The acquarium in monterey. The seals/sea lions (can't remember) at Pt. Lobos. A little farther away, San Jose has a fabulous childrens museum. There's lots of stuff in San Francisco, but I wouldnt want to do it as just a day trip.

I think it depends on what you most want to do/see. SF is central, Oakland/Berkeley would be as well. It would be easy to do day trips to Marin or ocean from her - or Napa. Santa Cruz is not a bad option if you just want to be mellow, but it's not very convenient to get into SF or anywhere further norht.

Marin/Bodega Bay will be a crazy commute for your brother unless he is planning to stay w/ you for a long weekend.

We are planning a visit out to Northern California to visit my brother, who lives in the Santa Clara area. We have two small kids (3 and 6) and want to rent a house as a home base to explore. My brother will come hang out a lot, so it needs to be not a nightmarish commute.

What do you former (current) Californians recommend?

Santa Cruz? S.F. -- maybe the Sunset District? Oakland, Berkley or even further north like Marin or Bodega Bay?