MaryLovesToTravel

My boyfriend and I, both mid-twenties, are planning a trip in mid-October to Northern California. We are flying into SFO on Thursday morning and taking the red eye home on Tuesday evening - meaning we have six full days and five nights. Our flights are booked and we are looking into accommodations next. This is what I am thinking - do you think this is reasonable? Too much driving? Any suggestions are much appreciated!

Day 1 - Arrive at SFO at 11:30 a.m., rent car, drive to Sonoma, spend day there, do wine tastings, go out to dinner and stay overnight
Day 2 - Leave Sonoma and have lunch in Sausalito, arrive in SFO and sightsee, stay over night
Day 3 - Sightsee all day in SFO, stay over night
Day 4 - Leave SFO and take scenic road to Carmel, stopping in Half Moon Bay, go out to dinner in Carmel, stay over night
Day 5 - Drive down to Big Sur for the day and hike at Julia Phieffer Burns park, eat dinner either in Big Sur or Carmel or somewhere in between, stay over night in Carmel
Day 6 - Explore Carmel/ Monterey/ any suggestions? Leave for SFO by 6 p.m.

I really appreciate any feedback on places to see, routes to take and places to eat/ drink. We don't mind driving as long as its scenic.

MaryLovesToTravel

One correction, by SFO, I mean SF! spending as little time in the airport as possible

indyhiker

If you arrive at the airport at 11:30, I have to wonder if you'll end up even having that much time in Sonoma by the time you get your rental car, drive there and get settled in. For me, what amounts to a half day there--at best-- wouldn't be worth it.

For the relatively short amount of time you have, I think I'd do the city and wine country or the city and Big Sur/Carmel, but not all three. With your current itinerary, are you planning on keeping your car rental for the days in the city? That might prove to be a hassle. I'd further note that at least when we went in May, it was much cheaper to pick up our rental downtown than at the airport. We dropped the car off at the airport. You might run the numbers and see if that impacts how you want to structure your trip.

NewbE

I disagree with indyhiker--respectfully! I think that going straight to Sonoma makes good sense. We often land around noon, get a car, have lunch at Lagunitas Brewery in Petaluma, and proceed to Sonoma or Healdsburg, arriving around 3. It won't leave loads of time for wine tasting, but a couple of hours that afternoon and a couple more the next morning should suffice.

I guess I'd keep the rental car and pay for parking rather than give it up for just 2 nights in SF. That way, you'd return it at the airport, where you got it.

For Day 6, don't miss Point Lobos, just outside Carmel. The town itself is nice for strolling. And there's always the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey. Or you could do some sea kayaking, or kayak at Elkhorn Slough. Lots of stuff to do there!

janisj

I agree w/ indyhiker. I'd do Sonoma+SF - or - Carmel/Big Sur+SF -- not all three. (Carmel/Big Sur would be my choice but I just love the area). Unless there are specific wineries you must see in Napa/Sonoma, - there are vineyards/wineries near Monterey and in the southern SF Peninsula.

You wouldn't have close to half a day in Sonoma w/ an 11:30 arrival. Count on getting on the road by about 12:30 then it would be 1.5 to 2 hours to Sonoma depending on if there is traffic.

I'd probably drive down to Carmel and stay Thurs/Fri/Sat nights, drive up to SF Sunday after breakfast, drop the car and stay Sunday/Mon nights, fly home Tues night..

NewbE

Well, again, she wouldn't have half a day in Sonoma, but she'd have a couple of hours while tasting rooms are still open, then a couple of hours to walk around the town square before dinner, and then dinner. That's a half-day's worth of activity, surely. There are wineries all over the state, and good ones, but when people say they want to see Wine Country, there's no substitute.

NewbE

The last thing I'll say on this subject is that the OP and her BF are in the twenties. They have energy enough for rushing about, unlike many posters on this board.

janisj

It has nothing at all to do w/ 'energy' (lovely way to invalidate anyone with might disagree w/ you >> <blue>Of course I'd never say anything but you do know all the others trying to help you are old fogies - and I'll deny I said that. </blue> >but when people say they want to see Wine Country, there's no substitute.

NewbE

Wow, defensive much? Most of the people who post on this board are much older than the OP, including myself. Why you should find that simple fact to be so personally insulting as to require unleashing a million smileys is a mystery to me. And "hogwash"? Seriously? Why get this angry about a difference of opinion?

november_moon

Ok, we are getting a little bit off topic. I think it really just comes down to travel style - some people like to move around more than others. Hopefully with the information about drive times and alternatives, the OP will be able to decide what makes sense for their trip.

