Hotel at a Glance: La Quinta Inn & Suites Dublin - Pleasanton

Located in the center of the Tri-Valley area and neighboring Bay area, Dublin's La Quinta Inn & Suites serves as a home base for travelers as they explore the scenic beauty and cultural marvels the Tri-Valley and it's three cities have to offer.

• A different kind of trail: If hiking and biking isn't your thing, the Tri Valley is home to nearly 60 wineries and 23 craft breweries, each with their own trail map so guests can taste the best the area has to offer.
• The great outdoors: La Quinta Inn & Suites Dublin - Pleasanton is surrounded by the natural wonder of Wine Country, with regional parks including Del Valle or Dublin Hills, as well as plenty of breathtaking golf courses.
• Get your credit card ready: Treat yourself to some retail therapy with plenty of shopping centers and outlets, as well as dozens of boutique stores in the local downtowns.
• Day trip: For a scenic day trip, hop on Loop 580 and be in San Francisco or Oakland within 30 minutes.

Oakland, California: Hip Coastal City Surrounded by Redwoods

Compared to other destinations in the Bay Area, Oakland is underrated and overlooked. Prices are cheaper than in neighboring San Francisco, and the dining and nightlife scenes are getting hipper all the time. There are also a number of attractions that are appealingly offbeat, from a fortune-cookie factory offering tours for just $2 to a whimsical collection of storybook tableaux at the Children’s Fairyland theme park. For more traditional cultural offerings, see what’s playing at the art-deco Paramount Theatre, a National Historic Landmark that hosts movie screenings and ballet performances.

Similarly, your options for outdoor recreation run the gamut from the kooky to the conventional. Take a gondola ride on Lake Merritt, go on a quest for cool street art, or visit Jack London Square, named after the Bay Area native who wrote The Call of the Wild. Here you can go kayaking on or bicycling alongside Oakland Inner Harbor. Just west of the city, nearly 40 miles of hiking trails in Redwood Regional Park will bring you close to trees standing up to 150 feet tall. Keep your eyes peeled for rare golden eagles, too.