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While the campus is relatively desolate from June to August, the last thing you want is to feel like you’re “stuck” in Berkeley for the summer. This special summer issue is designed to help you find ways to maximize the remaining 70 days of summer in Berkeley.

You don’t need to leave Berkeley to find your escape: you can travel the world without leaving the dinner table and discover the hidden treasures that the Bay Area has to offer.

Whether it’s your first summer in Berkeley or your last, here’s to making it great.

The Daily Cal Summer Arts Calendar

Check out the Daily Cal summer arts calendar, the go-to place to check out all the arts events in the Bay Area over the summer.

Low-key destinations to check out in the Bay Area

Summers at Cal present the perfect time to explore the Bay Area, but finding cool sites to visit that aren’t crowded with tourists can be a challenge.

Taste the world in Berkeley

With restaurants serving cuisines from around the world in Berkeley, this summer is your time to go on a culinary adventure.

Summer dog days: a photo essay

Over the summer, the Berkeley campus, especially Memorial Glade, has become a favorite spot for pets and pet owners alike.

Summer perspectives: a photo essay

Even if you are working full-time or taking summer classes, summer in Berkeley is an experience unlike any other season.

The beauty of a Berkeley summer

With some planning and open eyes, summer in Berkeley can be a fulfilling experience.

Summer survival guide

Sports editor Riley McAtee offers some advice on survival a rather dull summer of sports.

Status update: your summer relationship

Summer is finally here, and that means more time to spend with the person who makes you feel amazing.

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June 29 to 30: San Francisco LGBT Pride Celebration and Parade
SF Pride has beginnings that date back to 1972, with a few name changes over the years, and is the largest gathering of LGBT people and allies in the nation. Celebrating its 42nd anniversary with the theme “Embrace, Encourage, Empower,” the two-day celebration will take place at Civic Center Plaza in downtown San Francisco. The Pride Parade is open to all ages with a donation entrance fee of $5; proceeds support over 40 local nonprofit organizations. SF Pride’s mission is “to educate the World, celebrate our culture, commemorate our heritage, and liberate our people.”

Aug. 24 to 25: First City Festival
First City Festival is a reincarnation, so to speak, of the Monterey Pop Festival, a three-day concert held June 1967, which featured artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Janis Joplin. At this year’s inaugural festival, First City is set to feature a taut lineup of artists, including headliners Passion Pit, Modest Mouse, Neko Case, MGMT, Toro y Moi and Beach House. Other standout acts are Devendra Banhart, Purity Ring, Tennis and Generationals. The festival’s location at the Monterey County fairgrounds also provides a carnival atmosphere, with rides and games to accompany the music.

First Fridays: Oakland Art Murmur
As it has been since 2006, First Friday of the Oakland Art Murmur takes place the first Friday of every month. If you haven’t had the chance to venture into the neighboring city on a first Friday during the school year — what with all the frat parties, co-op functions, excess study sessions and what have you — summer provides a good chance to do so. First Friday is an eight-block festival with live music and food trucks as well as 25 art vendors that open to the local East Bay community. First Friday’s hours are 5 to 9 p.m.

Sundays on Telegraph
Stay close to home, and get your street fair fix right here in Berkeley. Telegraph Avenue closes for three blocks between Dwight Way and Durant Avenue every Sunday in the summer for the weekly street fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., displaying all that Berkeley locals have to offer, including street vendors, food and live music. Vendors sell jewelry and other handmade wares while jazz, blues, Hawaiian and even Indonesian musicians are invited to perform. While the campus is relatively barren during the summer months, Sunday street fairs on Telegraph bring some life back to Berkeley.

Summer Concerts at the Greek Theatre
Built in 1903, the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, better known simply as the Greek Theatre, has set the stage for graduations, public speakers and shows. Its beautiful outdoor setting makes it an ideal venue for summer concerts. Located right on campus, the Greek Theatre will host a number of notable shows this summer, including Los Angeles-based indie groups She & Him and The Postal Service. Cal Performances is also scheduled to present the Great Rodeo Sessions, featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma, fiddler Stuart Duncan, bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolin player Chris Thile.

Aug. 9 to 11 Outside Lands Festival
Set in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands boasts music, food, wine, beer and art and has seen the likes of headlining acts such as Radiohead, Beastie Boys, The Black Keys and Stevie Wonder since it began in 2008. This year’s headliners are Paul McCartney, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nine Inch Nails and Phoenix. Other acts will include Vampire Weekend, Zedd, Daughter, Jessie Ware and Young the Giant. There will also be a supplementary DJ dome, featuring the Plump DJs and Whitenoize, among others. Tickets for the three-day festival go for about $250 a pop.