A couple things to consider:

Big Sur is a 90 mile stretch of coastline where pockets of civilization are few and far between. Choosing a few places to visit along the coastline is a good idea - you had mentioned Julia Pfieffer Burns park and I think someone recommended Point Lobos state park - making those your main focus and then planning for other stops along the way is a good way to go about a visit to Big Sur.

For dinner after visiting Big Sur, I would plan to be back in Carmel/Monterey. There aren't a lot of choices in Big Sur for meals and the road is narrow and dark, so it is best not to make the drive back to Carmel after dinner (unless you have an early dinner with daylight leftover afterward). If you like to have drinks with dinner, definitely don't plan to drive back to Carmel from Big Sur, even if you are below the legal limit - just not worth the risk.

For Carmel/Monterey, consider which town to stay in based on what you are looking for. Carmel is quaint and upscale, pretty quiet, gorgeous beach. Monterey is larger with more going on - you have a wider variety of lodging (type and budget), some reasonable nightlife, a wider variety of restaurants (also type and budget), etc. Both are great, just depends on what you are looking for.

indyhiker

My opinion had nothing to do with age, travel style or energy. Rather it was a simple cost-benefit analysis. To me, it makes little sense to rent a car for their very short stay in Sonoma only to then spend two nights in the city--where a car is a liability. And the drive in and out of the city for less than half a day in Sonoma also doesn't sound worth it to me. I love Sonoma County; the traffic to and from not so much. And you can have all the energy in the world and youth on your side and a day still just has 24 hours in it. To me, three locales over six nights in the Bay area feels overly hectic.

aprillilacs

I too would stick to two bases with just 5 nights, and as much as I love the Sonoma Valley, I would probably choose Carmel/Monterey/Big Sur instead. October will be gorgeous along the coast and in San Francisco!

After picking up the car (don't count on getting on your way before 12 or 12:15), you could drive directly to Carmel or Monterey, depending on your choice of lodging, and spend Thursday and Friday nights there--maybe even Saturday night if you want--doing all the things you listed in your original post. On Saturday or Sunday, drive to SF, drop the car, and stay the next 2 or 3 nights in the city. Tons of great things to do there!! If you really want to visit the wine country, you could book a day tour from the city--you could even do that on Tuesday, spending a full day in the wine country before the tour brings you back to SF and you head out to the airport for the red eye.

curiousgeo

Your current plans for all three can be done but sounds rushed. You could easily fill your 5 days with just two places and still not see and do everything.

I would do either the Sonoma/SF or Monterey-Carmel/SF itinerary, depending on how badly you want to visit the wine country or see the coast (my personal preference). Driving straight to either destination upon arrival and ending in SF is a good idea. Just an older persons 2 cents.

MichelleY

I like Aprillilacs' plan, if you want to do it all.

StuDudley

I agree with everyone who is suggesting just two locations. Like Aprillian's said, head immediately to the Carmel area & stay in Carmel until Sat or Sun (you want to head to SF on a non-workday). Do the Pfeiffer stuff & have lunch at Nepenthe one of those days while in Carmel. Then return to SF, dump the car, and enjoy your remaining days in The City. There are loads of wine bars in SF. Lots on Chestnut St/Marina & the Hayes Valley.

Here are some ideas
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

MaryLovesToTravel

Thanks all! We decided to stay 3 nights in Carmel and 2 nights in San Francisco. Very excited!

janisj

Great decision - October is normally terrific weather along the coast.

Pacifica_Grove

Here is a link to the Monterey Tourism website with info on wineries and wine tasting venues in the Monterey/Carmel area. Good wine and beautiful scenery here too.

You can go to the actual wineries, or just go to the wine tasting rooms in town which are prevalent and multiplying as we speak.

http://www.seemonterey.com/food-wine/wineries

best PG

starrs

Re wine tour - Friends are currently in SF and took a van tour from SF to wineries in Sonoma with a stop at Muir Woods on the way. They really liked that option. It's a full day tour so you may not want to devote that much time, but it's an option to consider if you really want to enjoy visits to wineries.

They are in their early 30s if age matters, and evidently it does to some.

NewbE

And another traveler to California passes up Sonoma and Napa, lol. OK, I give up. let Fodor's be known as the place where one person's bizarre opinion--i.e, that those are not worth the effort, a crazy opinion, frankly--rule.