12 Bay Area adventures — big and small — for 2025

Shonda Scott, the Oakland founder of 12 New Things believes that trying something new every month invigorates the imagination, sparks new interests and just makes life more exciting. Who doesn’t love that? 

Whether it’s taking an art class or exploring a new-to-you museum, hitting a trail or diving into something new, here are 12 ideas to get you started.

Take a class at the Ruth Bancroft Garden

Recently named the most beautiful garden in the world by Trip Advisor , this 3½-acre botanical garden boasts succulents and drought-tolerant plants from all over the world. Signage is minimal — a set-up that designers hope inspires visitors’ curiosity. (Psst, there are self-guided tour booklets available.) An onsite retail nursery offers California native plants, agaves, aloes,  succulents and more.

And there are classes, including a Succulent Valentine’s Wreath-making workshop ($50-$65) on Feb. 8. Ruth Bancroft Garden staff will provide both the materials and expertise to help guide your creativity.

Details: The garden ($5-$12 admission) is open from 9 am to 4 pm Wednesday-Sunday at 1552 Bancroft Road in Walnut Creek; ruthbancroftgarden.org.

Hike San Francisco’s crosstown trails

San Francisco measures 7 by 7 miles, but by the law of hypotenuses (hypoteni?) it also has two diagonals. And folks who want to conquer something meaningful in 2025 might take on these diagonals – which given their meanderings, measure 17 and 15 miles a piece – known as the Crosstown Trail and Double Cross Trail.

The trails are the work of an army of parks volunteers who have plotted the best, most scenic courses through the city and maintain them to the best of their ability. The trails explore terrain that might be unfamiliar even to longtime city dwellers: hidden streams, lush greenways, mosaic-clad stairways, windy industrial zones. But which to choose?

The Double Cross Trail runs from Fort Funston in the southwest to Pier 23 in the northeast, taking you through busy downtown areas and iconic sights like Coit Tower and the Victorian houses of Alamo Square.

The Crosstown Trail stretches from scenic Lands End to Candlestick Point in the southeast and includes Golden Gate views and forested hills around Sutro Tower.

Do it backward or forward, in different sections on different days, or jog it all at once – however you experience it, you’ll wind up glad you did.

Details: Learn more at crosstowntrail.org.

Check out a new wave, old school drive-in

Look on the bright side: These dark, winter months provide more opportunities to enjoy a drive-in movie on the big screen without staying up too late.

One of the first drive-in theaters to install digital projectors, West Wind uses modern technology to create an old-school experience. Kids come early to run around the playground or check out the arcade. There’s a snack stand and free refills on buckets of popcorn. Shows begin as early as 5:30 p.m. this time of year, so you could even catch a double feature.

Be sure you have an FM radio to get the movie audio and don’t forget to turn your engine on every so often to keep your car battery from dying.

Details: Tickets $2.75-$11, with discounts on Tuesdays. 1611 Solano Way in Concord and 3630 Hillcap Ave. in San Jose; westwinddi.com.

Swim in the Bay

The San Francisco Bay. It’s all around us, but who can say they’ve truly experienced it?

The old thinking, which was what made people think Alcatraz inescapable , was that the waters are so cold, fast and shark-infested that swimming in the Bay risks life and (gnawed) limb. Nowadays, people know better, and some do it all the time, wetsuits or not – and we’re not talking just about the half-genetically polar-bear elite who tackle each year’s Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon .

Historic institutions, such as the South End Rowing Club and the Dolphin Swimming and Boating Club which date back to the 1870s, offer swimming excursions around San Francisco’s Aquatic Park, where temperatures range from from 50 to 65 degrees through the year. Grab a day pass ($10-$12) and get access to amenities like lockers and warm showers.

Details: Learn more at serc.com and dolphinclub.org.

Sing with Bobby McFerrin

The world may be feeling a bit bleak, but we’re pretty sure that doing Circlesongs with Bobby McFerrin will lift your heart. The Grammy-winning singer, whose “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” put him atop the music charts in 1988, leads communal singalongs and vocal jam sessions with his a cappella group every week at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage. And you can join the fun.

Expect accessible, joyous music-making — no special talent required. Just come and lift your voice.

Details: Circlesongs ($40) starts at noon on Mondays at Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St., Berkeley; https://thefreight.org/.

Visit an unexpected museum

From the oldest gas-powered automobile — the 1886 Benz Patent Motorwagon — to a 2017 Lamborghini Centenario, cars from every era are on display at Danville’s Blackhawk Museum. The collection includes more than 40, including rare and historically significant autos, like the 1936 Bugatti Type 57s Surbaisse.

The museum has four other exhibits too: The Spirit of the Old West, Into China, Art of Africa and World of Nature.

Details: Tickets $15-$20 (free for kids under 7). Open from 10 am to 5 pm Friday-Sunday at 3700 Blackhawk Plaza Circle in Danville; blackhawkmuseum.org.