San Francisco/Oakland
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Great suggestions by many. I concur fully on:
* Spend an afternoon in Sausalito. Have a sammidge and a beer (or whatever you like) at a waterfront cafe, check out the marinas, stroll through the town.
* Muir Woods
* Golden Gate Highlands recreational area in general. There's old military bunkers with big gun mounts still there as well as breathtaking views.
* Drive down to Monterrey. Stop and savor some of the overlooks, like at Montara State Park or Pillar Point Harbor.
San Francisco is a great trip.
* Spend an afternoon in Sausalito. Have a sammidge and a beer (or whatever you like) at a waterfront cafe, check out the marinas, stroll through the town.
* Muir Woods
* Golden Gate Highlands recreational area in general. There's old military bunkers with big gun mounts still there as well as breathtaking views.
* Drive down to Monterrey. Stop and savor some of the overlooks, like at Montara State Park or Pillar Point Harbor.
San Francisco is a great trip.
If the Giants are playing you should try to catch a game there. Pretty close to the best ballpark there is, if not the best.
Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Tea District (in the Park) is really cool. That Park is enormous and quite spectacular, by the way.
Muir Woods might be worth the 30-45 minute drive north to do a walk among the tallest trees on Earth.
Monterrey, as mentioned above, is cool. We did 17-mile drive, which hits up all those historic golf courses along the way-- Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, Spyglass, Cypress Point (with the most photographed tree in the world). In fact, we ate burgers for lunch in the clubhouse on Pebble Beach overlooking the 18th Hole and bought polos in the pro shop.
Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Tea District (in the Park) is really cool. That Park is enormous and quite spectacular, by the way.
Muir Woods might be worth the 30-45 minute drive north to do a walk among the tallest trees on Earth.
Monterrey, as mentioned above, is cool. We did 17-mile drive, which hits up all those historic golf courses along the way-- Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, Spyglass, Cypress Point (with the most photographed tree in the world). In fact, we ate burgers for lunch in the clubhouse on Pebble Beach overlooking the 18th Hole and bought polos in the pro shop.
BINGO! Much cheaper, even free, wine tasting. Russian River valley is quite scenic. Monte Rio is a funky little town. Park amongst redwoods at hotels & for restaurants. We like Bodega Bay on the coast also.
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Depending on the day, may need to get there when the gates open to avoid parking 1-2 miles away up the hill. Further away, but trees in Armstrong State Park are bigger & more numerous & it's way less crowded.
I've been wanting to get there - & Balt. Pittsburgh's is the best I've been to with Dodger Stadium next. How does it compare? Been to Fenway, both NY's & Chi-towns, ML, CLV, KC, Oak for reference.
I'd rate PNC in Pittsburgh as my absolute #1 with AT&T in San Francisco a close #2.
I know you said you weren't keen on it, but the night tour of Alcatraz and the views back across the bay at night are pretty awesome. I didn't think I'd like it, but I really enjoyed it.
Also concur with the Sausalito rec. Well worth an afternoon.
Obviously go to Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39 area. If the seals are out sunning themselves, it's pretty cool to see but they stink like high heavens.
Catch a street car and just go enjoy the ride / tour.
Also concur with the Sausalito rec. Well worth an afternoon.
Obviously go to Fisherman's Wharf / Pier 39 area. If the seals are out sunning themselves, it's pretty cool to see but they stink like high heavens.
Catch a street car and just go enjoy the ride / tour.
Pack a sweater. And a parka. SF is freezing half the summer.
Glad this thread got going, my wife and I are heading to SF, Wine Country and Carmel area in Aug. for a 11 day trip for our 40th wedding anniversary.
Actually, this statement shows a lot of ignorance. You just don't know where to go and/or are a cheapskate. There are hundreds and hundreds of wineries in both Napa and Sonoma. And some are super touristy, some are super sceney, and some are just awesome. In GENERAL, Sonoma is more laid back, but the most touristy winery I've ever seen in my life was in Sonoma. Buena Vista. It was a GD joke. Employees walking around in costumes. And Sonoma wineries can be just as crowded. I've been the only group in wineries in Napa plenty of times.
