Three bite-sized Bay Area museums

By Karen Leland

THERE ARE SO MANY large and lauded museums in San Francisco that visitors can be tempted to overlook the smaller and more specialized attractions scattered throughout the rest of the Bay Area. If you are looking for an educational and fun family outing, it’s worth a trip beyond the city to see some of these off-the-beaten-path places.

THE INTEL MUSEUM

Over one million people have visited the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, about an hour south of San Francisco, to see the process that turns ordinary sand into extraordinary silicon computer chips. To get the public turned on and tuned into technology, the museum has a self-guided audio tour (which comes in seven languages) and more than 30 exhibits, many interactive, which show how the computer chip is made and how it impacts our lives.

“The Digital Transformation” exhibit focuses on the way communication over distance has dramatically changed throughout the years. It contains such authentic objects as an old black Bakelite desk phone, a candlestick phone and a telephone with a wall ringer.

“Most kids have never seen a rotary phone or desk phone with multiple lines,” says Tracey Mazur, the museum’s curator. “They push the holes on the rotary phone because they don’t understand how it worked.” Mazur says it is usually an older member of the family who explains how the phone works, and feels that many of the exhibits provide a great discussion forum for multi-generational family visitors.

One of the most popular exhibits is “Bunny Suit Dress Up,” which allows visitors to jump into the white suit that workers wear while making the chips to keep contaminants (such as salt from perspiration, makeup and finger prints) off the silicon.

COPIA: THE AMERICAN CENTER FOR WINE, FOOD AND THE ARTS

The Napa Valley, about an hour northeast of San Francisco, is famous for its fine wines, cuisine and bucolic beauty. All three come together at COPIA: The American Center for Wine, Food and the Arts, where the goal is to explore and celebrate food and wines’ significant impact on culture. The museum offers many special programs, such as “Wine, Cheese and Thou,” which features a tasting of white, red and sparkling wines paired with extraordinary hard, soft, blue and washed rind cheeses.

COPIA’s permanent and centerpiece exhibit, “Forks in the Road,” has a wide variety of interactive activities to suit the tastes of both adults and children. The “Playing With Your Food” section entertains and informs visitors as they use multisensory kiosks to listen to classic songs about food, test their sense of smell and learn the language of short-order cooks. Visitors also get a chance to contribute to the exhibit by recording their thoughts in the “Feed Us Your Memories” booth.

COPIA also hosts temporary exhibits. Currently showing through Sept. 30 is “Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.”

“Artist Peter Menzel traveled around the world to 24 different countries and photographed families with all of the food they eat in a week,” says Neil Harvey, director of exhibitions. “What we see in these photographs is fantastic contrast: a German family with $500 worth of food, then a refugee family in Chad, Africa, that only has one dollar worth of food.”

PEANUTS APLENTY The work of Peanuts’ creator Charles Schulz lives on in the museum dedicated to his work

For those who find their art in culinary education, COPIA has daily wine tastings and cooking classes. Once a week, in the Meyer Food Forum, it offers the “Taste of COPIA” lunch, a cooking demonstration and three-course meal that highlights a different cuisine every month.

If your visit to COPIA has inspired you to get into the kitchen and cook, make your final stop the well-stocked Cornucopia shop and purchase a great bottle of wine or add a new cookbook to your collection.

THE CHARLES M. SCHULZ MUSEUM

When Charles Schulz was two days old, his uncle took one look at him and suggested, “Let’s call him Sparky”—and the nickname stuck. Walking into the museum, the open and vibrant architecture echoes the cheerful spirit of the man himself. “The museum is such a happy place,” says Jean Schulz, Charles’ widow. “Sparky used to say that when he was drawing a smile, he was thinking a smile. He could feel the emotion in his arm.”

Located in Santa Rosa, where Schulz spent the last 25 years of his life, the museum is a tribute to the artist’s 50-year career. The venue, which is located about one hour north of San Francisco, features a rotating exhibit of 60 to 80 hand-drawn original Peanuts cartoon strips. Housed on the second floor is a permanent recreation of Schulz’s studio with his drawing board, memorabilia, photos and a video of him talking about the Peanuts cartoon characters.

Other artistic odds and ends include the wrapped dog house by famous artist Christo, an outside labyrinth in the shape of Snoopy’s head and an education center where kids can create their own cartoons.

Although Schulz did not live to see the museum completed, he did get to see and approve the architectural plans. “When I walk through the museum, I know he would be proud of this,” Jean says. She adds that the venue is true to Sparky’s spirit—lofty but simple.

Julia’s Kitchen

Named after the first lady of cooking, Julia Child, the restaurant at COPIA is the only one in the world to which she lent her name. Inspired by classic French cooking and the California cuisine movement, Julia’s Kitchen serves dishes like beef bourguignon and bouillabaisse, all with a twist. It also offer specialties from the surrounding Sonoma region, including pan-roasted quail and Sonoma artisan foie gras. Adjacent to the restaurant is a lounge that houses a variety of memorabilia from the late Julia Child, including a selection of her copper cookware pots—the only place outside the Smithsonian where they can be viewed.

MIDWEST AIRLINES offers daily flights to and from San Francisco. Details can be found at www..em>midwestairlines.com

WHERE TO FIND THESE MUSEUMS

The Intel Museum: Robert Noyce Bldg 2200 Mission College Blvd.
Santa Clara 408-765-0503 www.intel.com/museum

COPIA
500 First St. Napa 888-512-6742 www.copia.org

Charles M. Schulz Museum
2301 Hardies Lane Santa Rosa 707-579-4452 www.schulzmuseum.org