Help planning trip to San Francisco Napa with someone who hates vacationing
 

My boyfriend and I are going to San Francisco for 7 nights - I was thinking 2 days in San francisco and then heading to Napa. My boyfriends favorite activity is going to the gym other than that not much interests him. This is his first vacation in 30 years so I am the one planning it and figure it is hard to go wrong??.

2 days in San Francisco and 5 in Napa???? I would reverse this allocation. Unless you want to visit every winery in the Napa valley - you'll run out of interesting things to do after about 2 days. Actually, 5 days in San Francisco isn't even enough unless you just hang out at Fisherman's Wharf or Union Square and ignore all the other fabulous stuff that makes this a great place to live.

Try reading some of my ideas of things to do & see in SF. Concentrate on the stairway walks, Crissy Field/Fort Point, Land's End walk, Alcatraz tour, free City Guide tours (over 30 different ones), bicycling from the Wharf over the Golden Gate Bridge into Sausalito and they taking the ferry back to San Francisco.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

Agree with Stu- do 5 days in SF and 2 in Napa or Sonoma or Healdsburg.

Or drive down the coast to Monterey and Carmel -

thanks so much! I will be posting more questions soon!

If your boyfriend's favorite activity is going to the gym perhaps he would like hiking more than wine tasting. Does he even drink wine? I would head to the coast, particularly the Big Sur area.

He does like wine, as I am reading responses I am also researching everyones suggestions. It is hard to ask what someone wouold like if they never go on vacation.

What month?
If he likes bicyling, instead of working out inside a gym, there are bike tours of Napa/Sonoma Valleys or he can rent a bike and just do a "criss-cross the cross roads" in Napa Valley thru the vineyards to Silverado Trail then back to Hwy 29.

We use Yountville as a base. Love the funky Railway Inn.

It also shares a gym with The Villagio Spa so while he's working out you can walk across the street to Bouchon's Bakery and have a nice nosh and a cup of coffee...or hit the patio for a good breakfast at Pacific Blues Cafe.

Plenty of GREAT restaurants within walking distance in Y'ville.

Hey...it's <i>THEE</i> Stu! 'zup? :)>-

October 6 - 13th I was thinking Yountville because of their restaurants. I will look at the railway inn. We are NYers if that helps.

OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Not NEW YAWKAHS!!!! :-O
hahaha just kidding.

Our fave Y'ville resto is still Hurley's, especially if their patio is still open. However, we still haven't been to The Fr. Laundry.
Thomas Keller's other resto Ad Hoc is still superb.

Bottega is also still cranking out good stuff and some times Michael Chiarello is in the house and is a great schmoozer (HINT: if you get the great gnocchi, eat it with the slotted spoon or he will yell at you!)

The guy who owns Redd just opened up a new one on the other end of town (you can walk end to end in maybe 15 mins?).

If you like wine, drop by Groezingers and meet up with the wack-jobs that run it. Fun people and a lot of wine knowledge for being "young pups".

Love the oysters at Bouchon's.

yeadonite, I saw your name and instantly thought of FamousUncleArt. I loved his reports.

"<i>yeadonite, I saw your name and instantly thought of FamousUncleArt. I loved his reports.</i>"

Same here :)

Thanks - you brought a tear to his eye. Art turned 85 this May, he is not writing that much but is still traveling, now we do cruises because they are easier for him :)

On our last cruise with a Charlie Chaplin temporary tattoo on his head!

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/225...43572607ajhjHe

I love that picture! I am so glad to hear he is still traveling.

FamousUncleArt, I miss your reports of your adventures but am glad you are still having them!

Here are some music events in San Francisco taking place during your stay:

Glen Hansard
Oct 6 The Fillmore
Oct 7 Golden Gate Park
http://www.youtube.com/user/antireco...y=glen+hansard

Conor Oberst
Oct 7 The Fillmore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9OEV7Wc7do

Patti Smith
Oct 8 The Fillmore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyYAe0fPCvA

Ben Howard
Oct 9 The Fillmore
http://www.youtube.com/user/benhowardmusic

Deftones
Oct 10 Warfield Theatre
http://www.youtube.com/user/deftones?feature=CCQQwRs%3D

Marcus Miller
Oct 11 Herbst Theater
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22ziBLBZIZ4

Smashing Pumpkins
Oct 12 Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
http://www.youtube.com/user/SmashingPumpkinsVEVO

Joshua Radin
Oct 12 Warfield Theatre
http://www.youtube.com/user/Joshuaradin

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (free) is Fri Oct 5 , Sat Oct 6, Sun Oct 7 in Golden Gate Park http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/

Treasure Island Music Festival is Sat Oct 13 & Sun Oct 14 on Treasure Island
http://lineup.treasureislandfestival.com/?sort=day

I have printed Stu's information - and we will definitely change our itinerary. What about Monterey??

>> What about Monterey??<<

Unless you are huge wine lovers & want to visit many wineries, I think the Carmel/Pacific Grove/Pt Lobos/Big Sur area is 100 times more interesting than the Napa Valley. I'm not a big fan of Monterey itself - but Pacific Grove, Spanish Bay, & Carmal are fantastic places to stay overnight to explore the entire region. Allow at least a 2 night stay in this area. There is info about it in my post that you printed out.

Stu Dudley

I love cycling south from the old wharf in Monterey to Lovers Point, through 17 mile drive(free for cyclists) to Carmel, Carmel Mission, to highway 1 to Point Lobos. Back north to Carmel Crossroads where you can take a local bus back to Monterey. Much of it is bike trail or lane. About 30-35 miles. Check out Monterey Bay Costal trail.
There is the Monterey Sports Club where he can get a day pass and you can go to Carmel and shop forever!

Stu - what area in San Francisco would you recommend staying in?

If you will have a car while in San Francisco, I would stay at one of the motels on Lombard St or just off Lombard where you can get free parking. I think the Columbus Motor Inn on Columbus St in North Beach (little Italy - but fewer & fewer Italians there) has free or cheap parking too.

If you won't have a car, try some place close to Market & The Embarcadero. If your BF jogs, he can jog along the Embarcadero in the morning or late afternoon. I think there is still a "Y" there - under the Bay Bridge. My wife went to this "Y" frequently 30 years ago.

I would not stay at Fisherman's Wharf. And if your BF doesn't like to vacation, I would steer him clear of the Union Sq area & all the vagrants there.

Stu Dudley