Napa will definitely be more expensive, but that's cause the wine (in general) is better. Tons of wineries with lowkey tasting rooms. Tons.
Considering Chad could give a **** about wine, and Sonoma is a little closer and cheaper, I'd rec he go there. But the actual winery he goes to is WAAAAAAY more important than choosing Sonoma or Napa.
Wine Country is a huge area between Sonoma, Napa, & the Central Coast. Pick one I'd think. Napa & then Sonoma have the most famous wines, but if you enjoy good wines & moderate $, Central Coast is good also. If you go down the PCH to Hearst Castle/San Simeon, plenty of good wineries inland a bit.
Aren't you the retired dentist from Corbin? I think we have been following you around the world. The Med Cruise a few years ago, the Alaskan Cruise, and now we have been planning a two week California road trip from top to bottom this fall and then I read this.
Where are you heading next?
Yup that me, wild we doing same trips. After this trip we going to start National Parks trips. I would like to do first the 6 National Treasures Train trip out of Chicago.
LMAO, hilarious spin.
SF is an overpriced ******** led by idiot libcuck idealists and crime is up in a huuuuuuuuuuuge way.
Good chance you'll see a bum defecating or pissing while on your trip.
Surrounding states buy their bums bus tickets to SF, no joke. :joy:
Wow, hundreds and hundreds of wineries? I thought there were only six! Thanks for the lecture, hopefully next you can hit on some other obvious details of the area.
You assumed a lot, and incorrectly I might add, from my one statement. We get up to wine country about 3x per year. Sure, I could have thrown out an eight page essay on the pros and cons of each region but the OP stated he isn't that into the scene. If you want to get into a pissing match over wine country knowledge, I'm certainly game, but based on the limited interaction in this thread I don't think you'll fare as well as you'd like.
I love parts of Napa. My favorite winery experience was a private tasting on the back terrace of a family owned estate right outside of Calistoga. But Napa, in general, IS more touristy and expensive. You even agree with this so I'm not sure why you're throwing down the gauntlet. There's a reason Napa Valley is termed the 'Disneyland' or 'Vegas' of NoCal's wine country. I've overheard Tech Bro's say they "only go to Napa" countless times like its a status symbol. During peak season you'll be sitting in traffic behind caravans of SUV limos and tour buses on 29. It's obviously more commercialized and caters more to larger crowds, including company events.
Stag's Leap in Napa makes fantastic Cabs, just not worth $200+ per bottle. But they can charge that amount because of their name/history as well as their prime Napa location that accommodates busloads by the dozen. There's no reason Castello di Amerosa should charge $100 for their mediocre Reserve Cab other than to foot the bill for upkeep on their replica 16th century Tuscan castle and petting zoo featuring heirloom chickens.
Regarding the quality of wine between the two regions, because Napa appellations specialize in more intense grape varieties used for full bodied wines that lend better to aging, their offerings will be more expensive even before the chateau-maintenance premiums are applied. Sonoma produces better medium bodied offerings that require less time in the barrel and less rackings per vintage, and are generally less costly to bottle (ignoring many other aspects of the process).
Yes, Sonoma has some tourist trap monstrosities. I never said anything to the contrary. Ravenwood, Coppolla, Gloria Ferrer, etc, etc, etc. Visiting Chateau St Jean was a nightmare but my sister-in-law wanted to hit it up on her visit since she knew the label. But once you get out of the southern part of the county, similar to Napa, Sonoma is extremely accessible and intimate.
I completely agree that your experience depends on the winery rather than the area. But, in general, if you're looking for a more relaxed, accessible, and less expensive experience while wandering the back roads of wine country, Sonoma is a better bet than Napa. And since many Sonoma wineries have vineyards in Napa, you can still get an amazing reserve Cab at ~ $100 per bottle without the ostentatious fanfare driving the premiums applied to Napa offerings. I'm happy to provide suggestions for your next visit to Sonoma or Napa so you don't have to waste your time at clown colleges like Buena Vista.
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Yep, it's generally overpriced, and chock full o' liberals, but crime ain't up in a HUGE ZOMG!1 way. Violent crime is down, property crime is minimally up. Please link the support of crime being up in a hu^10ge way.
