mrsmaddentobe

My fiance and I will be travelling northern California for 7 days in Sept for our honeymoon. I have read various postings and am now finding myself even more confused.

We would like to start up in Napa and see some wineries. Then head to Carmel/Monterey area and see the beach. From there we plan to head to SF to see Alkatraz and get a Giants game in.

Can anyone suggest accomodations for us-We LOVE the beach and beautiful scenery. Also, can anyone put together a sample itinerary which also lays out the timing/distance between each location-I am feeling clueless.

I dont want to spend the whole time driving and living out of a suitcase.

Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Thank you!

J_Correa

I'd spend 2 nights in the wine country, 2 nights in the Monterey Bay area, and 2 nights in SF.

So for example:

Day 1: Fly into SFO or OAK, rent a car, drive to the wine country. It's about an hour to hour and a half drive from either airport as long as you aren't driving on a weekday between the hours of 3pm and 7pm - in that case it would take longer.

Day 2: Tour the wine country

Day 3: Drive to the Monterey Bay area. Where you stay depends on what type of experience you are looking for.

Santa Cruz, Capitola, and Aptos are more beachy - surfers, boogie boarders, people hanging out on the beach. Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel are more about the coast - beautifully rugged coastline with small beaches, not much for swimming or wading.

The drive from the wine country to Santa Cruz is about 2 1/2 hours. To Monterey, it's closer to 3 hours.

Day 4: In the Monterey Bay area

Day 5: Drive to SF - this will take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Day 6: In SF

Day 7: Fly home

J_Correa

I must disagree with Treck on his advice to fly into San Jose. Although it is midway between all your destinations, it isn't the most convinient airport to the wine country or SF, which are your beginning and ending destinations. Also, you wont need a car in SF, so if you turn the car in when you arrive in the city, you can easily take public transportation to SFO or OAK.

I wouldn't fly in and out of SJC unless you get some terrific airfare that would warrant the extra driving on Day 1 and either keeping the car in SF or paying for a shuttle from SF down to SJC on your last day.

KathrynT

I, too, would suggest landing in SFO rather than SJ (assuming you are flying in.)
While the San Jose area does have some interesting sites, I think four destinations would be too much for your 7 day trip.
Since you say you like beaches, I'd be sure to give enough time to the Monterey/Carmel area. I think 2 nights in Napa, 2 in SF and 2 in Monterey/Carmel sounds pretty good although you'll be on the move quite a bit.
Be sure to reserve your Giants tickets and Alcatraz tickets in advance as they often sell out. You might have to plan your schedule around the Giant's game depending on when they are in town.

janis

Another big "no" for flying into San Jose. In addition to the other reasons above - It is in the midst of a very messy construction project so the airport is hard to get to.

J_Correa

mrsmaddentobe -

It's not that San Jose should be avoided (the poster in question is the one that seems to direct everybody to San Jose, by the way). San Jose is a perfectly fine city and has a lot to offer, but with so much to see in this area and only 7 days to see it, you've got to prioritize. You have barely enough time to see the wine country, the Monterey Bay, and SF as it is - only 2 nights in each area. Fortunately the drives between each area aren't super long, so you will have time to sightsee on those days as well. I can't see taking time away from any of the locations you are planning to visit to spend time in San Jose.

janis

mrsmaddentobe: Yes, unfortunately you have figured it out all wrong. The fellow (actually about 15 screen names but only one so far on your thread) that sends everyone towards SJ causes real havoc here on Fodors.

San Jose is a perfectly reasonable place to live - but no 7-day trip to CA should waste ANY time there. It is a bedroom community and part of the silicon valley business region w/ a few mid to lower tier tourist attractions, terrible traffic and currently a VERY congested airport due to construction.

You have gotten some excellent suggestions - but going to San Jose is not one of them . . . . . .

BayArea

Actually this just takes a little bit of common sense. You've HEARD of Napa, you've HEARD of San Francisco, you've HEARD of Monterey all as vacation destinations.

When (other than here) did you ever hear of San Jose as a vacation destination?

You haven't? That was my point.

