Attractions in Oakland

City of Oakland Walking Tours, (510) 238-3234. 90-minute tours of downtown Oakland (including Chinatown) offered Wednesdays & Saturdays, May through October. Reservations are recommended but not required. The access is free.

African American Museum & Library at Oakland, (at 14th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way). Check the AAMLO web site for information on special exhibits, programs and events, such as an African American walking tour of downtown Oakland.

Jack London Square, (west end of Broadway). Open 24 hours. Oakland's principal tourist destination, Jack London Square has seen serious renovation over the years. Named after writer Jack London, the city's favorite son, the area was the original wharf district of Oakland and retains some of its maritime feel. The main attractions today are shopping and restaurants, though, and you may find yourself wondering how exactly JLS differs from a large waterfront mall.

Oakland Museum of California, 1000 Oak Street (at 10th; Lake Merritt BART station), (510) 238-2200. W-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 12PM-5PM. A startlingly good museum dedicated to the art, history, and culture of California. The building itself is an admirable piece of architecture, and the exhibits are almost uniformly excellent and engaging. Well worth a visit. $8 ($5 for seniors and students; free second Su each month).

Joaquin Miller Park, Joaquin Miller Road (entrance about 1 mile from highway 13), (510) 238-3481. A beautiful park in the Oakland hills, made up in part of "The Hights", the old estate of California poet Joaquin Miller. The park has some of the few remaining old-growth redwood groves in the East Bay. Lots of hiking and bike-riding opportunities. Free.

USS Potomac, Water Street (adjacent to Jack London Square), (510) 627-1215. Originally built as a Coast Guard Cutter, the Potomac was remodeled as Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidential yacht in 1936 and served in that role until his death in 1945. In 1941, a fishing trip on the Potomac served as a cover story for Roosevelt's secret meeting with Churchill in Newfoundland waters; this meeting led to the allied partnership during World War II and eventually to the formation of the United Nations. The ship is available for dockside tours We 10:30am-3:30pm, F&Su noon-3:30pm. Historic cruises on the bay are available Apr-Oct Th&Sa; these must be booked by calling (866) 468-3399.