Pissing? yes. Defecating? no. Defecation? yes, at lease in SOMA, the Tenderloin, and parts of Mission.
I never denied SF having a sizable homeless population. It does, for obvious reasons. And it's a large, densely populated city, so like Chicago, LA, and New York, you'll most likely see someone urinating on the street. It's also an amazing city with plenty of opportunity and activities. And I'm confident in saying it's better than your town.
If it bothers you, please don't visit.
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Stanford over Cal, but both are world class campuses. Cal is closer though and you can knock it out in 2 hours if you're near the BART (20 minute ride from DT SF). Stanford can take up a half day due to driving. It's ~ 40 minutes south of the city and, depending on traffic, can take up to an hour 1 way. You can take the Cal Train though, which has a beer/wine car. You can catch that train near AT&T ball park, and the Palo Alto station abuts the Stanford campus.
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No. Though I have been to both. Cool to see, but there are better options. Muir Woods has to be at the top of the list. I would have the drive from Carmel to Big Sur right behind it. And of course, Sonoma/Napa/Wine Country, but you are already doing that.
Exactly. Why Twain once said the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.
You have to dress in layers there. It can be 55 and freezing near Golden Gate Park, but in the 80s in Oakland or San Rafael. Crazy microclimates all over the region.
My first time there I didn't have a long sleeve shirt, but when I got up to Twin Peaks, I was glad they were selling sweatshirts as fast as they could collect the money.
Right way to do sf is to drive two hours north into Marin on one of those mornings and hike the ocean trail at point Reyes, you won't regret it. Stanford and cal campuses are not worth touring, but do try to eat at Charlie's near Stanford campus. It's the restaurant owned an run by the first Google chef. You can get a 10$ breakfast burrito for a few bucks. Good food but great prices.
this is probably the best restaurant experience i have ever had in my life and it's not too far from you:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-restaurant-at-ventana-big-sur?osq=dinner
try to make it for dinner around 6ish so you can catch the sunset. Also, you could drive down into carmel. There is a little restaurant called "La Bellina". I proposed to my wife there.
Was there last year w/ fam.
Muir Woods, Golden Gate Bdg, Sausalito (try Avatar's for lunch) in one day.
Warf/Pier 39 is ok, worth a quick walk thru.
If you have kids, hit Ghirardelli Square and get "The Earthquake".
Drive down Lombard St.
Visit Haight Ashbury if you're over age 50. It means something.
Marrakech Magic Show w/ Peter Morrison (was rated #1 SF attraction on Yelp and for good reason).
Take a Segway tour of Golden Gate Park.
SF's Chinatown is not as good as NYC's. Japantown is really lame.
Alcatraz is worth the effort; have to book early though.
The Science Museum is great.
Palo Alto and a Stanford tour is worth the time. They show the exact classroom where Google was created.
One of the great cities in the US; I rank it just behind NYC.
Muir Woods, Golden Gate Bdg, Sausalito (try Avatar's for lunch) in one day.
Warf/Pier 39 is ok, worth a quick walk thru.
If you have kids, hit Ghirardelli Square and get "The Earthquake".
Drive down Lombard St.
Visit Haight Ashbury if you're over age 50. It means something.
Marrakech Magic Show w/ Peter Morrison (was rated #1 SF attraction on Yelp and for good reason).
Take a Segway tour of Golden Gate Park.
SF's Chinatown is not as good as NYC's. Japantown is really lame.
Alcatraz is worth the effort; have to book early though.
The Science Museum is great.
Palo Alto and a Stanford tour is worth the time. They show the exact classroom where Google was created.
One of the great cities in the US; I rank it just behind NYC.
Disagree. B/c in Louisville, if it's 40 degrees, I'm wearing a sweater, and a winter coat.
SF weather is cold and damp...in some places...but warm and sunny in others with a breeze. So you have to dress in layers. The whole Patagonia/North Face baselayer concept makes sense here. You essentially have to be a convertible...be ready for 55 and chilly and damp, but later in the day it may be in short sleeves if you go across the bridge or closer to downtown. Don't bring shorts though. No need for them at all.
