My husband and I love to go to Bay Street Emeryville to watch a movie there after dinner. We like going to Zao, Pasta Pomodoro, California Pizza Kitchen, Elephant Bar and PF Changs. There are lots of shops there aswell. We also go to the Barnes and Noble, Apple Store, Gap, Gymboree, Godiva Chocolates and Cold Stone Creamery. It's a nice little mall area for the whole family to enjoy. There is a parking garage. You can stroll your kids around. It's very open and a fun place for the family to go.

This is one of the best places to get ice cream in Oakland. You have to go to this place and check it out. Sometimes the line is out the door but it's so good you won't mind waiting. They have so many flavors of Ice Cream and their portions are huge. Trust me when you need to think about what you are ordering because you may not be able to finish it. I can't even imagine ordering a banana split and sharing it with my husband. We would still have alot left over. This is a great place to go for lunch aswell. They have a good menu selection. You can have parties there aswell, they have an area in the back for that. But since it is crowded, strollers might be a problem. You would have to fold them up.

We took the Staten Island Ferry to meet up with my friend on Staten Island. It was a free ride and you get to see the Statue of Liberty. The ride was ok, the weather was nice. When you get to the other side, there aren't that many places to go to get a bite to eat. We bought snacks at the deli and the pizzeria across the street and took the ferry back to the city. Not bad for a free ride. I still don't understand why they don't charge people like other ferries here in California. It is a nice ride for the kids if they like going on boats. There is plenty of room for strollers. The terminal has clean bathrooms with changing tables.

I found out about this park through another mom. It is a great park, they have 2 areas for the kids. One for toddlers and the other for older kids. They also have tennis courts, basketball courts and a baseball field. They have several picnic tables and bbq grills. I have taken my daughter to this park several times. She loves the swing and the slides. The only thing about this park that I don't like is the fact that the bathrooms don't have a changing table or a handicapped bathroom. You have to change your child's diaper on the bench near the playground unless they are potty trained already.

The Santa Monica Pier is a great place to take the family. You have the beach to enjoy on a warm sunny day. You also have rides and games for the kids to play with. They also have good food and snacks. I like their funnel cake. We usually walk along the pier and enjoy the day watching people and other families there. The kids will love this place. They have vendors that draw you or sculpt your head out of clay. We saw this guy doing it and he was very good. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes. We wanted to get one but we didn't want to wait. We will try to do it the next time we go there. They have plenty of room for strollers.