We want to visit San Francisco and Sonoma/Napa and also include a drive down thru San Jose and over to Carmel/Monteray to play Pebble Beach. Where should we fly into/out of and call "home base".? Best time of year for this trip? Suggested hotels? Restauarants....? All input appreciated. Thanks.

October is a great time of year for all of these places. S.F. and Monterey can be foggy and cold during the summer months. I would suggest flying in to SFO and use that as your base. As far as hotels...depends whether you want to be right downtown and pay for parking and valet or on the outskirts of SFwith parking included and drive in. In Monterey we love the Hotel Pacific which is right near the wharf. Fresh Cream is a great restaurant in Monterey as well as Fandango's in Pacific Grove. Also the Fishwife in Pacific Grove is a favorite of the locals. E-mail me if I can be of further assistance.......Tam

I agree that October would be a good time - April is also very nice. I was at both of these places just last week and although the days were beautifully clear, the highs were only around 70. If you are looking for "resonable" accomodations around Monterey, the Hampton Inn in Seaside is very nice. It is about a 15 minute drive north on Highway 1, but the coast is beautiful through there. I have also stayed at the DoubleTree downtown Monterey and it is nice if you like being in the "middle" of things. The drive from San Francisco to Monterey can take anywhere from 2 hours to 4 hours depending upon traffic and whether you want interstate or scenic. Highway 1 has been recently repaved most of the way and is really gorgeous on a clear day about sunset. Definitely do this if you have time. If you want to start in Monterey, you can fly into Monterey from either San Francisco or LA and rent a car there. I do not suggest trying to fly out of Monterey because the flights into SF and LA get bumped alot and then there goes the rest of your plans. I would suggest flying into Monterey, then drive up the coast to SF and Napa. Then fly home from SF. Hope this helps! You are in for a real treat out there. Oh, one more thing, the Hogs Breath Inn in Carmel by the Sea is really good for steaks.

You are visiting at the best time of the year. I would make San Francisco my home base. It is by far the best place to stay and you are right between the Napa Valley and Monterrey. I live in Silicon Valley and do NOT recommend that you visit San Jose. It is a great place to live but with your tight schedule, there really isn't much to see for a tourist.

Fly in and out of SFO. I don't know what your budget is so can't recommend specific hotels. I would probably stay down by Fisherman's Wharf. Parking will cost an extra $15.00 or so per day but that is typical of any big city. You don't need your car for travel around the city. There are cheaper but decent accomodations out by Lombard on the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. I suggest that you take a look at the "Travel Web" site "www.travelweb.com/index.html". You can look at what accomodations are available and the rates. You can even book on line which I have done several times. The rates are generally better then what you can get directly from the hotel and they usually have vacancies even when the hotel reports being sold out. That should not be a problem in October.

I would suggest driving down 280 to the exit to Half Moon Bay. Take the exit west then travel south at the top of the mountain through the Santa Cruz Mountains. You go south until you reach hwy 9 to Santa Cruz. Take this and you will end up at the coast at Santa Cruz. This route will give you some great mountain and forest scenery. You will get plenty of coastal scenery from Santa Cruz south. Highway 1 from San Frncisco to Santa Cruz is nothing too spectaular so the mountains would be a nice change. Leave adequate time as it is a fairly slow drive along the mountains to Santa Cruz. After reaching Santa Cruz, proceeed south until you reach Monterrey. If you have time, drive out on the Santa Cruz pier. Make sure you take the 17 mile drive south of Monterrey and also visit Carmel.

Have a great time.

Also a drive south along Hiway 1 to Big Sur is spectacular. We do this nearly everytime we go. Have hors d"oeuvres, lunch or dinner at the Post Ranch Inn near Big Sur on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific. It is wonderful!!!!! I forgot to tell you that the Hotel Pacific includes a great breakfast and afternoon wine, cheese and baked goods. All their rooms are more like suites with feather beds and a living room. They used to run $99 specials. It would be well worth it. The Lighthouse Suites down the road in Pacific Grove is very nice, includes breakfast and afternoon snacks. We have always seen deer wandering around nearby. It is quite peaceful. I know you will enjoy this area......we love it!!

I agree with most of the above. However, if you can afford to play Pebble, you might as well stay at Pebble Beach too. It was about $400 the last time we were there and another $200 for 18 holes of golf (discounted because we were guests) But, preference is given to hotel guests for tee times and sometimes people just can't get on otherwise. They have a funny timing for reservations so you need to check ASAP. I agree there's not much to see in San Jose, but the airport is very convenient and user friendly and just 20 minutes longer to SF than flying into SFO which is currently under construction and a real mess. Coming back from Monterey, you are one hour closer to San Jose airport than SFO.western U.S. You can find some good bargains coming in to SJC. We always use it, even to go to Chicago. Monterey airport is not a good deal unless you're taking a puddle jumper to another part of California. I would fly to SJC but then stay in SF--again--what is your budget? So many good restaurants in Carmel. I don't think Big Sur is all it's cracked up to be, but if you've never seen it I suppose you ought to. Don't go in the fog or rain, however. Nobody has warned you that you need to make res. now---this is prime time in Napa and Monterey. 280 to 92 to Half Moon Bay and then down the coast is a great drive to Monterey. But, coming back, you might take 156 to 101, which gets you back to San Jose or SF.

I would agree not to go to Big Sur if the weather is foggy or rainy. The whole point of going to Big Sur is to experience driving the beaurtiful California Coast Line. The Post Ranch Inn restaurant is perched right up on the cliffs overlooking the ocean with floor to ceiling windows. If you are looking for a restaurant with a view, this can't be beat.

Not to get into a bidding war, but how about Nepenthe in Big Sur for a meal??? Either way, don't go in fog or rain and by the time you've gotten to either of the above two, you've gotten an idea of what Big Sur is all about and you don't need to go farther south. Pt. Lobos at the beginning is a pretty park also. Do you realize how lucky we are to argue over which is the "perfect" place??? So many to choose from. Enjoy.

Just a clarification of the route from SF to Monterey. Leave SF and follow signs to "Daly City/ San Jose" on I-280.
Pretty drive. Exit at 92 and go west to Half Moon Bay. At this point, you have a choice. You can drive to HMB which is a cute coastal town and have lunch at the Moss Beach Distillery and look for their resident ghost, or you can turn left on Skyline Blvd and go along the Sta. Cruz Mtn. through the redwoods. Be aware, however, that Route 9 west, which will take you to Santa Cruz is very winding and dark and many people get carsick doiing this---I know because they are my houseguests!!! If you do this, stop at Bonny Doon Winery and taste the wine! Then down to actually Davenport, not SC, then SC and the crazy but fun boardwalk. You might want to call it a day here and stay in Sta.Cruz, or better in Capatola in a B&B. Next day to Monterey/ Pacific Grove and Carmel. What a terrific part of the world this is!! Enjoy! We love the reactions we get from guests from other countries when we take them on this route----totally blown away!!!