The wife and i took a tandem bike over the GG to Sausalito. Don't know of any one else that has ever done that. It was a friggin nightmare actually.
SF had some of the best food I had ever had. Ride the cable cars and don't forget an authentic meal in china town.
SF had some of the best food I had ever had. Ride the cable cars and don't forget an authentic meal in china town.
I was in SF when I heard of Elvis' death on the radio.
Walked across the GG Bridge.
Wife got groped on a cable car. I caused quite a scene by threatening to toss him out of the car.
Take a bus tour of Napa Valley. We went to 4 different winery's on the tour. Ride a cable car, go to Haight-Asbury (it is like going back into the 60's), walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, go to Sausilito, go to Muir woods. Drive across the Golden Gate Bridge at night, park and look out at the skyline of San Francisco and tell me it is not one the prettiest sights you have ever seen. I love the Bay area of Cali. If you have time, drive down highway 1 along the coast down to at least Carmel. You see will things on the streets of San Fran that you may or may not have ever seen before. Street musicians, magicians, mimes, and plenty of street hustlers and plenty of homeless people. Be careful and have a safe trip. The city is one of my favorite places to visit. Take some cash with you cause it isn't cheap. Also, watch where you park and make sure you turn your wheels or your car may roll down one the streets. We took the tour of Alcatraz and came back and found our car being towed away. That, my friend was not a pleasant experience. Plenty or good restaurants as well. This all makes me want to plan a trip to go out there..
Take a warm jacket and gloves. I was there in July and it was cold at night. The wind comes off of the bay and it does get pretty darn chilly. We went to a baseball game in Oakland one Friday night and we liked to froze.
Take a warm jacket and gloves. I was there in July and it was cold at night. The wind comes off of the bay and it does get pretty darn chilly. We went to a baseball game in Oakland one Friday night and we liked to froze.
Flew in last Saturday and got back Friday. Really appreciate all the suggestions. Her brother lives in Oakland, but it's a 5-minute walk to the BART and took us maybe 12 minutes to get into the SF financial district (where he works). Here's my rundown:
Sunday:
Sausalito- as advertised. Hit Le Garage for brunch on Sunday then walked around a bit. Just a really cool little area. Somewhat reminded me of Coronado Island in San Diego as far as vibes and view. Here's a pic of my girl right there on the bay. You can see the Golden Gate a ways back in the background.
- Marin Headlands- WOW. I knew San Francisco was beautiful, but the views from up there are just insane. We ventured to some lighthouse up that way, too, that was ridiculous. I have some pics on Instagram but not sure how to post.
- Hit up Coit Tower for some more crazy views. I mean, SF just has views every 500 feet. It's amazing.
- Grabbed a drink in The Castro, which I'm told is the gayest neighborhood in the country. Then rolled back to Oakland for some pizza and watching the ballgame.
Monday:
- Headed into the city with her brother on the BART. He had to work so were on our own. Hit up Fisherman's Wharf, which is basically Myrtle Beach. I was pretty disappointed in that decision. Nothing but a tourist trap.
- Met one of her friends for coffee downtown. I wish we would've roamed around more in the financial district. I thought that area was really cool.
- For lunch, we got a burrito from La Taquiera in the Mission district and it was delicious. Then, we roamed around Mission, hitting some shops and such before going to Chinatown. I wasn't too impressed, but the dim sum was terrific and ridiculously cheap.
- Had dinner in the Mission district at some vegan sushi place. My girlfriend loved it. I need meat. Rolled over to some bar which was across the street from a porn studio. Ended up getting hammered. Good day overall.
Tuesday:
- Headed to Wine Country. Stopped in downtown Sonoma for lunch and hit Pangloss(?) for a tasting. I'm not a wine guy in the least, but find reds drinkable. From there, rolled out to a couple places in Napa (one was Etude). I have to admit it was beautiful out there. This is the view from one of the patios. I could never spend more than a day there, but the lass loved it.
Wednesday:
- Her brother married his partner at the City Building. Rolled to Golden Gate Park and then Baker Beach for pictures. Maybe it's because it was such a clear day, but Baker may have given us the best views of the bridge (pic below isn't even filtered- just beautiful there). Later, we celebrated after with dinner at this awesome spot down under the Bay Bridge called Waterbar.
