by Emily Chow, Sunset editorial intern

The New Children's Museum in San Diego
Photo credit: Matthew Jaffe

Looking for something to do Labor Day weekend? If you are a Bank of America cardholder, check out their Museum on Us program, which offers free general admission into more than 100 participating museums nationwide on the first full weekend of every month.

• Portland:  Check out the Portland Art Musuem's "Virtual Worlds" exhibit highlighting M.C. Escher's spatial illusions.
• San Francisco: Stroll around Yerba Buena Gardens and stop by San Francisco's Contemporary Jewish Museum.
• San Diego: Visit The New Children's Museum in San Diego, where the entire family can engage and create art in three floors of interactive galleries.

Where will I be this weekend? If it's not too crowded, you'll find me at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, learning about innovative technology solutions in their permanent exhibit that is opening tomorrow, "Technology Benefiting Humanity."

Flash that piece of plastic at the ticket office for some free fun during the upcoming long weekend. It can't get any better than that.

Check out their Web site to locate participating museums near you.

by Harriot Manley, Sunset contributor

Oakland, California’s Fentons Creamery and Restaurant, celebrating 115 years of making ice cream this month, might just be the oldest movie star since Old Rose got teary-eyed in Titanic. The venerable ice cream parlor has a small but significant role in Disney/Pixar’s Up. Apparently, folks at the Emeryville animation studio celebrate completed deadlines by heading up the road to the Oakland classic, and they honored it in the film.

All through July, National Ice Cream Month, bring a same-day Up ticket stub into the Oakland or Vacaville locations and get a free scoop of ice cream. Also check fentonscreamery.com for news for big birthday celebrations at all locations, slated for July 18.

4226 Piedmont Ave., Oakland, (510) 658-7000
At the Nut Tree, 1669 East Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville, (707) 469-7200

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior editor

This weekend, June 20–21, is the first of three admission-free weekends planned for this summer at all the national parks. (Mark your calendars, the others are July 18–19 and August 15–16.) Some of the biggies aren't cheap, so clear your calendar and hop in the car.

Here's me enjoying Zion with the kids earlier this year. Price of admission that day: $25.

By Trina Enriquez, Sunset copy editor

The Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle is hosting its last $5 Fridays event of the '08–'09 season this Friday, May 22, from 6 to 7 p.m. A dance preview orchestrated by PNB artistic director Peter Boal and put on in one of the Phelps Center's practice studios, the series features excerpts from the current program, except that dancers perform in practice gear and Boal precedes and follows up each excerpt with comments, then a Q&A. Very intimate, pretty informal, and über-cool for anyone who’s interested in the ballet but maybe a little intimidated by their lack of experience with or technical knowledge of it.

Artistic director Peter Boal and young audience members watch
PNB principal dancers Louise Nadeau and Jeffrey Stanton
at the PNB's $5 Friday Swan Lake studio rehearsal.
© Angela Sterling; photo courtesy of the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

This particular Friday's event is Director's Choice, featuring parts of Dances at a Gathering (with music by Chopin and choreography by Jerome Robbins) and After the Rain (a pas de deux choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon and set to Arvo Pärt's music). It’s a fun way to gain some insight on what goes into creating the slick, tricked-out performances onstage.

Order tix online or by phone (206/441-2424) to secure a spot in the general seating; otherwise you may nab tickets at the box office (301 Mercer St., Seattle). If you miss this $5 Friday, tune in later to the PNB's $5 Friday info page for more on the '09–'10 season.

Make a night (or a weekend) of it

Head for La Dolce Vita, about a mile away from the Phelps Center, after the show ends at 7 p.m. The cozy restaurant opens at 5 p.m., which would make it a tight squeeze for a pre-show bite, but it takes reservations until 10:30. One glance at the dinner menu will have your mouth watering: salsiccia e vongole (housemade sausage and fresh Manila clams in a tomato–white wine sauce) and tagliatelle alla Dolce Vita (fresh pasta with English peas, locally foraged spring mushrooms, pine nuts, and blue cheese), for starters. 

