach native, Anthony, will guide you through the charming "Little Italy" of San Francisco. Visits to beautiful cathedrals, museums, and the famous Coit Tower are just a few of the highlights from this walking tour. This activity begins with a ride on the San Francisco California Street Cable Car (did you know that they climb halfway to the stars?) and a stop at the Cable Car Museum.

Learn some fun facts about the beatniks, the Italian mafia, and Italian immigration in our beautiful city!

Hunted to the brink of extinction at the turn of the 20th century, the northern elephant seal has made a strong comeback in the past 100 years, thanks in part to both government restrictions on hunting and their own secluded, deep-sea lifestyle.

For just a few months each year, these unique creatures come ashore, returning to various spots along the California coast to compete, mate, and give birth. It's a powerful ecological pageant that only plays out from mid-December through March/April.

Ano Nuevo State Reserve boasts the largest mainland breeding colony in the world for the northern elephant seal, and offers guided walks -- rain or shine -- to see the animals.

The only way to access the seals during the breeding season, these popular three-mile walks over rolling sand dunes last about 2.5 hours and are considered moderately strenuous. Visitors should prepare for an outdoor hiking adventure that may include high winds, heavy rains, and cold temperatures. Food and beverages are not sold at the reserve, but picnic tables are available for use before or after guided walks. Special access tours for guests with disabilities are available.

This walk is extremely popular, and visitors often have to book their tickets months in advance to secure a spot on a tour. However, a limited number of tickets are held exclusively for guests of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel in nearby Pescadero. These tickets are available for Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays. Ask how you can reserve tickets to this sought-after tour when you book your hostel stay. Please note that groups of 10 or more can’t reserve tickets through the hostel and must reserve their tickets online through the State Park.

Members of the LGBTQ community should never feel limited in their travel choices, but planning a safe and rewarding travel experience can occasionally be more challenging. This workshop is designed for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer travelers who are planning to travel by themselves and wondering if it's safe and preferable to look beyond the usual gay cruise lines and group tours. Those in attendance will learn how to travel on a budget, stay healthy while having fun, and how to travel responsibly. There will be complimentary refreshments.

Attention foodies and DIYers! Swanton Coastways Ranch, located 7 miles south of the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel on Highway 1, is open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout January for kiwi picking!

Pick to your heart's content and pay for your fruit by the pound. Prices are set each season and are generally much more affordable than at local markets.

For questions on what's being picked during your visit, call (831) 469-8804 or check out the farm website, which is updated fairly regularly as to fruit season start dates and per pound prices. Also, be sure to check some great kiwi recipes; they're an uncommon but totally delicious fruit with lots of vitamin C. 

Members of the LGBTQ community should never feel limited in their travel choices, but planning a safe and rewarding travel experience can occasionally be more challenging. This workshop is designed for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer travelers who are planning to travel by themselves and wondering if it's safe and preferable to look beyond the usual gay cruise lines and group tours. Those in attendance will learn how to travel on a budget, stay healthy while having fun, and how to travel responsibly. There will be complimentary refreshments.

The Pescadero Opera Society presents its eight season of opera, food, friends, and community.  The Pescadero Opera Society brings films of professional operas to opera lovers in Pescadero. This festive event combines potluck meals and kindred spirits. The film screenings begin with a potluck and socializing from noon to 2 p.m., when the opera begins. There is typically explication, commentary, and ample opportunity for visitors to learn about each opera.

The current season, which began with "Carmen" and featured "Amahl and the Night Visitors" in January will continue with "Salome" by Strauss on Feb. 15, "La Traviata" by Verdi on March 12, "Lohengrin" by Wagner on April 9, and "Il Trittico" by Puccini on May 14.

This year marks the 14th annual SF IndieFest, a 15-day extravaganza hailed as "the real deal" in independent film festivals by the San Francisco Chronicle. Running February 9-23 at the Roxie Cinema in the Mission district, SF IndieFest prides itself on screening entertaining, provocative, and "absolutely independent" work.

This year's festival presents the people of San Francisco with, "an awesome abundance of awesomeness with a mightily monstrous mix of maverick movies and mayhem." Should be a good time!

For the full lineup of films and bands, check out SFIndie.com!

Dedicated to traditional bluegrass and authentic old-time string-band music, the San Francisco Bluegrass and Old-Time Festival showcases some of the most talented Americana and roots musicians on the scene today. The festival runs over nine days at several small clubs and cafes in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, and the North Bay.

