Exciting news for the next group of Science Literacy Project participants: the California Academy of Sciences has just reopened after a massive remodel. According to their press materials, it's "the only place on the planet with an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum, and a 4-story rainforest all under one roof." http://www.calacademy.org.

Many of downtown San Francisco's visitor attractions are famous, from the restaurants and bookstores of North Beach and the dizzying drive down Lombard Street to the wax museum, fresh seafood and cable cars at Fisherman's Wharf.

Here are a few lesser-known San Francisco destinations:

• Fun place for a stroll: The Mission, San Francisco's biggest Latino community.

• Stunning view of the city: San Francisco Art Institute's open, second-floor courtyard

• Smelly and meat-eating jungle plants (and those more beautiful and sweet-scented): Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park. In fact, all of Golden Gate Park is worth checking out.

There's also the Ferry Building, Union Square, Museum of Modern Art, the Presidio... and so much more.

You'll also be spending a lot of time in the beautiful East Bay. Take a stroll down the Berkeley Marina or around Lake Merritt, or check out some of these:

• The University of California at Berkeley campus: sports events, films, museums (such as Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, home to Ishi artifacts)

• La Peña Cultural Center (social awareness, dramatic, musical and literary events)

• Freight & Salvage Coffee House (traditional music)

• Oakland Museum of California (California history, arts and culture)

• Jack London Square (once the stomping grounds of one of Oakland's most colorful literary figures, Jack London Square is the premier destination in the East Bay to dine and check out the sights)

And it's a perfect time of year to visit the wine country, about one-and-a-half hours from downtown San Francisco.