The quaint and tiny East Bay town of Albany (centered around the main thoroughfare Solano Avenue) is jam-packed with fun things to do for a mini getaway.
Greet the dawn with a hike through Albany Bulb (1 Buchanan St). Dogs can roam off-leash through the park (including a sandy beach with views of the Golden Gate Bridge), which is covered in colorful street art and giant Burning Man–style sculptures.
After the hike, enjoy a hearty breakfast at Sam’s Log Cabin (945 San Pablo Ave), an original mail-order home from a 1930s Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog. The brunch line might be long, but there’s a cute backyard where you can sip coffee before you dig into homemade scones, pancakes and fried chicken.
Shop an aromatic selection of hand-ground and -blended spices at Oaktown Spice Shop (1224 Solano Ave), the new outpost of the beloved Oakland store.
On Sunday afternoons, Bay Area residents flock to the horse-racing track, Golden Gate Fields (1100 Eastshore Hwy, Berkeley), for Dollar Day Sundays; everything from parking and admission to hot dogs and pints of beer costs only one dollar each.
Solano Avenue newcomer Juanita & Maude (825 San Pablo Ave) was named after chef Scott Eastman's mother and grandmother. The menu is diverse, offering everything from a hamachi crudo starter and chicken paprikash main dish to a chocolate tart for dessert and creative, unfussy cocktails to wash it all down. The menu also changes every three weeks, so there's alway something new to try.
After dinner, nearby Albany Taproom (745 San Pablo Ave) draws beer nerds and newbies with a draft list that boasts more than 30 beers.
For something boozier than beer, head to Ivy Room (860 San Pablo Ave), where the tipples are as heavy as the punk and metal bands that take the stage.