Oakland, California is mostly known for its businesses and corporations, but it is a wonderful tourist destination. There is always something to do or see in Oakland and it’s only about eight miles east of San Francisco so you can hop on over the Bay and experience all that San Francisco has to offer as well. With Airport Parking Connection’s city guide, you can explore the appealing attractions of Oakland and the Bay area.

Arriving at the OAK Airport

Oakland International Airport is a very busy airport, particularly since Oakland is home to several large corporations such as Kaiser Permanente and Dreyer’s. OAK is a superior facility, but OAK airport parking can be difficult. Airport Parking Connection makes Oakland Airport parking easy and worry-free.

• Taxi – You can take a taxi from your hotel or park in a lot near the airport and take a taxi directly to your terminal. If you choose to park near OAK, Airport Parking Connection offers discount airport parking prices, safe and secure lots, and quick and easy reservations.
• Hotel Shuttle – Many of the nearby hotels offer complimentary shuttles to and from OAK. Be sure to check your hotel to see if they offer a complimentary airport shuttle.
• Car Rental – You can always rent a car at or near the airport. While this can be beneficial if you plan on driving a lot, it can also be time-consuming and frustrating. Be sure to check various car rental companies to compare rates and distances from your terminal.
• Oakland Airport Parking – This may be your best option. With Airport Parking Connection, parking at the airport is easy and hassle-free. We offer discount airport parking rates, easy reservations, a hassle-free cancellation policy, and secure parking lots. We also provide complimentary shuttle services to and from your airport terminal.

Tourist Attractions in Oakland

There are a myriad of tourist attractions in and around Oakland. It is home to an appealing variety of historic buildings, museums, restaurants, and interesting sightseeing opportunities. To give you some travel ideas, a few popular Oakland attractions are listed below. 

• The Oakland Zoo - The Oakland Zoo is famous for its spectacular elephant exhibit, which allows the elephants to practically roam freely. While the zoo is fairly small for a city of Oakland’s size, the Zoo’s state of the art modern animal housing facilities keep the animals in relatively natural habitats drawing visitors from all over. The Zoo also offers many interactive exhibits and an assortment of children’s play areas.
• Jack London Square - Jack London Square is located on the beautiful waterfront of Oakland. You can walk around and enjoy various activities and sights including charming stores, delicious restaurants, historic hotels, modern structures, author Jack London’s re-located cabin, a movie theatre, and the Oakland ferry dock.
• Chabot Space and Science Center - The Chabot Space and Science Center is an interesting and entertaining place to visit. The Center features interactive science and technology exhibits, a digital planetarium, large telescopes, a large 70-foot dome screen theater, a planetarium, and plenty of fun, hands-on activities.
• Oakland Museum of California - The Oakland museum is dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of the wonderful state of California. The museum opened in 1969 and is comprised of various galleries, terraces, patios, sculpture gardens, and ponds.

Oakland Nightlife

In Oakland, you can dine at delicious gourmet restaurants and visit fun bars, lounges, and clubs. Being one of the most diverse cities in the United States, Oakland offers a variety of atmospheres, including trendy clubs, sport bars, jazz clubs, lounges, comedy clubs, dive bars, and more. For more information please visit Oakland.com 

Oakland Sports

• The Oakland A’s/AT&T Park - The Oakland Athletics, or more widely-recognized as the Oakland A’s, are Oakland’s MLB team. The A’s have been home to several power hitters over the years, such as Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, and hall-of-famers such as Reggie Jackson and Willie McCovey. Although some might think the A’s rivals are the San Francisco Giants, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim poise a bigger threat, being in the same league and offering northern vs. southern California animosity.
• The Oakland Raiders - As Oakland’s NFL team, and great rivals of the San Francisco 49ers, the Raiders have won several division titles and three Super Bowls. Granted, not all championships were won while in Oakland. The Raiders have moved from Oakland to other cities, such as Los Angeles, and back again.
• The Golden State Warriors - The Golden State Warriors, while housed in Oakland, actually represent the entire San Francisco Bay area. They are the area’s NBA team. An interesting fact about the Warriors is that they are the only NBA team that does not include the name of their state or their city in their name.

Oakland Weather

Oakland has been named one of the top cities in the United States for its lovely, temperate, year round climate. During the summer, a cooling fog rolls in, burning off by midday to provide a typical, sunny California, mild-temperature day. During the winter, because it isn’t as close to the ocean as San Francisco, Oakland stays a little warmer during the really chilly days. For more information on Oakland Weather Forecasts visit wunderground.com.

