I had previously created a thread with the same title, except SF read NOLA(New Orleans.)
My fiance and I are getting married on Sept. 10 and we were all set to go to New Orleans on Sept. 12 for our honeymoon. We quickly decided on SF as an alternative trip, neither of us have visited before. We have very little time to plan our trip so any and all help is appreciated.

It looks as though we'll be flying into OAK, but SFO is still an option(we have until midnight tonight to decide which way to go).

We fly in on Sept. 12 and out on Sept. 19. Our desire is to go to Sonoma or Napa Valley for one night and two days. Should we go there first or at the end? Any suggestions on where to spend that night?

We contacted Omni San Francisco since we originally had reservations at the Omni in the French Quarter. Does anyone have any input on this hotel, it's location, or suggestions for another hotel.

Preliminary thoughts on things to do:
-Visit a few wineries in Sonoma Or NApa Valley
- catch a Giants ballgame, maybe even try to go to the Raiders/Chiefs game on the Sept 18th
- tour Alcatraz
- visit Sausalito

Normally I spend a lot of time planning our trips and reading guide books. With such a short window in whcih to plan, I'm hoping others can share suggestions based on their experiences. Thanks in advance for your help.

- Rob

The Omni Hotel in San Francisco is in the financial district about 4 blocks from Union Square. A good location. For more information just google "Omni Hotel San Francisco". They have a good website. I think you will be happy there.

No problem if you fly into Oakland instead of SFO. You can get a bus to BART and then across the Bay.

I would take the Sonoma/Napa trip aftr you have time to make arrangements for it. There are tours which go up and back in one day. At this time of year you may have trouble finding lodging. Although the grape crush may not have started, it is close. I prefer the Sonoma Valley to the Napa Valley because of crowds.

You ideas of what to do sound fine. what else depends upon your interests. For art, there is MOMA (Musum of Modern Art) and the Palace of the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park from where you can a nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge. And the Asian Art Museum. An afternoon in Golden Gate Park. A visit to some neighbothoods...the Castro, the Haight, etc. See what is on at the theatres. Visit the Ferry Building for food and shops Actually, take a ferry to Sausalito.

The weather should be nice, but be prepared to layer in case the fog comes in at night.

Rob~rent your car at the end of the trip and hit Sonoma/Napa then. Spend your last evening in SF so as to get to the airport in good time. If you have a late flight you could stay in Napa/Sonoma and then drive to Oakland.
(It takes 1-1.5 hours to get to Oakland airport if you are not travelling at rush hour.Interstate 80 can be a parking lot so be forwarned.
TIPS:
1) Make your wine country reservations yesterday! Try to spend one or two nights up there as it really is the better way to do things IMO. Consider Healdsburg which is the nicer(again IMO) part of the wine country. You will also probably have better luck finder a room. This is the area for incredible zinfandels and pinot noirs.
Check out www. wineroad.com

In Healdsburg consider these places to stay:
Camellia Inn
Grape Leaf Inn


Both are in walking distance to town. You will find a wealth of restaurants.

You can also stay in the town of Sonoma itself. Check out the El Dorado Hotel.

If you want a one of a kind experience while in the Sonoma-Napa area consider a morning at the De Rosa Preserve. It's an amazing collection of Bay Area Modern art. The tours are docent led, cost $10/person and are absolutely grand.

Since you will be flying into Oakland perhaps consider a meal at Chez Panisse in Berkeley. The cafe upstairs has lunch and dinner. It's very worth the $$($25 prix fix at lunch) and they take reservations.

SF for a honeymoon...the possibilities are endless. Since it sounds like you want to check out sports, do take in a game at SBC. Don't deny the Oakland A's a look see as they are a more interesting team(they're our boys!!). Acme Chop House would be a great dinner place either before or after a game. You can walk from SBC.

Search SF on this forum and stand back. There are some threads where us local folks have made suggestions.

There are so many things to do and see:
North Beach, Chinatown, Ferry Plaza, The Mission District, MOMA.

There are no good crab cakes here to rival those in Baltimore but you should definitely check out the wide range of everything from "California cuisine" to Vietnamese(Slanted Door) to Hunan to burritos.