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Bill Abbot/Courtesy

Summers at Cal present the perfect time to explore the Bay Area, but finding cool sites to visit that aren’t crowded with tourists can be a challenge. Luckily, we’ve highlighted four lesser-known spots in the Bay Area worth visiting with friends and family alike that will provide a more laid-back experience than most tourist spots.

Pacific Pinball Museum

In the middle of the city of Alameda lies a place that thrives on nostalgia, vintage art and classic fun. Hosting more than 75 pinball machines spanning decades from the late ’40s to the late ’90s, the Pacific Pinball Museum is the perfect place to spend a hot summer afternoon. For $15, you can play all the pinball you want for as long as you want (the machines are on free-play mode). Featuring classic boards such as Black Knight, Twilight Zone, Revenge from Mars and Blackwater 100, the Pacific Pinball Museum is the perfect gateway into the art of pinball and the peak of its popularity during the ’80s. And Pacific Pinball Museum’s title as a museum is well earned: Playing through tables of different decades is an interactive refresher on the history of entertainment.

Mission Dolores

Located in the Northwest corner of the Mission District on 16th Street just north of Dolores Park, Mission San Francisco de Asis — or Mission Dolores, for short — is a historical landmark. The oldest surviving structure in San Francisco, Mission Dolores is a relatively small and contained historical monument containing two main chapels and a connecting cemetery. Made famous in Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece “Vertigo,” Mission Dolores’s iconic internal architecture is still as beautiful as when James Stewart and Kim Novak braced its grounds more than 50 years ago. Church services do not run anymore except on certain holidays, so your visit will be wholly spent on appreciating the church’s beautiful interior design. Overall, Mission Dolores is the the ideal motivator for a trip through the Mission on a nice Sunday.

Mt. Olympus

Once thought to be the geographic center of San Francisco, Mt. Olympus holds the remains of a forgotten landmark. Located in Ashbury Heights on a hill elevated above the rest of the city, Mt. Olympus once held Sutro’s Triumph of Light Statue, erected in 1887 as a symbol of liberty triumphing over despotism. But as the decades passed, the public forgot its purpose and presence, and at some point during the ’50s, the statue was taken down. As of today, the statue’s 30-foot base is all that remains, as its plaque has eroded. But the ruins of this deserted monument still hold one of the best views in the Day, and the place is not crowded with an obscene number of tourists. It’s also relatively close to Haight Street, in case you are inclined to visit a more crowded San Francisco tourist spot.

Indian Rock Park

Ask any Berkeley student about Indian Rock, and they will have no idea what it is. But ask any native Berkeley resident, and they’ll tell you it’s a landmark of the city. Located north of the Gourmet Ghetto, near the Marin Circle Fountain, Indian Rock is the perfect place to visit, especially at sunset or at night. Although sometimes used as a practice site for rock climbing and bouldering, there is plenty of space to relax and enjoy your surroundings on Indian Rock. Though the park itself is relatively small — about the size of a football field — and the rock covers most of the ground, the space never feels cramped. Holding one of the best views in the East Bay — easily paralleling that of the Big C — Indian Rock is a soothing place to go after a dinner at the Gourmet Ghetto.

Contact Art Siriwatt at asiriwatt@dailycal.org.

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You’re not sure why you stayed in Berkeley for the summer. Maybe it was classes, maybe it was not wanting to go home, maybe it was love. Whatever the reason, look on the bright side: The line for CREAM doesn’t wrap around the block. You can get a table, a drink, a cup of coffee or a sandwich without fighting your way through the lines that will be swollen with students in a few short months. With this freedom comes the opportunity to taste the flavors of the whole world without ever leaving town.

So if you’re going to travel the world by mouth, you may as well start right here.

Nothing is more truly American than a burger joint, and Berkeley offers some great ones. The most delicious beef in town is also some of the most ethical — coming from Phil’s Sliders, located Downtown. The beef is local and grass fed, and it’s served in tiny little servings, so you can choose your own path to meaty nirvana. The burgers are paired with freaky huge tots and poppy-seed coleslaw, and none of it will ever let you down. Don’t fret, vegetarians: They serve Portobello mushroom sliders, too.

From the United States, most California natives will tell you your next stop should be Mexico. If you’re coming from (or have visited) SoCal, you may be tempted to give up on Bay Area Mexican food. The truth, is the good stuff is out there, but it’s a little harder to find. A short hike from campus, down on University, you’ll find La Mission. La Mission is the convergence of everything that is truly great about Mexican food. It’s cheap, plentiful, spicy and delicious. The carnitas will not only cure a hangover — they may even bring people back from the dead. The burritos are huge, weighty flavor explosions that you could split with a friend. With an excellent menu and a friendly staff, this place is worth the travel time.

