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“The Rock” is always a hit with older children, particularly boys, who relate immediately to the grim, quasi-military aspects of the place. The wildness of the island’s natural beauty, as well as the great ferry ride out and back, will also delight. Smaller kids might find the place a bit frightening.

Its days as “Berzerkly,” when student protesters and tear-gas clouds filled the streets in the 1960s, are only a fading memory now, although Telegraph Avenue still keeps some of the countercultural traditions alive. A great university, “Cal’s” faculty boasts some dozen Nobel Laureates, while beautiful parks, tree-lined streets, and unique shops typify this East Bay enclave. Berkeley continues to give more “power to the people” than any other US city, with a host of public services and aid to the disadvantaged that puts other communities to shame.

Sather Tower, Berkeley campus

Made famous in the 1960s for its various adult entertainments, the offerings haven’t changed much. Enrico’s, at No. 504, is a great place for dinner.

Although now largely tourist-oriented, there are still authentic sights to see, aromas to savor, and salt air to breathe among these piers.

This world-famous engineering masterpiece sets off the entrance to San Francisco Bay in the most spectacular way, and never fails to elicit gasps of awe from first-time visitors and old-timers alike.

San Francisco’s little troopers have endured technological progress, and are now the only system of the kind in the world that still plays a daily role in urban life.

The exotic feel of one of the world’s largest Chinese communities outside of Asia makes this a magnet for locals and visitors alike.