ElizabethC

Hello All,
Hubby and I are first time travelers to CA, and our itinerary is quite ambitious. Prior to arriving SanFran, our itinerary includes hiking in Yosemite and Sequoia; driving to Santa Barbara; and then driving 3 days up the Pacific Coast Highway to SanFran. We will have only 1 day to explore Muir Woods, Napa and Sausalito. Game plan so far is as follows: Get to Muir Woods at 8AM opening; spend 1 to 1-1/2 hour exploring; drive up the coast a bit from Muir Beach to Stinson Beach and then up Mt. Tamalpais. OK, now how do we get to Napa for visit to Domaine Carneros and/or Silverado trail to Silverado? We just want to "taste", no winery tours. Lunch perhaps in St. Helena and then return to SF via Sausalito maybe in time for dinner in Sausalito? Any and all comments and suggestions welcomed! Thanks.

janisj

That is one heck of a lot of driving. SF to Muir Woods takes 30 mins or more depending on your starting point. Muir Woods to Stinson Beach takes at least 30 mins, and Stinson to Napa about 90 minutes- and that is w/o the Mount Tam. detour. Plus 30 mins. for Napa to St Helena. St Helena to Sausalito is another 90+ minute drive.

sf7307

It's busy but doable -- based on your plan and janisj's times, you could be out of Muir Woods by 9:30, head over to Stinson Beach around 10, leave Stinson/Mt. Tam by noon for Napa, spend the afternooon in Napa, and return to Sausalito in time for dinner.

Since you like hiking, i'd suggest at least a short hike (about 3 miles)on Mt. Tam. Even a 3-mile hike and you will see some views that wow me now even though I have lived in the Bay Area for 38+ years.

Michael

I think that the walk around Mt. Tam, more or less at the level of the parking lot, is less than three miles. But I suspect that the OP will not get to St. Helena in time for anything but a very late lunch.

janisj

The drives are doable -- but IMO it just doesn't make sense. Why drive to Stinson unless you plan on getting out of the car for a while? Add at least an hour on Mt Tam. Then maybe an hour at D. Carneros. You'd maybe arrive in St Helena by 2:30 or 3PM which is pretty late for lunch. Plus traffic in the Napa Valley can really back up.

All those places are 'worth' it --just not all on the same day. I'd either do Muir Woods/Mt Tam/the coast - or - Napa Valley. Either way you could finish up in Sausalito or Tiburon for dinner.

sf7307

If it were my trip, I'd probably do as janisj suggests -- Muir Woods/Mt. Tam/Coast (which would include a drive up to Pt. Reyes Station and Marshall, with a stop for barbecued oysters at the Marshall Store).

Dayenu

You can taste wine in SF

http://www.winerycollective.com/

mztery

Dayenu I don't mean to be rude but do you just google things? The winery collective in Fisherman's Wharf is a crowded, noisy room with a lot of wines no one h=would ever buy and none of which I've ever heard of. It's nothing like stopping at a winery in Napa or Sonoma or Dry Creek and enjoying a good wine in a lovely location. Plus parking at FW is abominable.

You also suggested Forbes island ot someone else which everyone who's EVER been there says the food is mediocre at best and way over priced.

sf7307

FWIW, I got a Trend Micro security warning when I tried to open that link.

(More importantly, of course, is that you can taste wine in your own kitchen, too. I assume the OP wants to see (at least from her car) the Napa Valley in addition to tasting the wine )

Dayenu

If you don't mean to be rude, just don't be!

You have your opinion, I have mine.

ElizabethC

Thank you everyone! We may reconsider and omit Napa from our trip and just stick to the coast since we love to get out and about. We have been to wineries before, so it really isn't all about the wine. We wanted to see the valley--don't know if we'll be back again--too much else on our bucket list!

sf7307--any other recommendations that you as a local can share would be greatly appreciated!