Leaving sunny Mexico, your next stop should be across the sea, a hop and skip through the Caribbean and into Africa. Right on the edge of campus on Oxford is a tiny, little-known place called Suya Grill. Suya might be unlike anything you have ever had before. Some of the offerings are very spicy, with jerk seasonings and Jamaican influences, and others are surprisingly sweet, like the fried plantains. When you want something different, give this place a try. The staff is very friendly, and the menu has detailed descriptions of dishes, so you can make an informed choice about unfamiliar dishes. The roasted red potatoes go with everything, and you must try a bottle of Ting if you’ve never had it.

Traveling north from Africa, Berkeley offers too many fine samplings of European dining to mention here. Just to skim the top, I suggest Bistro Liaison. Liaison is a French restaurant with a varied menu and a very well-stocked bar, including a selection of absinthe. The French onion soup is not to be missed, and the roast chicken is an absolute triumph. This is a good choice for a date or for a quiet place to take your parents when they’re in town. Conveniently located on Shattuck, this is a walking destination with immediate charm as soon as you come through the door.

If French isn’t your style or if you’d like something a little less fussy, set your sights on Italy. Pane Italiano Qualita in the Downtown area has an old-world feel at a new-world pace. Don’t let the cafe atmosphere fool you — this place boasts a large menu of pizza, paninis, salads and desserts. They also happen to roast and brew some of the most masterful espressos in the East Bay. I suggest the cappuccino. The foam could support the weight of a small pony — or at least two packets of sugar. The food is delicious, the coffee is sublime and the Wi-Fi keeps you connected while you get your fill and your fix.

East of Europe, the incredible peaks of the Himalayas beckon. You can get to Mt. Everest more easily than most — by just walking down Telegraph. The dishes at Mt. Everest seem to come from everywhere at once: masala and curry from India, steamed dumplings from China as well as a whole round of Nepali specials. I highly recommend the chicken coconut and the Kukhura Ko Sekuwa, made with Kathmandu sauce and cooked in a clay oven. There is nothing like it anywhere else.

No trip around the world would be complete without dessert. On your way back home, try to convince yourself that you have room to stop at CREAM. The shop’s beautiful and decadent ice cream and cookie sandwiches couldn’t be more simply satisfying or more comforting if they were served by your very own grandmother. Summer is the busy season for ice cream, but with the majority of students out of town, this is your best shot and getting in and out of this hot spot quickly. Get it while you can, summer folk. School starts again sooner than you know.

Contact Meg Elison at melison@dailycal.org.

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A few weeks ago, I partook in one of my annual summer rituals when I signed on to ESPN.com to try my hand at a fantasy football mock draft.

You see, in August, I will have the 10th pick in the fantasy league I am in with my friends from high school. (Note that “having the 10th pick” is a subtle way of saying, “I WON LAST YEAR!”)

At any rate, I have to know who I’m going to take. Will Aaron Rodgers slip to No. 10? Should I skip taking a running back with one of my first two picks and instead go for a quarterback and a wide receiver? Should I reach for someone I like — such as Seahawks wide receiver Percy Harvin — considering that after picks No. 10 and 11, I won’t have another selection until pick No. 30?

While I was pondering these important questions, someone in the mock draft lobby by the name of “Show me dem TDs” commented, “We’re mock drafting in June. We’ve got problems.”

I didn’t want to think about it at the time, but “Show me dem TDs” is right. I might have a bit of a problem.

But this is the life of a sports fan (or maybe fanatic, whatever) during the summer. Unless you love baseball — which I don’t — summer is the worst time of the year.

Once the NBA and NHL playoffs end, there will be nothing left for me. Without a Summer Olympics or World Cup, there will be almost nothing entertaining until the NFL season kicks off in September. We’re about to go into the dark season — the time of the year when so little is going on that the mock drafts on ESPN actually sound like a good idea.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry. There is hope.

There’s more than just the big four sports. So if you find yourself getting caught up in training camp rumors and, god forbid, mock drafts — don’t. There are plenty of other sports going on over the summer to appease the rabid sports fan.

Take golf, for example. For many people, the word most associated with golf is “boring.” Those people are what I like to call “wrong.”

In April, the Masters went to a two-hole, sudden-death playoff. If you missed all of the dramatic buildup and watched nothing other than those final two holes, in which Angel Cabrera left a putt an inch short to open the door for Adam Scott to win, you would have been on the edge of your seat.

