|
This is the kind of place that would be neat and interesting and unusual everywhere, but even more so smack dab in the middle of San Jose. Surrounded by strip malls and a movie theatre this grand...
This is the kind of place that would be neat and interesting and unusual everywhere, but even more so smack dab in the middle of San Jose. Surrounded by strip malls and a movie theatre this grand house is the last hting you'd expect to see on the outside, but it is even more so on the inside!
The WInchester Firearms heiress who built the house believed that if she did not lalways have construction going on it she would suffer a terrible fate. So the house is full of bizarre nooks and crannies, staircases that go nowhere, hidden rooms and other bizarre things. There are many tours of the house and they are all worth taking. Especially fun are the mystery themed tours they do at Halloween.
Give yourself a treat and try this place out!
Hide
|
|
This is a great place to take a family where everyone is a different age. There is a great children's play area in the basement that kids 8 and under will love, while the upper floors are filled...
This is a great place to take a family where everyone is a different age. There is a great children's play area in the basement that kids 8 and under will love, while the upper floors are filled with games and toys and exhibits that are of interest to teens and adults. From learning how to build a robot or how microchips are made this is truly the right museum for the capital of SIlicon Valley.
Introduce your kids to tech early and watch them enjoy it and maybe even make it their career. This museum is definitely worth a visit for EVERYONE.
Hide
|
|
This is a great place designed exclusively with little ones in mind. There is so much for kids to do and explore from a real fire engine to water play area to pizza making 'oven'. Kids can run...
This is a great place designed exclusively with little ones in mind. There is so much for kids to do and explore from a real fire engine to water play area to pizza making 'oven'. Kids can run around and explore and learn and enjoy as parents either watch from the sidelines or join in!
The cost is a little high and you can see why. This is a gorgeous, bright, large facility where everything is kept in good condition. Exhibits are changed regularly and many special exhibits (such as the Sesame Street exhibit that was around for a few months last year) are often present.
If yo plan on going more than once or twice you may want to consider a membership.
Hide
|
|
Honestly when I first went here I expected so much more. The grounds are beautiful as is the location on Lake Merrit but everything is just so OLD. The paint is chipping off the exhibits, the rides...
Honestly when I first went here I expected so much more. The grounds are beautiful as is the location on Lake Merrit but everything is just so OLD. The paint is chipping off the exhibits, the rides are scary for some of the kids and everything looks so rickety that it seems like it will fall apart. Happy Hollow in San Jose is about as old as this park and it has been much better kept up. Even though the rides and activities are dated at Happy Hollow they look well maintained and sturdy.
Admission was very expensive and parking was hard to find. My kids enjoyed themselves, but honestly as a parent I think there are many better places to go.
Hide
|
|
It's very strange: you go down into the basement of what looks like an office building and there is a children's play center. However it has its advantages in that if it is raining it becomes a...
It's very strange: you go down into the basement of what looks like an office building and there is a children's play center. However it has its advantages in that if it is raining it becomes a great place to go (just get there early as it gets crowded). Habitot is small but full of fun for little ones: a full sized space ship for them to explore, a water play area, a crawlers' play zone, face painting and more!
One visit can get veru pricey, but if you buy a membership it pays itself off in 2 visits. It is also very convenient to BART so you do not have to live close by to take advantage of this great resource.
Hide
|
|
If you are looking for a place close by to take your children for some fun you need to check out Lake Elizabeth. This is a man-made lake in the middle of Fremont that is surrounded by a great wlking...
If you are looking for a place close by to take your children for some fun you need to check out Lake Elizabeth. This is a man-made lake in the middle of Fremont that is surrounded by a great wlking path, lots of grass and numerous children's playgrounds. It is a terrific place for kids to have fun and run around while Mom relaxes (perhaps with a friend or two on a playdate). It is also very nice for picnics.
Unfortunately they no longer do the 4th of July fireworks here, but the lake is still great for daytime fun.
Hide
|
|
I had to find an nanny and never having really done this before I tried an agency. Robin at Nanny Connection decided to help me. Well after telling me how I had given her plenty of notice and how...