KathrynT

The more I think about your trip, the more I think even 3 destinations might be too much - especially if you're on your honeymoon and presumably want to wind down from all the wedding hoopla. Two destinations will minimize packing/unpacking and driving and will make for a more relaxing trip. I love all of the areas you mentioned so the trick will be to prioritize and leave something for a future trip.
By the way, the beaches in the Monterey/Carmel area are beautiful but usually not warm (in case you're picturing "sunny California.")

beeper

Okay, here's what I would do--but I live in the Bay Area. I would skip Carmel/Monterey altogether and head over to Jenner and down to Pt. Reyes instead. Fly into SFO, drive to Sonoma (Healdsburg and so on--I like it better than Napa) then along the Russian River to Jenner. Down Highway 1 to Point Reyes, then on down the Coast to SF. Spend three nights doing this--one in Sonoma, one in Jenner, one in Point Reyes. That leaves four nights in SF, plenty of time for more than just Alcatraz and Giants, but you can add another night in Pt. Reyes if you're hikers/beachy folks and/or an extra night in the wine country if you like. Much more beautiful scenery, lots of wineries between Sonoma and Jenner as well as in the valley itself, less touristy but still lots of wonderful accomodations and you don't spend hours and hours of your precious honeymoon stuck in Bay Area traffic. I've been to Carmel, Monterey, Big Sur, and IMHO Point Reyes surpasses them all. And the view at Jenner, where the Russian River runs into the Pacific Ocean, has to be seen to be believed. You can kayak on the river or on Tomales Bay (no experience necessary), the food possibilities are fabulous, and at Point Reyes I recommend Manka's Inverness Lodge for both lodging (get the Fishing Cabin) and for dinner. Jenner's lodgings are more modest but still lovely, and there are a ton of B&Bs and so on around Healdsburg.

makai1

A 2nd for Carmel Beach... just gorgeous... my DH and I took a wonderful long walk on CB toward Pebble Beach on our 20th anniv, and it
is a "most delightful" memory.

Many congrats!

viamar

Carmel Beach is the most beautful beach in the area (in my opinion) but for a great swimming beach I suggest New Brighton State Beach just a little south of Capitola. The water is very calm there and the water is a little bit warmer for some reason. In Capitola there is a very nice B&B called the Inn on Depot Hill, it's very highly rated. If you do go to Capitola try the Shadowbrook restaurant. It has to be one of the most romantic restaurants anywhere.

J_Correa

I second the recomendation for New Brighton Beach. I've also heard good things about the Inn at Depot Hill. It's a great location - only a couple blocks from the beach and right up a small hill from Capitola Village which is a cute little place on the beach with several casual restaurants, some with patios overlooking the ocean and the creek, a wharf, and little shops - very walkable area. Mr Toots Coffee House is there, which is a cool little place overlooking the creek where you can get great cafe latte, espresso, and that type of thing.

bucky

Carmel river beach is very pretty...what is that picturesque church across the road?

I actually prefer the beach in pacific grove or pfeiffer beach in julia pfeiffer burns state park (or was it pfeiffer state park?) those beaches have lots of interesting rocks jutting into the ocean, very dramatic and very beautiful. We certainly don't see anything like that at our Lake Michigan beaches!

SAB

bucky, that's Monestary beach which can have some pretty serious undertow. My favorite is Carmel River beach but I have never seen anyone in the water there. The kids usually play the lagoon created by the river near the beach. IMHO most, if not all, of the beaches in Northern California are not for swimming unless you are a surfer.

SAB

bucky, that's Monastery beach which can have some pretty serious undertow. My favorite is Carmel River beach but I have never seen anyone in the water there. The kids usually play the lagoon created by the river near the beach. IMHO most, if not all, of the beaches in Northern California are not for swimming unless you are a surfer.

J_Correa

In general, the beaches in the bay are better for swimming than the beaches on the open ocean.

In Santa Cruz, the Boardwalk beach and Cowell Beach, on the other side of the wharf from the Boardwalk, are generally pretty good - the water stays fairly shallow for a ways, so you don't get the undertoe you get at some beaches. During slack tide in the summer, there are hardly any waves at all. Castle Beach is a little rougher, but I spent plenty of time swimming there when I was a kid. Twin Lakes and New Brighton are good, as is Capitola Village.

The water is cold, of course, and it is the ocean, but as long as you pay attention, you can swim.

brookwood

We have not had a good troll in a long time. I think people have been asking mostly "where to go" questions.

For me, northern California includes Mount Shasta and Mount Lassen in the middle eof the state, and the Coastal Redwoods. Both areas are beautiful.
There is something about the quiet of a dense redwood grove that is like no other place.

kimamom

We just spent a couple of hours on the Carmel Beach yesterday. It was gorgeous! We also went to the Carmel River beach, I had not been to that one before. It's beautiful and we took some great photos there. It was pretty deserted, tho. ***kim***

curmudgeon

easytraveller, what's with *your* BS here? Coleman avenue is an old industrial area - but I'd sure as heck rather walk through there than Hunters Point or the Tenderloin in SF!!