So give golf a try. The Open Championship — the next major — begins on July 18. And if you are only following Tiger, you are doing it wrong. I recommend watching Rickie Fowler — if for no other reason than to admire his impeccable sense of style.

But let’s say you don’t like golf. Try tennis.

The next time the four great tennis players — Djokovic, Murray, Nadal and Federer — will square off in a major will be on June 24 at Wimbledon. In the French Open just a few weeks ago, Nadal and world No. 1 Djokovic battled in an epic, four-hour and 37-minute match that finally ended with Nadal prevailing, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-7 (3), 9-7. If you don’t understand the string of numbers I threw at you, just take my word for it — that match was unbelievably close and intense.

And, of course, it is always worth watching the women’s game to see if 31 year-old Serena Williams can keep up her dominance. She did just that when she bested Maria Sharapova at the French Open in the finals.

But if you think golf and tennis are just for rich white people, you can always pick up soccer.

Right now, most of the big European leagues are done for the summer, but Major League soccer is still going on. Normally, I don’t recommend watching leagues that feature subpar play (there’s a reason you don’t see me touting Arena Football in this column), but the MLS can be exciting.

If nothing else, the local San Jose Earthquakes had the best record in MLS last year with 2012 MVP Chris Wondolowski on the squad. Yet the Quakes have fallen into an inexplicable slump this season. Can they turn it around? The only way to find out is to watch.

If none of the above is to your fancy, then I have one more suggestion: Go outside.

Pick up a football or frisbee and go spend an afternoon on Memorial Glade. It’s freaking summer! And, unlike half the country, we live in an area where the summers are nice. The Bay Area is beautiful. You won’t fry in 100-degree heat like you will down south, and it’s not muggy and humid like it is on the East Coast. So forget about the mock drafts and go enjoy some of the outdoors.

But if even that doesn’t sound good to you, well, there’s always baseball.

Contact Riley McAtee at rmcatee@dailycal.org.

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Maybe you’re in a long-term relationship. How can we define this? Maybe it’s been six months — or even more. Although the cutoff for being in an “official” long-term relationship remains ambiguous, maybe there’s one thing you know for sure: This person’s the one.

There are definitely perks of being in a long-term relationship. The killer butterflies that make you feel like you’re going to crap your pants have finally flown away. Now, it’s no longer weird that your significant other has to poop. You guys can finally have dates that involve eating barbecue. Maybe y’all even feel comfortable enough to take showers together. However comfortable you feel, the point is that you’re comfortable.

Berkeley’s academic year is full of distractions, and the distractions never fully disappear over the summer. This usually means busy summers interning, volunteering or even studying abroad.

However, no matter how busy you may be, remember to channel your Brian McKnight. Bring it back to step one. Summer is the perfect time to explore exactly why you guys fell in love. Also remember to support your partner. If you and your partner have ambitious goals to accomplish during the summer (some or all of which could be mutually exclusive), make sure to let your significant other know that you’re there for him or her no matter what. I’m talking flowers, chocolates, morning breakfasts in bed, coffee outings, dates overlooking the Bay Area or even daily text reminders telling your partner how much you believe in them.

If you’re in a long-distance relationship, don’t fret. Not being able to see a person that you’re totally head over heels for can be scary but shows strength. Most importantly, long-distance relationships show that you trust each other enough to be miles away over long periods of time. If the love of your life doesn’t even live in the Bay Area, then summer is definitely the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Book it. This is the time to grab that Greyhound ticket or schedule a flight to spend some time with the person you’ve been waiting to see. Or, better yet, drag his or her butt to the Bay Area and explore all the romantic — though sometimes cliched — spots overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Alternatively, it’s possible that you’re in a temporarily long-term relationship. Maybe your significant other is on a family vacation in another state or country. Also, let’s not forget about UC Berkeley’s study abroad program. Maybe your partner is going to spend a month or more in Europe. Distance sucks, but make it work! With the world being technologically integrated, 3,000 miles doesn’t mean that you can’t see your sweetheart for more than a couple days at a time. If you’re determined to maintain this relationship through the summer, there are two ways to keep connected.

The first way is to send pictures to each other. It can soften the blow of being so far apart and also offers a way for you guys to explore the world together.

The second way is through phone or Skype sex. If you’re missing your one and only in every way possible, virtual sex could help maintain that intimacy. Although it could be a step out of your comfort zone, remember that this is summer. It’s a time for adventures and for new things! Phone or Skype sex can be another memorable experience you guys share together, or it could be that hilarious event you guys can look back on and laugh about.

