kite flying at the Berkeley Marina, Berkeley, CA

Yesterday, my son and I went kite flying at the Berkeley Marina in Berkeley, CA.  Wow, the wind there is fantastic and there is a gorgeous view too!  We had brought our own Blue Angels Kite that we had tried to use once before and this time we couldn't get it to barely get off the ground.  My friends had gotten kites through Highline Kites at the Berkeley Kite Festival and even my six year old son was able to fly their octopus kite with ease!  My Blue Angels Kite went into the recycling bin today, and I am going to get a few child friendly kites at Highline Kites.  

The best kite flying in the Berkeley Marina is located all the way to the end of the marina on the right hand side, there are hills where there are fantastic views of the water and the entire bay area.  There are also a really nice picnic area for a BBQ with friends with grills and tables.  We saw a few men without children flying more sophisticated kites with two strings and handles they had gotten at REI in Berkeley.  I recommend bringing food and drink as there are no cafes really close.  There is a Doubletree Hotel at the Marina that has a Starbucks in the hotel, if you want a warm drink.  It gets really chilly at the marina so dress warm with layers.  Also, I'd recommend bringing a homemade kite repair kit with tape, scissors, and some sticks to repair broken kites. This was such a fun day, we can't wait to go again!

Below is a picture of a homemade kite Billy made in a class using masking tape, sticks, heavy string and a garbage bag.  It broke, but we taped it up and we are going to try it out one more time.

Resources:

Highline Kites
Shop on Wheels
(Call for hours)
1 Spinnaker Way
Berkeley, CA  94701
(510) 235-5483
(They have basic octopus kites for $20.00, perfect for young children.  My son flew this one with ease!)

The Berkeley Kite Festival
July 26-27, 2014
(They had free kite making, great food, arts and crafts, giant kites, and a kid zone.  I didn't go this year, but my friends went and loved it.  This event is very child friendly!  The owner of HIghline Kites is actually the founder of the Berkeley Kites Festival.)

Berkeley REI
www.rei.com/Prism-Designs-kites
1338 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA
(510) 527-4140

The Berkeley Marina
www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Marina-Home/

DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton Hotel
Berkeley Marina
(This hotel is walking distance from where we did kite flying.  There is a Starbucks cafe in the hotel.)
200 Marina Blvd.
Berkeley, CA  94710
(510) 548-7920