The best view above the cloud line in the Bay Area is the peak of Mount Diablo. At 3,849 feet, Mount Diablo rises above the surrounding areas, offering glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Pacific Ocean and even Yosemite, if you bring binoculars. If you’re making a marriage proposal, this is the location in the Bay Area most likely to result in the answer “yes.”

Just a couple hundred feet off Lincoln Boulevard, the Golden Gate Overlook in the Presidio requires no hike and offers a stunning gunsight view of the Golden Gate Bridge, with one tower overlapping the other. The frequent fog obstructions create haunting photos and make this spot even more special on the brilliant clear days when you can see beyond the bridge to Marin County.

With steep cliffs, a high vantage point and views of the Bay, both bridges and San Francisco, Grizzly Peak Boulevard is the closest you can feel to looking out of an airplane with your feet still on firm ground. Drive along through the Oakland Hills and Berkeley, stopping to snap photos from the roadside pull-offs. Make this the first place you take a friend or family member during a visit to the Bay Area, and they’ll fall instantly in love.

This 4,265-foot mountain overlooks Santa Clara County, with views of San Jose and Mount Umunhum to the west and the San Joaquin Valley and Sierra crest to the east. The summit is home to the landmark Lick Observatory, staring into the night sky since 1888.

It's hard to overstate the wonder of Mount Tam. Towering redwoods? Sure. Surging waterfalls? Yup. But it's the views from the top — out over the Pacific to the Farallon Islands, above the fog-draped hills of San Francisco — that earns top marks in a region full of epic vistas.

At 928 feet, Mount Davidson is actually the highest point in San Francisco, 8 feet higher than Twin Peaks, its flashier, tower-topped cousin to the north. Follow hiking trails through eucalyptus forest to the Depression-era 103-foot cross on the summit and take in panoramic views of San Francisco and the Peninsula.

Most views involve going somewhere high and gazing out over an expanse. Not Lake Merritt. The crown jewel of Oakland links communities and landmarks, from the storybook-themed Children's Fairyland amusement park to botanical gardens and the Art Deco Grand Lake Theatre. It's stunning in the morning, when rowers skin across the water, and even more beautiful at night, illuminated by a necklace of string lights.

With a periscope-like view from the middle of Golden Gate Park, the de Young Museum's observation deck delivers vistas of the park's acreage and its people, especially fun on a busy weekend day when the bikers and roller skaters are out in force. Best of all: The observation deck has always been free, even when other parts of the museum are ticketed.

With apologies to the Cliff House and Beach Chalet, the best view of the ocean is at an establishment that sells a Beefy Fritos Burrito on its Dollar Cravings Menu. The Pacifica Taco Bell along Highway 1, easily the greatest fast-food establishment in human history, offers a wonderful view of the ocean and a sandy beach, filled with surfers, the occasional pod of whales and a new sunset daily.