IDCC14 - Make the most of your time in San Francisco

IDCC14 is just around the corner – hopefully you have reserved your hotel, booked your flight, and registered for your favorite workshops. A couple of months ago, we blogged about some suggested activities for those of you visiting San Francisco for the first time. Now that the date is closer, we can provide a few more recommendations based on current exhibits and updated calendars – plus a few recommended bars for post-conference discussions. Happy planning!

California Academy of Sciences

The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. Features include a living roof, four-story rainforest, giant aquarium, and planetarium.

Exhibits and events:

• Earthquake! exhibit: covers the science of earthquakes, featuring information about the famous 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
• “Dark Universe” at the Planetarium. Explore two of today’s greatest cosmic mysteries– dark matter and dark energy.
• Nightlife at Cal Academy (Thurs 6-10 pm, 21+). Enjoy cocktails, live music, and full access to the Cal Academy after dark.
• Pritzker Lecture: “Wildlife Conservation: A Photographer's Life”, with Suzi Eszterhas, Professional Wildlife Photographer. $12 tickets (advanced purchase required). Wed 7 pm.

de Young Museum

This is San Francisco's oldest public museum, featuring American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international textiles and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa.

There are three exhibits of note during IDCC:

• Shaping Abstraction: works of 20th century american abstractionists
• The Bay Bridge: A Work in Progress, 1933-1936. photographs and drawings documenting bridge’s original construction
• Georgia O;Keefe and Lake George: O’Keeffe’s paintings from visits to Lake George in Upstate New York

Asian Art Museum

This museum has one of the most comprehensive collections of Asian art in the world. It is conveniently located near the Civic Center BART Station. During IDCC, the Asian Art Museum will be hosting an Exhibit called Yoga: The Art of Transformation. The exhibit features artwork from 2nd to 20th centuries, including sculpture and painting. Join a yoga class at the museum in honor of the exhibit: Yoga Pop-Up Project

Other Activities

• Open Rehearsal for Mahler’s 3rd Symphony. An affordable opportunity to enjoy classical music at the San Francisco Davies Symphony Hall. Thurs 10 am.
• Revoultion Cafe Chamber Jam: Local and visiting musicians meet in a unique Chamber Jam format, where musicians get a chance to perform in a casual environment and audiences get to hear chamber music in a relaxed setting. Mon 8-11 pm at Revolution Cafe
• Off the Grid Food Trucks. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a wonderfully innovative local street food culture that is growing extremely quickly through its combination of technology and mobile, sustainable, food. Upper Haight, Thurs 5-9 pm

Post-Conference Bars within walking distance

• Burritt Room - lounge with occasional live music. 417 Stockton St, Union Square
• The Hidden Vine - wine bar, 408 Merchant St, Financial District
• Per Diem Bar and Restaurant, 43 Sutter St, Financial District
• Buddha Lounge - dive bar, 901 Grant Ave, Chinatown
• Press Club wine bar, 20 Yerba Buena Ln, Financial District / Union Square
• Specs’ - dive bar, 12 William Saroyan Pl, Chinatown

See Yelp! for more recommendations