A Week Northern California
 

My husband and I are flying to San Francisco in mid-March for a week. We've done the city, and we're looking for great natural scenary. Should we drive to the wine country, then south to Carmel?

I'm more of a Carmel/ Monterey/ Pacific Grove (there's wine country there also) fan than the Napa wine country. And in mid March, you will have less chances of rain going south instead of north. This past march, everyone got rain, but there was more in the north bay area.

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Had you thought of doing the Sonoma Coast? It is spectacular. Think of the car ads which show their latest inventions driving up winding roads with the sea far below.

Do the wine country if you are into wine. Do the Monterey/Carmel thing if you are willing to drive down to Big Sur for the natural scenery.

My suggestion. Do the Sonoma Coast. Lonely, but beautiful. Take Hwy 101 to Petaluma, then the Bodega Highway to Bodega Bay, then north to Jenner, where the Russian River empties into the Pacific Ocean. After Jenner drive some spectacular road up to Fort Ross State Park former Russian colony. Stop and see the history. You can be here in half a day, maybe, if you don't want to stop and smell the sea on the way. I would suggest a night at Fort Ross Lodge, but be absolutely sure to check Timber Cove Inn, just north. If you can afford to stay there you will be loving the architecture, but probably not loving how they have let it go. But my last room there had a sunken hot tub in the middle of the room. Just north of there is Salt Point Lodge.

This is not Napa Wine Valley or Monterey Bay/Carmel "great natural scenery". This is the real thing.

This is not a place you want to go if you want amenities, or tourist attractions. It is real "natural scenery".

Trust me.

Good post about the Sonoma Coast. We've been on the Sonoma coast and south of Carmel on the Big Sur coast in the past 2 weeks. My DH preferred Sonoma Coast, I preferred Big Sur. Both are beautiful. However, my logic about the weather in mid March is something for the OP to consider.

IMO the best natural scenery (aside from Death Valley and Yosemite) is the drive on Highway 1 from San Fancisco south. We like to include the stretch through Half Moon Bay. Many like Carmel, but our favoriate places to stay over night are Cambria, Santa Barbara, San Louis Obispo, and (surprise) Ventura. Cambria is near San Simeon--convenient for a visit to the Hearst "Castle." There are loads of missions along the way, too.

If you won't dump your car in LA, you might go down Highway 1 a distance and then pop over for Yosemite before returning to SF.

That is exactly what I would do - go to the wine country then drive south to Carmel. Id also go to Sonoma and the Russian River Valley rather than Napa. You'll have a great time!

Happy Trails, I really need to stay in Ventura sometime. As a native Californian, I keep passing it up on my way somewhere. :-)