The past three months have been hard. Life as we knew it stopped, including our food tours. But as we enter the summer months (and week 762 of shelter-in-place), we’re feeling the urge to get back out again. While we are not quite ready to start our public weekend tours again, we did want to share some ways that you can enjoy Oakland and the East Bay while social distancing. Many of these activities are family friendly. So grab the kiddos, get in the car (or not) and enjoy some fun together while keeping six feet apart from others.

Getting out into nature is probably one of the healthiest, and one of my most favorite, ways to spend time during the pandemic. I absolutely love being surrounded by trees and the breeze that is blowing in the amazingly fresher air that we can enjoy right now. My family and I have been going on hikes on some of the many local trails within the East Bay Regional Parks District. We especially love the fire trail at Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley as it’s wide enough to keep to the right when others pass by. I personally love the Lafayette Reservoir Rim Trail when it’s time for a little alone time and some much needed anti-COVID 15 exercise. You can find some great hikes in my friend Alexandra Kenin’s book Urban Trails East Bay: Oakland, Berkeley, Fremont, Richmond . (I even helped with her hike within Mountain View Cemetery – a path you’ll discover on our Oakland Sweets, Spirits and the Beyond Tour. )

Photo by Albert Dera on Unsplash

Despite what some viral photos may show of other beaches, you can practice social distancing in the East Bay while enjoying your toes in the sand. Just yesterday (a Tuesday BTW), I took our Foodie Kiddo to Robert W. Crown Memorial State Beach in Alameda. This is a great nearly 1.5 mile stretch of beach along the city’s southern shore. Especially during the week, it is pretty easy to find a spot that is far enough away from others without feeling like you’re on a deserted island. It’s perfect for little ones as there’s no rough waves and right now the depth is pretty shallow for most of the midday. Plus, the area is known for the little white practically translucent sand crabs that like to float along with the tide. Any kid with a bucket will have a blast … and you’ll enjoy an early bedtime. I promise!

Got a kid who loves trains? Got one who is also just learning how to ride a bicycle? Then find yourself a vacant parking lot along the Amtrak lines and set up a picnic. While I kind of don’t want to share our spot in fear that too many people will be there, you can find a number of empty lots along the railroad near Jack London Square during the weekends. We typically pick up some amazing potstickers and noodles from Good To Eat Dumplings and a couple of cans of beer from Original Pattern Brewing Company (both featured on our Oakland/Jack London Square Meets San Francisco Food Tour ) and set up shop in the back of our car while the kiddos rides around in circles. Plus, when those trains go by it’s really fun to stop and wave at another member of the human race.

In full honesty, I have not done this yet. But after driving across the Bay Bridge recently I was reminded of the very cool pedestrian lane that runs alongside the eastern span of the Bay Bridge. And now that my kid loves to bike, this could be a pretty awesome way of getting out without being around too many people. (Can I say again how much I am grateful that my kid is now riding his bike!) Again, definitely during the week when there’s not too many people and also when it’s not too foggy is probably the way to go – that Karl can get pretty chilly sometimes. I’ll definitely let you know how it goes.

Since I’m definitely enjoying the fact that our car now runs about three weeks to the gallon, I’d be remiss to not include an activity that’s very close to home. If you are so fortunate, get out your tent and enjoy a night under the stars in your backyard. This has been an amazing way to change it up a bit while not having to go anywhere. We made a pot of this amazing beef and vegetable chili that has become our camping go-to and toasted up some marshmallows we bought on our bi-weekly grocery runs to Diablo Foods. It’s a lot of fun and definitely gives you a new appreciation for the simpler life.

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