Thursday:
- For the last day, it was off to Muir Woods where we hiked to the top of some mountain/cliff/whatever. I'm really glad we did this. Definitely lived up to the hype. And of course, saw some UK gear there- some little girl rocking UK fleece.
Overall Thoughts:
- Definitely my favorite area I've ever visited. The city is beautiful and has views inward and outward at all times. Then, you don't have to get outside of town much to get outdoorsy, whether its hiking or wine country.
- For as busy and fast-paced as it is, I was surprised by how friendly everyone was. Very courteous town, in my experience.
- If you're a fella who likes asian women, SF is the place to be. Haha.
- The weather- LOL. You go from June to November to September, block to block, minute to minute.
- As much as I loved San Francisco, I think if I ever were to move to California, I'd go with San Diego. It's not as beautiful, but more chill and better weather. JMO
- Thanks for all the suggestions. Next trip-> Boston in August. I'll be back for suggestions
Sunday:
Sausalito- as advertised. Hit Le Garage for brunch on Sunday then walked around a bit. Just a really cool little area. Somewhat reminded me of Coronado Island in San Diego as far as vibes and view. Here's a pic of my girl right there on the bay. You can see the Golden Gate a ways back in the background.
- Marin Headlands- WOW. I knew San Francisco was beautiful, but the views from up there are just insane. We ventured to some lighthouse up that way, too, that was ridiculous. I have some pics on Instagram but not sure how to post.
- Hit up Coit Tower for some more crazy views. I mean, SF just has views every 500 feet. It's amazing.
- Grabbed a drink in The Castro, which I'm told is the gayest neighborhood in the country. Then rolled back to Oakland for some pizza and watching the ballgame.
Monday:
- Headed into the city with her brother on the BART. He had to work so were on our own. Hit up Fisherman's Wharf, which is basically Myrtle Beach. I was pretty disappointed in that decision. Nothing but a tourist trap.
- Met one of her friends for coffee downtown. I wish we would've roamed around more in the financial district. I thought that area was really cool.
- For lunch, we got a burrito from La Taquiera in the Mission district and it was delicious. Then, we roamed around Mission, hitting some shops and such before going to Chinatown. I wasn't too impressed, but the dim sum was terrific and ridiculously cheap.
- Had dinner in the Mission district at some vegan sushi place. My girlfriend loved it. I need meat. Rolled over to some bar which was across the street from a porn studio. Ended up getting hammered. Good day overall.
Tuesday:
- Headed to Wine Country. Stopped in downtown Sonoma for lunch and hit Pangloss(?) for a tasting. I'm not a wine guy in the least, but find reds drinkable. From there, rolled out to a couple places in Napa (one was Etude). I have to admit it was beautiful out there. This is the view from one of the patios. I could never spend more than a day there, but the lass loved it.
Wednesday:
- Her brother married his partner at the City Building. Rolled to Golden Gate Park and then Baker Beach for pictures. Maybe it's because it was such a clear day, but Baker may have given us the best views of the bridge (pic below isn't even filtered- just beautiful there). Later, we celebrated after with dinner at this awesome spot down under the Bay Bridge called Waterbar.
Thursday:
- For the last day, it was off to Muir Woods where we hiked to the top of some mountain/cliff/whatever. I'm really glad we did this. Definitely lived up to the hype. And of course, saw some UK gear there- some little girl rocking UK fleece.
Overall Thoughts:
- Definitely my favorite area I've ever visited. The city is beautiful and has views inward and outward at all times. Then, you don't have to get outside of town much to get outdoorsy, whether its hiking or wine country.
- For as busy and fast-paced as it is, I was surprised by how friendly everyone was. Very courteous town, in my experience.
- If you're a fella who likes asian women, SF is the place to be. Haha.
- The weather- LOL. You go from June to November to September, block to block, minute to minute.
- As much as I loved San Francisco, I think if I ever were to move to California, I'd go with San Diego. It's not as beautiful, but more chill and better weather. JMO
- Thanks for all the suggestions. Next trip-> Boston in August. I'll be back for suggestions