Photo courtesy of La Dolce Vita Ristorante Italiano.

For sleeps, look no further than the Alexis Hotel, featured in Sunset's March '09 issue. Sure, it's a little pricier than what you just spent at the ballet—but it is, as we billed it, "a downtown getaway that lets you curl up with a good book and get out exploring the city." Retrace the story and savor a weekend of culture and learning and eats and words.

Order the mushroom frittata or hot Dungeness crab on brioche
for brunch at the Alexis Hotel's Library Bistro & Bookstore Bar, and have books
within arm's reach while you wait. Photo by John Clark.

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior editor

There are some places too swank or too proud—or both—to discount their rooms, even when tourism is tanking. But what many of the swisher spots are doing is throwing in an extra night if you book three.

This is a trend we get behind fully. After all, “two nights” is really just a fancy way of saying “one day.” Four nights, though, gives you the time to really release your life, your job, your weedy garden—whatever—and isn’t that the point?

Two four-night specials are at the top of our wish list:

The Sequoia High Sierra Camp, in pristine high country that would normally require  a 12-mile hike with a 50-pound pack, is a civilized escape a mile’s walk from your car. A tasteful bungalow, three meals a day prepared by a chef, daily maid service. Ah, yes. At $300 per person, it ain’t cheap, but this summer they’re throwing in a fourth night when you book three. Talk about getting away from your worries...

Book by May 15. Season: Mid-June to Mid- September, weather permitting. Includes three meals a day.

Even Los Cabos’ Las Ventanas, the ultimate seaside luxury resort, is getting in on the 4-nights-for-3 game. If you’ve ever been tempted to splurge on this dreamy (I’ve been, and there’s really no other word) place, this could be as attainable as it's going to get.

Arrive Sun–Tues and get a fourth night free. Rates are from the $500s. Good through Dec 18, 2009.

More: Our top 20 romantic getaways

By Amy Anderson, Sunset editorial intern

Hotels are making it easy to travel and take in the West's celebrations on April 22, Earth Day, without going overboard on the budget. Check out these lodging deals, local festivals, and eco-friendly tips for Earth Week.

Photo courtesy of visitlakequinault.com

Lake Quinault Lodge: Stay in Washington's Olympic National Forest for $109 on Friday, April 24, then spend Saturday from 9 am- 4 pm volunteering to preserve the Quinault Rainforest.

• Procession of the Species: April 25, Olympia
• King County Earth Day Expo: April 22, Seattle
• Earth Day with Citizens for a Healthy Bay: April 25, Tacoma

Kimpton Hotels: Help cut back on carbon emissions by taking your vacation by train. Then show your ticket at a Kimpton hotel (try the San Francisco, Portland, or Seattle spots), and receive 20 percent off your stay.

• Berkeley Earth Day: April 25, Berkeley 
• Cal Parks Earth Day Restoration: April 25, California
• Oregon Zoo "Party for the Planet": April 26, Portland

Photo courtesy of whotels.com

W Hotel Scottsdale: Until May 22, your stay at the W will get you a donation of 100 Trees for the Future on your behalf through Trees for the Future’s Plant-a-Tree program, in-room breakfast for two, and two spring cocktails starting at $229.

• Earth Day Phoenix: April 22, Phoenix
• Arizona Earth Day: April 25, Phoenix
• Scottsdale Community College Earth Week: April 20-24, Scottsdale

Hotel Terra Jackson Hole: From May 7 to September 30, you can book the Eco Adventures package in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and get a biologist-led wildlife tour, Flip Ultra video camera and a daily breakfast starting at $174 per night, per person.

• Earth Day in Laramie: April 22, Laramie
• Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance Earth Week: April 21-25, Jackson Hole

And finally...

• If you're still feeling guilty about all the greenhouse gas that's emitted from traveling, Carbonfund.org can help your conscience. Just use the calculator to find out how much CO₂ came from your trip--by car, train, bus, or air--then donate the amount of money that will offset.

• Find more ways to green your home and lifestyle with Sunset's Real-world Earth Day tips.

