matthew

Yes, I know it's a rather wide ranging question.
I will be up near San Fransisco with 3 days to play around with at the start of next week. I will have a car and I'm looking for a 2 or 3 day trip either up over the Bridge into or past Marin County, down south to or past Carmel / Monterey, or even out East perhaps.
I'm looking for suggestions of places to go and see. I want to take it easy and wind down for a while, so I'm not going for the world record number of things to see in 2 days. I'm more interested in either scenic areas or smaller towns that I can wander around (ie more Carmel than SF) - can anyone suggest anywhere? (I have been to Carmel but would be willing to go back to the area again).
Any suggestions from those who are familiar with the area would be much appreciated.
Many thanks.

Curious

matthew,

What is "up near San Francisco"?

C

matthew

Los Altos, outside Mountain View.

mrt

If you are interested in winecheck out Napa Valley and or Sonoma. There are 3-4 small towns which you can use as your base (Yountville, Helena Calestogga (spelling. Along the wat you can spend an afternoon at Muir Woods. If you are real ambitious you can drive to Lake Tahoe 3-4 hour drive.

johncharles

There's nothing like the beauty of Big Sur to unwind in. Try Deetjen's Big Sur Inn, about 30 miles south of Carmel. A unique sort of place, very centrally located to all you will want to see and explore in Big Sur. Quaint and rustic, not for those who want all the attributes of a chain type place every time, an opportunity to sample the old literary-bohemian atmosphere of the area. In fact, it's a national historic monument run on a non-profit basis. Charming, cozy rooms which will warm the heart of a single, with highly entertaining journals written by past guests in every room. The place naturally draws people who can express themselves interestingly. Includes an excellent restaurant, at which some seating is around a large table where singles can enjoy conversation with others. They have a very good website which gives a good feel for the place and nearby attractions--www.deetjens.com.

Treck

I would suggest taking a leisurely drive down Highway 1 past Monterey and Carmel to Big Sur and Hearst Castle. If you decide on going to Hearst Castle. I would recommend making reservations for the tours. There are also quite a few wineries in the Santa Cruz and Monterey areas as well. On the way to Monterey you also also stop at Big Basin Redwoods Park. East of the San Jose area Yosemite would also be a possibility if you can get room reservations.

http://bigbasin.org/

http://monterey.winecountry.com/

http://santacruz.winecountry.com/

http://hearstcastle.org/

http://yosemitepark.com/

matthew

Cheers for the suggestions - will get the maps out (thank you AAA) and make some choices.
Carmel and the Big Sur sound good, then again Tahoe would be nice..........hhhmmmmm.

Thanks again.

PamSF

Since you'll be in the Los Altos area, I'd suggest a drive to Monterey/Big Sur. The landscape is beautiful, there are great restaurants and places for nice easy walks. I'd check out Point Lobos on Hwy 1. The vistas will astound and delight you. Big Sur can be lovely as well.

LeslieC

If you only have two or three days, I wouldn't venture as far as Hearst Castle myself. And, since you've been to Carmel, why not stay in Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula. The Monterey Bay Acquarium is fantastic. We loved the Lighthouse Lodge and Suites (only stay in the Suites) - Dinner at Fandangos, Fisherman's Wharf,etc.

makai1

Hi Matthew,

Don't miss Point Lobos... it is spectacular... as well as Big Sur.

Have fun!

winerycat

matthew: I agree with johncharles about Big Sur being the perfect place to kick back, surrounded by nature at its most beautiful. Next week could be a good time to visit, hopefully before the rains begin.

Deetjen's, in the redwoods just south of Nepenthe, has a wonderful old magic to it--like going back in time. I have fond memories of waking up one night in the Chateau Fiasco room to the unexpected sound of rain and thunder, only to find we were sharing our bed with several sleeping cats who had come in through the open windows to join us--so typically Deetjen's. The place is very rustic; not everyone will like it, but if you're young (or young at heart)and open-minded, it can be quite a beautiful experience.

I recommend the restaurant for everyone--the food and wines are excellent and if you find yourself in the area looking for breakfast or dinner, Deetjen's, (if you can get in) is unforgettable.

MichelleY

Dear matthew:

If you do head to Monterey/Carmel, be sure to check out the Monarch butterflies in Pacific Grove. It is their overwintering hang out. Very cool.

bucky

We are planning a trip to that area the last week of March with two teenagers. Is Deetjen's Ok for kids? Do they have rooms that connect? I would like to spend some time in Big Sur but there don't seem to be many places to stay near there, and also figure we might have rainy weather at that time of year.

We hope to fly into SF and out of LA, but maybe it would be easier to start in LA (don't really want to spend much time there), then head up the coast? We could stay near San Simeon one night and then the next day, go to Big Sur and then drive to Monterey to spend a night or two there before ending up in SF. How does that sound?


Haven't checked the airlines yet, if it's too expensive to fly into/out of different airports we would just have to double back up to SF.

If we decide to stay north, I have considered Yosemite, but wouldn't it be still snowy the last week of March? (3/27--4/3).

winerycat

Bucky, I think Deetjen's might appeal to a teenager's sense of adventure--a little funky and sort of like living in a treehouse. Check out their website at deetjens.com --the rooms are described and I noticed a few that have extra room for kids--I'd call them and ask what would work best for your teenagers.

As for the weather in late March, you could very likely have rain. If it's raining, driving the winding roads to Big Sur wouldn't be good and that area is famous for landslides during the rainy season. It's not uncommon to have Highway 1 close down completely when this happens. It just depends on what kind of weather you get. Any chance you can postpone until later? The summer months tend to be foggy and more crowded, but at least it's not raining. The best time to visit this area, weatherwise, imo, is September through early November.

bucky

thanks, winerycat. i would love to travel in the fall, but unfortunately, the kids don't have any time off school then. we could postpone until summer, but we get tired of the crowds. my neighbor went to Callifornia last year for spring break and had great weather, but like you say, it's unpredictable.

dean56

For 3 days, I would definitely hit Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur...beautiful coastline...spend the $ and take the 17-mile drive in Carmel...stop and walk in Pt. Lobos south of Carmel off Hwy. All in all, a great area to kick back and relax.