Tuesday, April 17, 2012

We need a plan!!

My wife and I will be in San Francisco for our anniversary in mid-June. We will have 6 full days.



We plan on staying at the Chancellor for 2 days and doing the Wharf, China Town, Alcatraz.



Where do we go next? We want to go to Carmel for a couple of days, but see Pebble beach,Big Sur and one day in wine country too. Should we do the 17 mile drive? Someone with expertise arrange us according to those next 4 days. Many Thanks!



We need a plan!!


I have to admit, I%26#39;m not real big on coming up with itineraries for people without knowing what they like to do. We all have plenty of expertise, but there is simply so much you could do... and everyone has their druthers about what they like to do.



If it were me, I%26#39;d do mostly San Francisco and do maybe one two-day trip elsewhere, but I wouldn%26#39;t be doing all the things you outlined.



Take a peek at the ';San Francisco overview'; and see what looks interesting. Then go over to the Monterey forum and look at its overview.



From there you might be able to figure out what to keep and what to save for another trip to Northern California.



Ask specific questions to help you decide and we%26#39;ll happily weigh in and make suggestions that may be helpful.



We need a plan!!


Agree its helpful to know a bit more...





17 mile drive if you have never done it is a nice thing to do; better yet be sure to go to Pt. Lobos which is just south of Carmel.





What I would suggest is the following:





1) 2 days San Francisco.





2) Get a rental car and drive across the Golden Gate Bridge; there is a parking lot there and you will get an amazing view of San Francisco.





3) Go to Muir Woods and see the Redwoods (if you have not seen redwoods before, this is a must do. In the summer time, its best to get to the parking lot in the morning, so you can find a parking spot.





4) From there drive to Sonoma and see a winery or two...Continue on to Napa and have a nice dinner out at Napa (what food do you like - there are so many great places to eat.).





5) I%26#39;d recommend staying at Best Western Elm House Inn or a bed and breakfast in Napa.





6) In the morning, go on the tour at Mondavi. This is a nice overview tour with pretty views, etc. Reserve in advance...





7) then decide what else you want to do in Napa.





8) Stay one more night.





9) Depart early and drive to Monterey. Visit the aquarium, drive the beach area at Pacific Grove (the views of the ocean here are equal to the ones on the 17 mile drive if you decide not to pay the price.) Have dinner.





10) In morning, go to Pt. Lobos (again parking can be an issue). This is a great place to see.



Then enjoy.





(Note: I%26#39;m not sure if you are leaving now to go home or the next day....if next day, you might want to drive to Half Moon Bay for the night (for the evening.). There are lots of great places to stay there now.





Its then a drive over the hills on Highway 92 to the airport.





With some more information about what you like (or what to do), this can be better planned. For example, do you want to see part of Big Sur, etc. Are you into seeing the surfer beaches or just the top attractions? etc. Do you want night life or fine dining or just a great local place for food with reasonable prices?





Above however should give you some ideas to start considering, and then come back and let us know more.





Have fun planning your trip!




I simply do not agree that 2 days is enough in San Francisco, and when SwingCha comes in here you will see why.




Puter advised ';I simply do not agree that 2 days is enough in San Francisco, and when SwingCha comes in here you will see why.';



[Lightly landing from a lengthy leap, arms outstretched, bent at waist] T%26#39;daaah!



Tucson resident Dave Hatunen comments that ';Two days in San Francisco is like two days in, say, Paris';.



Take a look at the DON%26#39;T MISS SIGHTS IN SAN FRANCISCO, Where to Eat, Temperatures at



geocities.com/touringsfo/Articles/Sights.html to learn what you must miss in a two-day, or even an eight day, visit.



beachdog11 asked «Where do we go next?»



Atlanta.



«We want to go to Carmel for a couple of days»



Here are your DRIVING DIRECTIONS geocities.com/touringsfo/…DriveDir.html



“A Trip to Anaheim…” is an augmenting report for Monterey/Carmel/Pacific Grove, Big Sur, etc.: geocities.com/iconoc/Articles/Road2N07.html




San Francisco is a city, a large city packed into a relatively small area. If you like doing city things, then you%26#39;ll probably want more than two days. If not, hit the road.





My initial reaction to San Francisco on my first visit was how much it felt like an Eastern city. It%26#39;s hilly, it%26#39;s crowded, there%26#39;s lots of traffic, and the weather feels, more often than not, ';in the fifties';.





My second, and continuing, reaction is that it%26#39;s a fantastic city.





For two days, you might start with a good bus tour of the city. That way you%26#39;ll get a glimpse of areas you otherwise couldn%26#39;t see on a short visit, and, who knows, you might see something that compels a change of itinerary.





I%26#39;m not an Alcatraz fan, but if you want to go buy tickets online as early as possible. Tickets queues on the day are long and often sell out. You do not want to spend a couple hours wasting time in the queue.





The Wharf is worth a giggle and a quick walkabout. It%26#39;s redeeming factor is the location on the water. If it was situated 5 miles south, it wouldn%26#39;t be such a big deal. If you keep walking south for a couple of miles, you will pass through Fort Mason Park, the marina, and down to Crissy Park. Great views of the bay, the Golden Gate, etc. I%26#39;d spend more time there than on the Wharf.





If you drive south to Monterey, Carmel, etc., there%26#39;s no reason to avoid the 17-mile drive. It%26#39;s quite possible to do a quick daytrip to Napa and Sonoma, but if you want to really get into the wines and the many good restaurants, you might consider staying overnight. Traffic from Napa back to the city, especially on the 101, can be heavy in the evening (rather like I-75 in Atlanta). Not something I%26#39;d relish after a day of winery tours and filling my belly with good food.





Marin County, directly across the bay, is also worth a visit: Sausalito, Tiburon, Mount Tamalpais, Muir Woods, etc.





If good photos help you decide where to go (they help me), check out the Eyewitness Travel books by DK. Good advice, and great pix.













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