Maybe after all is said and done, your relationship wasn’t like the ones you find in romantic comedies. Maybe you’re done. Being done refers back to an inevitable truth about relationships: No matter who it is, at least one person ends up being hurt. If you’re sure that you cannot continue with your relationship, wipe away those tears. The start of this season is offering you a new beginning.

During your post-breakup summer, you have the option of staying friends with your ex. Let’s be honest. John Mayer has a point. You’re either friends, lovers or nothing. If you and your ex get along great as friends, that’s, well, great! Not sure how that works out, but that’s wonderful. But be careful not to jump too quickly onto the Friendship Happiness Express. Now that you’re back on the market, don’t let being friends with your ex stop you from hanging out with someone new. Enjoy meeting the new people in your life. Remember there’s always time in the future for settling down.

Now that summer has come, maybe you’ve finally met the one. Maybe you’re falling in love. Love. This is what we fight for. This is why we cry, and this is why our hearts break. This is why we’re left with memories we can’t forget and why our lives start to change. But most importantly, this is how we grow. Sometimes you may not even feel it happening. It just happens. All of a sudden, you find that you just want to be with this person. Now. This summer.

If this is how you’re feeling, I can only offer you one word of advice: Go. Just go. Regardless of what type of relationship you’re in, summer is a beautiful season. Its warmth and comfort will surround you every day, whether you’re with the one you love or if you are the only person you want to spend time with. Make this summer memorable. Appreciate every moment and remember the bliss of not knowing where life can lead you — and whom you might meet.

Contact Karen Kwaning at kkwaning@dailycal.org.

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You don’t need to leave Berkeley to find your escape: you can travel the world without leaving the dinner table and discover the hidden treasures that the Bay Area has to offer.

Whether it’s your first summer in Berkeley or your last, here’s to making it great.

Contact Denise Lee at deniselee@dailycal.org. Contact Jennie Yoon at jyoon@dailycal.org.

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Some may wonder why people would bring such woe upon themselves, but take my word: Summer classes are not so bad. Sure, courses have the ability to be even more intense than they are over the academic year, but summer allows for more focused study time considering that classes are at most a few hours a day, leaving the remainder of the time to study. Even if you take more than one class in a single summer session, your attention is targeted only to a couple of classes, not four. You might also come across some of the best professors during summer courses, making learning material at a quicker pace manageable and less painful. Material will build up quickly, but not to worry — attend the office hours that are typically held more frequently over the summer. The best part is that after a summer session of three, six, eight or 10 weeks, a course that would have typically taken a whole semester will be completed. For those who are currently taking summer courses or will in a future summer session, it is worth it.

Although summer courses can be work-intensive, there is still plenty of downtime. If you were waiting for the next somewhat-less-hectic season in your life to take on a job or research position, or both, this would be it. Last summer, I began volunteering at Children’s Hospital and Research Center in Oakland and will continue volunteering there through this summer as well. This is the chance to take that next step and get more involved in either the school or local community, especially for rising sophomores who were preoccupied with adjusting to Berkeley their freshman year and may not have gotten involved as much as they would have liked.

Of course, all this takes planning. Once you know your class schedule for the week, start filling in the empty spaces with other commitments. Do not underestimate the effort needed to do well in your summer course and book your schedule completely, but do make other commitments so you can look back on the summer and see that it was more than just a summer class.

Now, once your obligations are met, there should be extra time for some fun. Besides being able to hang out with friends more often, be creative with the way you spend your time. Meet the huge group of Irish students who seem to study here every summer and experience Berkeley with them; make your dream of biking across the Golden Gate Bridge a reality; explore downtown San Francisco; become the tourist you now have the time to become.

Put that shiny sticker that is located on your Cal 1 Card to good use, grab a friend and hop on the next bus. Maybe smaller adventures are more feasible. So, before heading into the depths of San Francisco, take a trip to Emeryville or visit the Rose Garden. Use your status as a Cal student to get into the UC Botanical Garden and the Berkeley Art Museum or wind down your Thursday evening at Off the Grid on the corner of Telegraph and Haste.

Focus on your summer courses, take time to fill out the application for that job you have been eyeing and approach that professor you admire and express your interest in his or her research. Begin your inconsistent relationship with the 51B and experience the gloriousness of Zachary’s Chicago Pizza and all the other cuisine Berkeley is known for. Summer will be as memorable as you make it, so be conscious of your time, so you can enjoy the beauty of a Berkeley summer to the fullest.

Contact Monica Mikhail at mmikhail@dailycal.org.

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