Nushin_Alloo

I broke my ankle two weeks before our wedding so have postponed our honeymoon to Italy and opted for a romantic road trip instead. I am leaving May 14th from Los Angeles for two weeks - will drive one way and fly back. I would love something quaint and romantic (lots of little, lovely towns with good food and ambiance/scenery. Any suggestions on a good route or places to stay? I'm open to going in any direction. Thanks!!!

AAFrequentFlyer

http://www.fodors.com/world/north-am...-wine-country/

bbqboy

Come visit us in Ashland.
http://www.ashlandchamber.com/Sectio...?SectionID=103

Gardyloo

I think a big loop would be great - go north to the Sierra foothills and Gold Rush country along the west slope of the Sierras. The spring weather is perfect, the scenery grand, and there are a number of very cute and historic towns located along CA Hwy 49 (get it? 49ers) - Columbia, Mokelumne Hill, Sutter Creek, Amador City, Grass Valley...

Then cut across the valley to St Helena and the Napa/Sonoma bunch, including some of the towns in the hills to the west of US 101, like Occidental etc. Finally hit the coast around Mendocino and back down Hwy 1 all the way through SF and down through Big Sur on the way back to LA.

Or, skip the Mendocino coast (probably overcast and June gloomy then anyway) and spend a day or two in "Sideways" wine country in Santa Barbara county, maybe including a visit to Ojai. And of course Santa Barbara itself is an ideal honeymoon destination with a lot of great restaurants, lovely country drives, etc.

But the Gold Rush country in spring is a wonderful experience, one that tends to be off a lot of people's radar.

Nushin_Alloo

Wow that sounds like a great idea, thank you. I'm unfamiliar with the area, any recommendations on where to stay/eat/base ourselves? Also do you think it's worth continuing north to Oregon or West to Nevada as well?

janisj

"Also do you think it's worth continuing north to Oregon or West to Nevada as well?"

Just a quick comment right now -- w/ just 2 weeks you might not want to stretch yourselves too thin. Just barely into Nevada (Lake Tahoe) is doable. But I'd leave Oregon to another trip. Unless you want a series of one night stands and lots of extra driving - I'd stick to the Sierra foothills (plus maybe a couple of days at Tahoe), Sonoma and a bit of the coast just north of San Francisco, Carmel/Monterey and down the coast.

BTW There are excellent vineyards and wineries all through the foothills, w/ a big concentration around the village of Plymouth. The region is sort of what Napa/Sonoma was 30 years ago - mostly free tastings, reservations not necessary, a chance to talk to the wine makers, no bumper to bumper traffic - but still many award winning wines.

sf7307

Janis, what's the town of Plymouth like - is it a quaint little town like Paso Robles or Cambria, or is it just a town that you wouldn't otherwise visit but for the wineries?

sf7307

Oh, and Nevada is EAST, the Pacific Ocean is WEST

Tomsd

It all depends on how you want to spend the two weeks. Plopped down/kicking back more or less in one area - or after a few days in Napa and a jaunt to say Lake Tahoe (very beautiful) you could drive up toward Redding/Northern Ca - either by coming back to Sacramento and heading up I-5 - or up through part of Nevada/CA from Reno.

It' about 2 hours (less w/ no traffic) to get from Tahoe (via (I-80) back down to the I-5/Sacto and then about 4 hours north to Ashland, just across the Oregon border. From cute Ashland (a college town) - you could see Crater Lake (an hour or so) or go up to Eugene (University town - 2 hours north on I-5) and over to Florence on the Oregon Coast (an
hour from Eugene) and down part of the beautiful, rugged Oregon Coast.

There are also nice wineries outside of Eugene - heading toward the Coast.

BarbAnn

Plymouth is not a town to visit on it's own. The area and wineries that are close by (Shenandoah Valley) are fabulous. Amador Flower Farm is a great place to picnic while visiting the many wineries. Fitzpatrick wines are not that great, but their pizzas from their pizza oven and the views from their deck are excellent (the tasting room and B&B sit on top of a hill with views of the vineyards and valley). There are some wonderful wineries located on the back roads north towards Camino (near Placerville). I live near by and visit the area and wineries often.

janisj

I think that may be the very first time I have ever heard Redding mentioned in relation to a honeymoon!!

sf7307: I agree w/ BarbAnn that Plymouth itself is not a 'destination'. Though one restaurant definitely is. http://www.restauranttaste.com/

But it is just north of some of the other hwy49 towns like Sutter Creek, Amador City, etc and just south of the Placerville to Auburn bits

sf7307

I just found it on googlemaps. I prefer visiting small quaint towns and driving through beautiful countryside over visiting wineries. (We go up to Napa to visit friends, and haven't been in a winery in probably 30 years)

OP: You might want to consider Sonoma, Healdsburg (both lovely small towns) and the drive through the Dry Creek area of Sonoma (beautiful wine country).

janisj

"I just found it on googlemaps. I prefer visiting small quaint towns and driving through beautiful countryside over visiting wineries."

In the Spring especially the area is VERY pretty/scenic w/ several interesting small towns/hamlets.

Basically all along hwy 49 and up nearby hwy 88 or hwy 4 a bit.

Nushin_Alloo

Great thank you. Is there a particular city in the Sierra foothills that you recommend staying in? Or a nice, honeymoonish type hotel?

Tomsd

Have you checked the route along Gold Country/hiway 49 from the Folsom/Placerville area toward Jamestown/Mariposa/Yosemite? Some great Victorian architecture and history (and B & B's) - and there are also wineries in the area. http://www.historichwy49.com/wine.html

Tomsd

LOL. Just looked at the 49 map again - and there is good ole Plymouth. Can't really distinguish it in the ole memory banks - but do remember the next towns of Sutter Creek and Jackson. There are some other posts in here about wineries along 49 if you check under California and other posts about Yosemite.

Tomsd

And have an email to my sister to ask here where her college friend retired to in Gold Country. They live up one of the roads up the hill - and there were some cute places - B & B's signs in that area that we drove by. Think it might be above Jackson or Sutter Creek.

Tomsd

And BarbAnn. Any lodging recommendations along 49? My friend used to live by Placerville and now he lives in Folsom and we have driven along 49 - through Gold Country maybe 6 times over the years, but never stayed anywhere there.

There is a place in Sutter Creek? - a block to the hill side of the street - that is a great little place for coffee and homemade pie/candy as I recall.

Tomsd

Here are a couple pages on where to dine in Sutter Creek and also in Jackson. One - if not both of these towns - has a fun old time bar/saloon/cafe/restaurant with pictures from the Gold Rush days.

And we may have picked up sandwiches at Susan's place? http://www.susansplace.com/index.htm

http://suttercreek.org/dine And for the area in general: http://www.greygables.com/amador_cou...staurants.html

janisj

Tom -- will you STOP it please! Your multiple (multiple, multiple . . . ) stream of consciousness posts just confuse things unnecessarily . . . If you want info about Hwy 49 -- start your own darn thread.

Nushin_Alloo: "Is there a particular city in the Sierra foothills that you recommend staying in? Or a nice, honeymoonish type hotel?"

There are no 'cities' in the foothills but several small towns/villages. Most have a few B&B and some are really excellent. I wouldn't worry about which specific town, but more pick a B&B/hotel that appeals. What is your budget?