Take time this week to think of other ways you can lower your environmental impact!

by Sophie Egan, Sunset editorial intern

High season in the Northwest officially begins May 1, with prices for everything bumping up to summer rates. If you have a night or two free in the next week and a half, jump on the good weather and good prices for a spring stay in an urban bed and breakfast. We like the looks of these three deals:

$124, The Chambered Nautilus, Seattle

The University of Washington campus, which really wows in spring, is five blocks away, and you’ll find cheap eats on lively University Avenue, an eight-minute walk.

$109, The Corkscrew Inn, Vancouver

Away from the downtown hubbub, the inn is an easy stroll from several public beaches with jaw-dropping views. Stay before May and duck the usual three-night minimum requirement.

$149, Mangy Moose Bed and Breakfast, Anchorage

Ideally located for wildlife sightings: Moose meander through the neighborhood almost every day, and hiking trails at Chugach State Park are a 10- to 15-minute walk. Before May 1, you can affordably swoop on a jacuzzi room or suite. 

By Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior editor

Our favorite way to celebrate these sparkling sunny-and-70s days we've been getting? Find an outdoor seat with a million-dollar view that can be had for the price of a drink. Then park yourself there for a good slice of a sun-soaked afternoon. Three favorites we hope to hit this week:

Auberge du Soleil Bar

Nab a seat on the wraparound deck at the bar for the same above-the-vineyards view of Napa Valley the folks at the restaurant pay big bucks for.

180 Rutherford Hill Rd.
Rutherford, CA
707/963-1211

Sam’s Chowder House

A cheery white or blue Adirondack above the lapping waves at Pillar Point Harbor is a great place to watch the light go golden and the sailboats rock back and forth.

4210 Cabrillo Hwy N
Half Moon Bay, CA
650/712-0245

Farley Bar

Kick back in a rocking chair on a long covered porch at Fort Baker’s swank Cavallo Point resort. Take in the expanse of grass that was once a military parade ground and, beyond that, the tippy top of the Golden Gate Bridge peeking out above the Marin Headlands. When night falls, circle around the cozy firepit.

601 Murray Circle
Sausalito, CA
415/339-4700

Whale watching on Whidbey Island

That’s right, the Eastern Pacific gray whale is en route from Baja to the
Arctic by way of Puget Sound—and the cozy-luxe Inn at Langley is giving them
(and you) a rather warm welcome.

Photo by Lara Ferroni

Starting this weekend, $265 buys front-row suites to the Saratoga Passage, a popular whale feeding ground, plus breakfast and a three-hour (a three-hour tour...) for two aboard the 100’ Mystic Sea (valued at $120), where whale sightings are almost guaranteed. If you don’t see any of these massive sea creatures, though, hearing their faint calls off the balcony as you sink into bed is second best.

by Lisa Trottier, Sunset senior editor

Talk about a mood lifter. Next time you have a stressful day, point your car away from whatever is bugging you and toward the InterContinental San Francisco, a shiny tower of a thing that opened a year ago a block from the Westfield Shopping Centre. Well, it’s their anniversary, and apparently that’s put them in a buoyant mood.

First, they’ll valet park your car for free (that saves you $50 right off the bat). Then they’ll give you a room for two for $178 (the higher up the better--the views from this hotel can be phenomenal). They’ll send you off for two free cocktails at the bar (try one of the sake concoctions), hand you $50 in funny money to spend at the spa, and hook you up with a breakfast buffet before you go.

$178--this from a hotel that a few months ago was listing its starting rate in the mid-400s.

Two tips on dinner if you decide to bypass the hotel’s own elegant Luce and venture out. If you’re feeling like you just saved a mint and you’re ready to blow it, walk two blocks east to the St. Regis at 125 Third St. for an elegant dinner at Ame. If, on the other hand, you just spent your last $178, walk three blocks north to Little Delhi at 83 Eddy. The ambience won’t measure up to the Intercontinental--not even close. But you’ll have some of the best Indian food in the city without a mood-busting check.

The Intercontinental:
415/616-6500
888 Howard St., San Francisco