Traveling has become an increasingly hi-tech affair in the past few years. iPhone applications cover a range of travel-conscious programs, some useful some not. Here is a list of the best apps available for travelers looking to get some help planning and managing a good trip.

Money Matters

There are a lot of currency converter applications on the iTunes store.  Here are a couple of them that are simple to use and very handy when you find yourself on foreign soil and need to make some quick calculations.

MoMPF Currency Converter - $0.99
With many free currency converters, why is MoMPF worth the 99 cents? Well, for one thing when you’re abroad, international data roaming can be expensive. This currency converter lets you store downloaded exchange rates for later use on over 30 different kinds of currencies.

ACTCurrency - $0.99
This is a fairly simple currency converter that becomes extremely useful when you are out of the country. More than 190 kinds of world currencies are available on this app. You can also manually enter other exchange rates if you want.

Checking Flight Status

When traveling, flight schedules change constantly. Staying updated on your flight status can help you plan your time better and keep your stress levels down. Here are a few apps that you can help you along.

Flight Status - $4.99
Check the status of your flight and thousands of others throughout the world. Search by flight number, route number, or by airport. Flight Status provides you with estimated times of arrival, take-off and landing, as well as maps for en route U.S. flights, delay information, baggage claim information and flight cancellations.

Flight Update - $4.99
Flight Update has a few unique features. In addition to tracking flight schedules and estimated times of arrival, take-off and landing, this app can retrieve flight details about flights scheduled sever months in the future. It can also give you meal info and allow you to view a plane’s seating charts.

Finding Places

Getting around in a new city can be hard. When you’re looking for the nearest restaurant, bank, or some other point of interest, here are some iPhone apps that might come in handy.

Yelp – Free
Yelp makes it easy to find the nearest restaurant, pub, gas station, or any other businesses of interest, via the iPhone’s built-in location finder. Yelp has quick-links you can tap to find nearby bars, cafés, and more. As you search you can read online reviews before you decide which place to go to.

AroundMe - Free
This free application provides the same benefits as Yelp and other business locators, but it has one of the easiest-to-use interfaces around. Around Me arranges businesses into comprehensive categories. Just tap on one to get started. You can also make a list of your favorites. You can see a listing’s location on a map and the easiest route to it.

LocalEats - $0.99
This is a locator that is specifically for finding local eateries in various U.S. cities. It has over 5,000 restaurant listings that you can search easily via a variety of categories, “Best Of” lists, and alphabetical order. You can also view user photos, read reviews and leave comments, among other things.

Urbanspoon - Free
Urbanspoon has a strange, slot-style interface that can be fun to use. The three “slot reels” show the name of the restaurant, the type of cuisine, and the price tag. Simply shake your iPhone and Urbanspoon will come up with a good restaurant for you to try. You can keep shaking ‘til you find one that suits you. You can also try searching the normal way.

Communicating with the Locals

If you are new to country’s language, having a phrasebook handy is essential to getting around. These two iPhone apps make it possible for you to carry around multiple language phrasebooks without the actual clunky, bound books.

Lonely Planet Phrasebooks - $9.99 (each)
These are downloadable version of Lonely Planet’s phrasebooks. They come in audio form, are easy to use, and have phrases arranged by categories of communication, such as transport and accommodations. Definitely worth the price tag.

• Mandarin
• Spanish
• Thai
• Japanese

Coolgorilla Talking phrasebooks - $0.99 (each)
If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative to the Lonely Planet phrasebooks, try iDev Entertainment’s “Talking” phrasebooks. At 99 cents each, these phrasebooks might not be as comprehensive, but they cover the basics: hundreds of phrases arranged by categories, a search feature, and audio so that you know exactly how the words are pronounced.

• French
• Spanish
• Italian
• Japanese

Finding Things to Do

If you’re away from home, it can take a while to figure out where things are happening. If you find yourself abroad and at a loss for something fun to do, these apps might be able to help.

Eventful – Free
Published by Eventful, Inc, this app lets you find information local events and concert venues. You can also get tour dates, share events with your friends, and petition for your favorite bands to come play at your town.

Near + Now – Free
This app lets you find the nearest clubs, bars and other places where you can grab a drink/be entertained. Read critic and user reviews, find out when happy hour is at a particular place and connect with Facebook. The more you use the app, the better it gets at making personalized suggestions for you.