Day trip to CA coast from Napa?
 

I've posted with a few questions about our upcoming (next week!!) trip to Sonoma/Napa. We've pretty much decided that we'd like to take a day to drive to the coast to take in some scenery & ambiance. Can anyone suggest a town or destination on the coast? We'll be driving from Napa, so somewhere north of the SF area would be good...within a couple of hours of Napa. We'd love to see beautiful cliffs, vistas, etc. Possibly a small town with a great restaurant for lunch?

I've looked at a map, but I'm clueless about what destination would be best. Thanks for your help!

Drive west through Sonoma County, and if you can avoid the tasting rooms in the Russian River Valley, drive N along the coast to Mendocino and beyond.
M

My favorite for this trip (which includes your request for beautiful cliffs,vistas,etc.)would be Jenner and a lunch stop at The River's End
707-865-2484-here's a photo link to a
pic of their deck-
blork.typepad.com/photos/sanfran2003/ riversendvieweast.html
To get there: (Most scenic route IMHO)Hwy 116 east from Napa
over to Petaluma. To Lakeville Hwy
which you can follow thru Petaluma
under Hwy 101 for about 3 miles and turn left at Washington St. follow this out of Petaluma as it turns into the Bodega Hwy. You will first hit Bodega Bay, which is cute, but continue on up PCH1 along the coast -stops at any of the Salmon Creek beaches or at Goat
Rock would be fun. The cuisine and views
at River's End are fab! Your return trip
could be via 116 along the Russian River
through Monte Rio and Guerneville
through Santa Rosa on Hwy 12. Follow Hwy 12 down into Sonoma and hook up with 116 and back into Napa.
What do you think?
R5

Oh boy, I just can't resist adding Mendocino to this discussion. I have already booked my return trip. From 101, take 128 for some fun (WINERIES, FARMS, HILLS, REDWOODS) then head up Hwy 1 to Mendocino. Great restaurant? Try to find a bad one in Mendocino!
here's some suggestions:
http://www.mendocino.com/eat.lasso?City=All
Be sure to let us know how the trip was. I just returned; already itching to go back and that's not till November. At least I can uncork and enjoy, LOL.

Yikes! If you go to Mendocino be aware that you'll need 3-3.5 hrs each way from Napa if you don't stop. If you go over to Bodega Bay & Jenner
it'll be 1.5 to 2 hours each way.
Just a little heads up...
R5

Sorry, but what is in Mendicino? Is it worth an overnight? What special things are there?

The Bodega Bay Lodge & Spa is very nice. Their restaurant the Duck Club was wonderful. Get a suite, they're beautiful. We stayed in the Trumpeter Swan room. ***kim***

Wow! Thanks for the suggestions! I think that Mendocino might be a little far for us to drive for just a day trip, but next time we go back, we'll add it to the itinerary!

Razzledazzle...you have the best suggestions! I looked at the link you posted to the River's End and it's AMAZING! Wow! I think that trip sounds just like what we're looking for. Thanks for the tip!

Razzledazzle is "right on"---Great advice- very relaxing route..
Be sure to take jacket, sweatshirt etc--can be quite windy on the coast.
Mendocino is great area but it really needs an overnight,,
It takes a minimum, of 3 1/2 hours and some of this is slow going on a twisty road..

travelisfun-Your quite welcome! It's fun to share places around here that
are local gems that folks that don't live here wouldn't know about (that's a strange sentence LOL!) Wave when you drive by!
Have fun!
R5

I would love to repeat my drive to Bodega Bay for lunch, then up HWY 1 to Jenner for the MOST fabulous sunset dinner at the Rivers End. I drove back to Santa Rosa (old lady alone), the Russian River Road with ease. If just one location, I would drive the R River in the day to see, it is beautiful and have the dinner at Rivers End and save Bodega for another day. Hope someone will tell us how much time for Napa to Bodega for lunch and back to Napa.

bodi-It takes us 45 mins from Petaluma to Bodega, from Napa I would add 30 min.
so 1.15-1.30 hrs.
R5

Thanks RD, I can't wait to wave! I fell so in love with your area!

Razzeldazzal, we are planning similar trip, napa to the coast, but then back to san fran. do you drive hwy 1 all the way back to san fran? any suggestions on route or things to see on way back to san fran?

Funny, to be reading posts that occurred during our wedding weekend: May 21, 2005!

If you haven't already experienced it yet, it is really best to take HWY 101 to your destination to totally enjoy the experience. It depends on where on the coast you will want to explore but I have found the River Rd./Hwy 116 route to HWY 1 North is a nice route. You can drive all the way to Mendocino if you want, but you also have the option of exploring Gualala, Anchor Bay, Pt. Arena, Irish Beach, Manchester, Elk. All great towns with wonderful eateries, shops, and a beautiful drive linking them.

When you take HWY 128 West to HWY 101, the big treat is you get to see a different landscape, do a little winetasting, and eat more great food (Philo and Boonville have wonderful eateries!). From the mouth of the Navarro River (where Hwy 128 and Hwy 1 intersect) to Santa Rosa is about 2 hours. There are gas stations in Philo, Boonville and then in Cloverdale (just turn right where the 128 ends, instead of turning left to Hwy 101).

Just got back last week from Sonoma/Napa wine trip and we drove over to Bodega Bay from Sonoma and drove down thru Russian River Valley and hit great wineries the whole way. Of course, we stopped at "The Birds" school house and teacher's house next door on our way into Bodega Bay. Just beautiful country!