Kathy

My husband and I will be visiting Norhtern California in mid-May. I know there is a lot of info on the site regarding places to stay and places to eat. However, I am having difficulty trying to map out our 7 day trip. We want to go to napa for 2 or 3 days (don't really know how many i need there - this is the main reason for our trip), san francisco (about 2 days - my husband has been there before)but I also want to go to Carmel and Big Sur (I don't know if there is a lot to do there but I hear it is beautiful - don't know how many days needed). I want to visit these places in the most efficient way possible. Thanks in advance for your help.

J T Kirk

With what you want to see, 7 days may not be enough time. I think Carmel and Big Sur are gorgeous. This is country you have to get out into. A good place to go hiking is the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State park. Carmel has all the shops and restaurants and the famous, but-they-charge-for-it-17-mile drive. It is a bit hoity-toity in Carmel, however. Big Sur is big and rugged. If you can afford it, stay at the Post Ranch Inn or Ventana. Good eats can be had at Ventana or Nepenthe.

TOM O

YOU REALLY ARE THINKING OF 3 VERY DIFFERENT PLACES---BIG SUR IS RAW WONDERFUL BEAUTY--WITHOUT MUCH TO "DO" OTHER THAN MARVEL AT ITS BEAUTY--SAN FRANCISCO IS A VERY CONGESTED BUT BEAUTIFUL CITY--WITH MANY CITY THNGS TO DO--AND NAPA IS PRETTY AND A GOOD PLACE TO VISIT PARTICULARLY IF YOU ARE A FOODIE/WINE PERSON--THERE ARE SOME TASTING SHOPS AND MAYBE SMALL VINEYARDS AROUND CARMEL/MONTEREY--BUT IF YOU ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING HOW THEY MAKE THE WINE, YOU DO GET A BETTER SENSE IN NAPA

kam

Hi Kathy, I do both of these places frequently with house guests--going again next week. Carmel is posh shopping, art galleries and little restaurants, the coast from there south through Big Sur is wild and beautiful. I generally go down to Carmel for a day to browse in the shops, see the Mission and have a nice dinner, overnight and plan to spend almost the whole next day driving 100 miles through Big Sur, return via 46 and 101 from Cambria. One problem is that most hotels in Carmel require at least two nights stay. One exception is the Carmel Village Inn at the top of Ocean Ave.(the main shopping street) I've stayed several times there, it has parking (difficult in Carmel) and is of the "dressed up motel" type. They include a continental breakfast and the rates are pretty reasonable. That would allow you to spend the second night in Cambria. So, that's two days, with the third spent getting back to SF perhaps with a stop at a winery in Carmel Valley or the tasting room on Cannery Row in Monterey (it's the wine association tasting room--upstairs--with pretty view of the bay) You could have a nice seafood lunch in Monterey also. A whole other trip is to Napa. We've been so many times we can do it as a daytrip, but you have to know which are your favorite wineries and it's a bit rushed even so. So, I would suggest 2 days if you're just going to taste and 3 days if you're going to get involved in a lot of the winery tours. Depends on how knowledgable you are about wine. I know I've shortchanged San Francisco but something has to give here. You can still enjoy a lovely day in the city and go to a great restaurant for dinner or you can borrow back another day from Napa. Either way, it'll be a great trip. Enjoy.

kam

Thought I'd explain why Napa is so time consuming---most of the wineries don't open until 10 or 11am and most close at 4:30 or 5 pm. Add to that the incredible appetite you develop when tasting and the need for a good lunch and it makes a pretty short day.

Laurina

Hi Kathy!
Napa Valley in 2-3 days is fine. You should be able to see a lot of wineries in that amount of time. My husband and I took a bike tour of Napa Valley wineries which was a lot of fun. It started at around 9A.M. and ended at 2P.M,lunch included. The name of the company is Getaway Adventures.
There are also a lot of day spas around the area.
Have a great trip!

Kathy

Thanks for all the advice. We really appreciate it. We have heard so many wonderful things about Northern California. We are really looking forward to this trip!