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Livermore

Livermore is a suburban city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Like its neighbor Pleasanton, it lies in the Tri-Valley region; however, Livermore is closer to the Altamont Pass, which separates the Tri-Valley from the vast San Joaquin Valley.

See
4
Do
7
Eat
7
Drink
8
Buy
1

27 places

  1. Eat

    Backyard Bayou

    At the Vineyard

    This is probably the only Cajun-style restaurant in the Tri-Valley. There is a music program that includes some Dixieland music along with other genres. There is one other Backyard Bayou restaurant in Union City.

  2. Do

    Bankhead Theater

    It is the main theater in the area, being much larger than the Firehouse Theater in Pleasanton. It was built several years ago, along with a parking structure near downtown.

  3. Do

    Bothwell Arts Center and Recreation Area

    A smaller arts center in Livermore where events are organized. There is also a park near the arts center.

  4. Do

    Brushy Peak Regional Preserve

    Nature reserve with quintessential East Bay landscapes and animals like ground squirrels, lizards, birds, and even rare San Joaquin kit foxes. There are numerous trails into the hills in the park, although you will need special permission to get to the top of Brushy Peak. The West Side Loop Trail is a 2-mile (3-km) loop trail. The eastern side of the loop trail runs through a flat valley (part of Brushy Creek). The trail then turns west, steadily climbing a hill, before it turns south and nears the top of the 1,100 foot (340 m) peak. At this point, it begins to come back down the hill and returns to the staging area. The Brushy Peak Loop Trail is a 4.4-mile (7.1-km) loop that starts at the Laughlin Staging Area. The trail follows an old ranch road past several small ponds. The trail turns here, climbing the side of a hill which is covered in eucalyptus trees. The trail continues to rise, becoming a single track trail. It continues to climb through a region of scattered rocks. While reaching an elevation of 1,340 feet (410 m) over a distance of 2 miles (3.2 km), small oak trees are seen. The narrow trail then goes through a pass and winds down the west side of Brushy Peak. At this point, the trail turns south, winding along Brushy Creek until it reaches the West Side Trail. A collection of shorter trails dominate the southeast section of the park. These trails generally go around hills, reaching elevations of 700 feet (210 m) to 1,000 feet (300 m) over grasslands. Windmills can be seen from these trails. The southernmost trail in this region of the park, the Dyer Ranch Trail, connects with Laughlin Road near Springtown.

  5. See

    Centennial Light

    The Centennial Light, the world's longest-lasting light bulb, used to be a 30-watt or 60-watt bulb but now is very dim, emitting about the same light as a 4-watt nightlight. The hand-blown, carbon-filament common light bulb was manufactured in Shelby, Ohio, by the Shelby Electric Company in the late 1890s; many just like it still exist and can be found functioning. The bulb's long life has been attributed to its low power, nearly continuous operation, and dedicated power supply.

  6. Eat

    Donut Wheel

    On the corner of First and L Streets, this Livermore staple marks the west entrance to the main downtown area.

    24-hours

  7. See

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

    Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is an American federal research facility, founded by the University of California, Berkeley in 1952. LLNL (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) conducts research into the properties and behavior of plutonium to learn how plutonium performs as it ages and how it behaves under high pressure. A Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC), it is primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and managed and operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS). In 2012, the laboratory had the synthetic chemical element livermorium named after it. Access to Livermore Laboratory is limited. Most of the visitors are school students on field trips, who go to the Discovery Center.

  8. Do

    Livermore Trail Network

    Several miles of biking/hiking trails surround the city of Livermore. These go through vineyards and follow ranch lands, as well as following local creeks. The trail network is accessible from the Sycamore Grove Park staging area on Wetmore Road, along with a staging area near Hansen Road at Holdener Park. Two main trails have been created that go around the city of Livermore. The South Livermore Valley Trail extends from Wetmore Road near Sycamore Grove Park, along Wente Street and Concannon Boulevard, ending on Tesla Road at Mines Road. The Arroyo Mocho Trail, which combines City of Livermore and LARPD trail segments, runs from Concannon Boulevard west toward Isabel Avenue.

  9. See

    Los Vaqueros Reservoir

    Los Vaqueros Reservoir is an expanded reservoir to the north of Livermore. There are hike-able grounds around the lake, although these are sometimes closed for the bald eagles that occasionally settle in the area. The Los Vaqueros watershed comprises 19,300 acres (78 km²) of open space surrounding the 1,500-acre (6.1-km²) reservoir. Water is pumped into the reservoir from a Delta intake on Old River in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta when salinity is low, and used for drinking water when salinity in the Delta is too high. The Watershed also serves as a weather data collection site for Mallory Ridge weather station located at the top of the ridge above the Marina. The station has a remote access water station (RAWS), which is maintained by the Los Vaqueros Watershed Staff and linked to the National Fire Weather System. Other benefits of the reservoir include water storage for drought or emergencies, a protected open space, and recreation. There are 55 miles (89 km) of hiking trails in the watershed. The watershed is open for fishing, hiking and other activities year-round. Electric rental boats are available, but no outside boats can be launched on the lake. No swimming is allowed in the reservoir.

  10. See

    Ravenswood House

    A historic house now open to the public on certain occasions and run by the Livermore Parks District.

    Second and fourth Sun of each month: noon- 4PM

  11. Drink

    Retzlaff Vineyards

    Vineyards and wines available; live music program runs year-round.

  12. Eat

    Strizzi's

    The other Strizzi's Italian restaurants are in Pleasanton and Fremont.

  13. Do

    Sycamore Grove Park

    Sycamore Grove Park, which connects to Del Valle Regional Park, has several miles of trails through an olive orchard, sycamore groves, a collection of abandoned wineries, and several trails in the hills near Livermore. There are two staging areas for Sycamore Grove Park: one is the Veterans Staging area, which goes through Veterans Memorial Park to connect to Sycamore Grove, and the other is along Wetmore Road.

  14. Drink

    Wente Vineyards

    There is a golf course, restaurant, and winery along Arroyo Road. Wente has a more industrialized location along Tesla Road as well.

  15. Eat

    Wingen Bakery

    Popular bakery and café with sourdough bagels, loose-leaf tea, fresh bread, pastries, sandwiches, and meals. The bakery started as a literal mom-and-pop shop, a cottage bakery run by a couple who sold sourdough bread they baked at home while taking care of their ailing daughter. The bread was so popular, they expanded to a farmers market stall and then a brick-and-mortar restaurant a year later.

    Wed–Mon 8AM-4PM

  16. Do Not mapped

    Arroyo del Valle Trail

    A couple of miles of paved trail through Sycamore Grove Park. It is accessible from either of the two main staging areas.

  17. Do Not mapped

    Livermore Valley Opera

    Stages fall and spring productions of famous operas each year.

  18. Eat

    Ben's Burgers

    777 Rincon Ave

    10AM-9PM

  19. Drink

    Bent Creek Winery

    5455 Greenville Road

  20. Eat

    Casa Orozco

    325 South L Street

  21. Drink

    Concannon Vineyard

    Large winery/vineyards in Tesla Road Wine Country.

  22. Drink

    McGrail Vineyards

    5600 Greenville Road

  23. Drink

    Mitchell Katz Winery

    2481 Buena Vista Avenue

  24. Drink

    Murrieta's Well

    3005 Mines Rd

  25. Drink

    Panama Bay Coffee Co.

    2115 First St

  26. Buy

    San Francisco Premium Outlets

    2774 Livermore Outlets Dr.

    Daily 10AM-9PM

  27. Eat

    Zephyr Grill and Bar

    1736 First St