Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - California Trip Report

I have been reading posts to help assist in planning my California trip, I thought I would write a trip report to hopefully help someone else in planning their trip.

My husband and I flew from JFK to SFO on July 5th. Dropped off our bags at Le Meridien and hopped in a cab to make a 345P Alcatraz tour. Just a note, if you miss your reservation, there is a chance to get in via standby. This is what happened for us as we were originally booked at 315P, but our flight was delayed in NY.

After the Alcatraz tour, which we both enjoyed, we ate dinner at Boudin Bakery & Cafe. Finally back to the hotel. We both liked the Meridien very much. Had a great view from a room on the 24th floor. Not a lot of night life, which was fine for us.

ext day, went to the market on the Embarcadero and picked up food for a picnic lunch. Spent a good portion of the day exploring Golden Gate Park, then visited Lombard Street. Dinner that evening was at Nan King. "Interesting" place, but delicious food.

Last day in SF was spent getting lost, truly, on a hike in Muir Woods. Muir Woods is a beautiful place. I am glad that we were able to spend time exploring beyond the main path. Very peaceful. Dinner this night was a restaurant called Frascati. This dinner was truly one of the highlights of the trip. Delicious appetizers, dinner and a fabulous dessert. Service was friendly and recommended delicious wine to accompany our dinner.

July 8-9th were spent in Napa Valley. We used the Napa Valley Lodge as our base. Cute hotel, we had a room that overlooked a vineyard. In addition, there was a very nice pool, which was important as the temperature reached over 95 degrees each day.

We visited Rutherford Hill, Mumm, Clos Du Val, Robert Mondavi (Wine & Cheese Tour), Alpha Omega, V. Sattui, and Beringer. The tour at Mondavi was outstanding. Had a great dinner at Brix.

From Napa, we moved down to Cambria. We drove on Route 1 from Monterey south. Stopped at Point Lobos Nature Reserve for gorgeous scenery and Harbor Seal sightings. From there we stopped for lunch in Big Sur State Park. I was amazed at how beautiful the ride was. For our hotel in Cambria we stayed in Moonstone Cottages. Very cute cottage located across the street from the beach. Used Cambria as the base for a visit to Hearst Castle. For me, the Hearst Castle was my least favorite part of the trip. My husband however, loved it. I enjoyed the Elephant Seal viewing area several miles down the road a great deal more...

From Cambria we moved to the Bacara Resort & Spa for some relaxation before heading home. Sat by the pool and did not much else for a couple of days and felt very pampered by the staff. I loved my stay at the Bacara and would most certainly return if ever in the area.

Overall, we really enjoyed our time in California. We were lucky and hit no traffic throughout our travels. I fully appreciated the ever changing landscapes in California. The weather was great each day, bright and sunny after some morning fog. I could certainly get used to that!!

Please feel free to post with any specific questions.