I had to find an nanny and never having really done this before I tried an agency. Robin at Nanny Connection decided to help me. Well after telling me how I had given her plenty of notice and how she would have lots of opportunities for me she eventually came up with ONE name.
I called the nanny and talked with her. On the phone the nanny told me that her last rate of pay was $X. Her file (that Robin sent to me) said that too. So I told the nanny on the phone that I would offer $X+1. She seemed pleased. But when she came to interview all of a sudden that wasn't enough for her and she was going on about how she needed more. Well outside of that I liked her so I called her the next day to offer her the job at $X+2. She said no.
Okay, fair enough, I started looking again. $X+2 was at the top of my affordability range and it was pretty pricey. I asked Robin to keep looking for me but all she would say was, "I think nanny would accept your offer if you came up to $X+3 or $X+4.". She basically told me there was no one else (what kind of agency are they if they can't find ANYONE else for me to interview?) and kept pushing me to offer $X+4. Nanny called me and dithered about, implying that she would take the offer with more money. I got the feeling I was being screwed.
I took matters into my own hands and found my own nanny using an online search tool and she gladly took $X+1. A few days latter the original nanny called me and said that she'd be willing to fill in for me 'temporarily' if I needed someone. She was SHOCKED when I told her that I already had a replacement for her, and so was Robin. It seemed clear to me that they were trying to wear me down until I was depserate and would pay anything.
Did I mention that Robin's interest in this is that she charges more than a month's nanny salary as a finder's fee????? Now I can't believe that I signed up to pay such a hideous rate. For that fee, Robin screens references and does background checks. Big deal. I can call up references myself and I easily found websites to do full background checks for less than $40. I paid 3 different national online nanny databases at a cost of $30 to $60 each. This is way less than the thousands the finder's fee would have added up to.
This place is a complete ripoff and Robin is only interested in you if you can afford to pay top dollar for your nanny.
Hide
|
|
Oakland Zoo isn't a world class zoo by any means, but it is a fun outing for the family. There is enough of a variety of animlas that you won't get bored, and their new children's petting zoo is...
Oakland Zoo isn't a world class zoo by any means, but it is a fun outing for the family. There is enough of a variety of animlas that you won't get bored, and their new children's petting zoo is sure to delight the younger members of your family. All of the standard animals are here (elephant, lion, tiger, monkeys, snakes) as well as a good selection of more exotic ones.
The worst part about the zoo is the rides. You are almost forced to exit into the rides section and of course these are not covered by your admission ticket (even the zoo train). So you will end up shelling out extra for your kids to experience the rides.
If you plan on going more then 2 or 3 times in a year it makes sense to get an annual pass, especially since the pass includes free parking.
Hide
|
|
The Ardenwood Forge Blacksmith is open on certain days at Ardenwood Farm. While it is free with admission to Ardenwood, it is usually only open on high admission 'event' days at...
The Ardenwood Forge Blacksmith is open on certain days at Ardenwood Farm. While it is free with admission to Ardenwood, it is usually only open on high admission 'event' days at Ardenwood.
Essentially this is a working blacksmith forge representative of ones that operated 100-150 years ago. It still makes viable tools and you can even buy items (from kitchen implements to a horseshoe with your name on it) made there. Kids usually enjoy seeing the big fire and watching the blacksmith at work and there is a nice high counter to prevent them from running in there.
This is definitely worth a stop if you are already inside the Farm.
Hide
|
|
This is *the* place to go during October. The Perrys put all of their pumpkins into the field for kids to ohh, ah and climb over while picking one out. They also spend quite a bit of time building a...
This is *the* place to go during October. The Perrys put all of their pumpkins into the field for kids to ohh, ah and climb over while picking one out. They also spend quite a bit of time building a large hay pyramid and a toddler-sized hay maze, plus they have plenty of wagons and wheelbarrows to borrow for those cute photo ops. You can arrange a hay ride through the vegetable fields and pick up fresh veggies and table centerpieces on your way out. All of this and admission is free! If you have kids you need to stop by here sometime before Halloween to take part in the fun.
Hide
|