Swing on by one the festival's many shows and get down to some thigh-slappin', good old-fashion American music. 

San Francisco has a long history of craft beer brewing, and the Bay Area remains one of the epicenters of the modern resurgence of American artisan breweries. This year at SF Beer Week (February 10-19) come experience the vibrancy of the Bay Area beer tradition with tasting nights, food pairing dinners, and lots of fun!  

For 10 days, dozens of breweries, bars, gastropubs, and restaurants throughout the Bay Area celebrate our local craft beers with more than 100 events, including new releases of rare microbrews, beer tastings, happy hour food pairings (from cheese and chocolate to oysters and sausage), meet-the-brewmaster nights, and special events featuring multiple-course meals. It is sure to be a hoppin' good time.

Sacramento's 3rd annual Beer Week features more than 300 cheap or free brew-focused events, including happy hours, beer release celebrations, patio parties, and more.

In addition to the smaller events held at local breweries, bars, and restaurants, there will also be two, bigger events. Check their website for more information. (At the time of this writing, the Sacramento Beer Week website had not yet updated the 2012 schedule).  

Noise Pop is San Francisco's leading independent music festival, showcasing nationally known indie rock, electronic, punk, and cutting-edge musical artists, as well as the best local bands.

Going 20 years strong, this year's festival boasts more than 60 bands and solo artists at various venues throughout the city. Some of the most widely acclaimed bands in America played Noise Pop as emerging artists early in their careers, including The White Stripes, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, The Shins, The Flaming Lips, The Donnas, and The Decemberists. 

In addition, Noise Pop features a film festival, screening music documentaries and videos that embrace and reflect independent music and culture.

Celebrate the grand reopening of the Bay Model. Construction on the Bay Model has given it new life and a fresh look; the center now has 2,500 solar panels and energy efficient lighting. Come enjoy the newly remodeld Bay Model Visitor Center.

Traveling can be a daunting experience -- new countries, foreign languages, and different cultural norms can overwhelm any traveler; being prepared for a trip means more than just packing a toothbrush. What to bring, where to stay, and most importantly, how to add more value and independence to the travel experience, are all very important questions.

REI on Brannan Street and Hostelling International will offer a free travel education workshop designed for beginning travelers to help answer all of these questions! The workshop is open to people of all ages who are planning to travel soon and want smart tips on traveling safely and affordably. It will be delivered by a person with extensive travelling experience and will cover tried-and-true tips for researching a destination, budgeting, packing light, and saving money. Registration for this event is required; check the REI website for details.

Traveling can be a daunting experience -- new countries, foreign languages, and different cultural norms can overwhelm any traveler; being prepared for a trip means more than just packing a toothbrush. What to bring, where to stay, and most importantly, how to add more value and independence to the travel experience, are all very important questions.

REI in San Carlos and Hostelling International will offer a free travel education workshop designed for beginning travelers to help answer all of these questions! The workshop is open to people of all ages who are planning to travel soon and want smart tips on traveling safely and affordably. It will be delivered by a person with extensive travelling experience and will cover tried-and-true tips for researching a destination, budgeting, packing light, and saving money. Registration for this event is required; check the REI website for details.

Traveling can be a daunting experience -- new countries, foreign languages, and different cultural norms can overwhelm any traveler; being prepared for a trip means more than just packing a toothbrush. What to bring, where to stay, and most importantly, how to add more value and independence to the travel experience, are all very important questions.

REI on Brannan Street and Hostelling International will offer a free travel education workshop designed for beginning travelers to help answer all of these questions! The workshop is open to people of all ages who are planning to travel soon and want smart tips on traveling safely and affordably. It will be delivered by a person with extensive travelling experience and will cover tried-and-true tips for researching a destination, budgeting, packing light, and saving money. Registration for this event is required; check the REI website for details.

The San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf Hostel is excited to host singer/songwriter Phoebe Violet at their on-site cafe, Cafe Franco

After working and living in Vienna as a singer and violinist, Phoebe Violet moved to San Francisco to pursue a music career combining her singer-songwriter styles with classical sounds. She recorded an experimental demo, mixing electronic soundscapes to create a melodramatic pop sound. Pretty cool? We think so. You can find out more about her, or listen to her music here.