I wish there was a Chick-fil-A closer to where I live. It's such a great place to sit and work (free Wi-fi), meet up with friends, or take our son for a cheap family outing. He loves the playplace there! The food, first of all, is the best "fast food" you'll find. The service is impeccable. Not only are the people happy to serve you, it consistently feels like they are always genuinely glad that you're there. I've had servers come clean our table and bring a special treat for my son, just because! The atmosphere, the food... ahh, you gotta try it!

This is an enormous, gorgeous, spacious park. Great for picnics (LOTS of grass to sprawl out on, large enough for playing frisbee or kicking a soccer ball around without fear of getting into someone else's space!). Lots of tall, shady trees makes for nice, cool picnicking year-round. There's a large playground with an area for smaller kids and one for bigger kids, as well as a walking track around the grassy field. Make that 2 walking tracks -- the inner one is 3/4 of a mile (gives you an idea of how large this park is!) and the outer one is 1 mile long. The only downside is, if you are not a resident of the city, it costs a few $$ to enter the park, but only on weekends. Weekdays are free for all. I've been there on pretty busy (week)days, and even then, there's so much room you don't feel crowded out. A favorite spot for my toddler and I, and usually a playdate.

A friend introduced me to this hidden treasure 10 years ago, and I fell in love with it immediately. It has not lost any of its charm since then. The gardens are nothing short of breathtaking. It is an incredibly spacious property; chances are, even if you've been there before you're likely to stumble across something new each time. The children's garden is great. Lots of water spots to splash around in, a tunnel/fort to play in, among other natural "play structures." If you have the time, make a reservation for a tea time too. It's pricey but lots of fun. If I had a daughter I'd love to take her for a formal tea time there!

This isn't the biggest zoo around (check out SF Zoo for other Bay Area options), but it is nicely tucked away in the Oakland hills with plenty of space to feel like you're farther "away from it all" than you actually are. There's a good variety of animals at this zoo, as well as play areas for the kids and of course, a train ride and other attractions for good measure. It's one of my son's favorite places to visit when we're in the area (he's 2 years old) and one of my favorite places in memory from growing up in that area.

Our family has annual passes to Disneyland, which includes admission to California Adventures (DCA). We generally like to go to DCA when Disneyland is too crowded. There are probably 3 things we always like to do at DCA (as opposed to a dozen or so at Dland). The atmosphere is fun, there are a few different activities for our 2-year-old son (he loves the splash pads when it's hot!), but there's just not as much to do as across the way at Dland. There is a lot of construction going on right now and I know they are expanding and developing some new, amazing-sounding lands. So stay tuned...