If you want some other type of splendor consider a two day stay in Point Reyes and check out our national seashore. Check out the Old Druids Hall Inn(we just did and loved it). While I did love the Eastern shore and have some fond memories of Cape Cod National Seashore, the coastline in and around Point Reyes will astound you. I think it is very much like Maine in terms of its splendor.

Sausalito might be fun. You can take the ferry from the city. It's full of shops and does have some great vistas of the bay. I am trying to think of the Maryland counterpart..maybe St. Michaels. (Sausalito being a bit more "done").

Congratulations..you are coming to a beautiful place for your honeymooon.

Baltimore Rob, first congratuations on your wedding and honeymoon. And secondly, welcome to San Francisco!!

You have received some wonderful suggestions and thoughts here. If you fly into Oakland there is a shuttle bus that takes you to BART, which will take you into San Francisco. If you fly into SFO their is also BART that you can take to get to San Francisco but possibly the Omni would have a shuttle bus you could take from SFO also.

Whatever you do, make those plane reservations and do have a beautiful honeymoon. San Francisco and Sonoma and or/Napa Valley can be so romantic. Best wishes.

Take a bus to Coit Tower. Awesome murals, fabulous views. Then, find the steps and walk down them. A positive thrill! With charming scenery/homes, all along the way. Hop on a streetcar at the bottom.

We loved the Market/Waterfront. Fabulous for a leisurely lunch/afternoon.

The motorized cable car tours are terrific! Include over and back the Golden Gate bridge.

Harry Denton's is hokey, but oh so romantic!

We thought the boat trip to Sausalito a bit of a snooze and waste of half a day.

Do you really want to spend time touring a prison on your honeymoon? We've never had any desire to visit.

A sunset cruise, however, was spectacular.

Dear BaltimoreRob,

Hello! Congratulations on your wedding! If it doesnt work out at the Omni: This summer I stayed in a Tower room at the Fairmont in San Fran. The sweeping views of the city through the enormous wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling window were truly breathtaking-especially at night when the city lights looked like diamonds across the sky. Sigh, how romantic it was! The huge marble bathroom was pretty awesome too! A room in the Tower (must be the Tower) would certainly help create romantic memories! Have a fun and safe trip!
Sincerely, Carrie in PA

If you want to go to a Raiders game you can go to their website and it links you to Ticket Master...I just did this last week...all their single seat ticket are sold through Ticket Master. There a already a couple of games that are completely sold out so if you seriously want to consider it, you need to get on line now. Congratulations on your wedding, I wish your special day is all you have hoped for and have a fabulous honeymoon. SF is a totally different flavor than NO but I think you made a great choice.

Im sorry-I forgot to mention a cool restaurant to check out located at the Fort Mason Center: Greens (link below). Its on the water and its a really cool atmosphere. It would totally be a neat place to have dinner while youre in San Fran on your anniversary! Its vegetarian but dont let that discourage you. Even my carne loving husband was super impressed with the food! Take my word for it-youll be happy you went!

http://www.greensrestaurant.com/

Wok Wiz Chinatown tour
Sausalito by ferry or bike there and ferry back
North Beach for good italian
Beach Blanket Babylon show (silly, funny)
Muir Woods
Have a great trip and Congratulations!!!

Thanks for the suggestions. We'll be flying into Oakland on Monday, Sept. 12th. We were thinking it would be best to go directly to Sonoma/Napa since we didn't want to rent a car all week. Plus, we figured the wineries would be less crowded during the week. It also keeps the football game as an option. Speaking of which, how would you suggest traveling to Oakland for the game from SF?

Thoughts on restaurants? We're more at home in a casual setting, but I would like to go out to a nice dinner, perhaps with a great view of the city or water. Any recommendations for either?

Please keep the suggestions flowing.

Thanks again, Rob

I like the idea of going out to Napa Sonoma first because it seems more "honeymoon-y" to me.

Flying into Oakland is fine. Much smaller airport yet no big deal to get into the city or take of in your rental car from there.

My favorite San Francisco thing is riding the cable car from the beginning at Market Street and down thru Chinatown to Fisherman's Wharf. I know it sounds corny but those hills are STEEP and it's a heck of an exciting and unique ride.

For restaurants I am a big fan of Belden Place (google it). It's an alleyway in the financial district with a number of cool restaurants all in a row. I particularly remember B-44 fondly.

Rob, congratulations on your upcoming nuptuals. I think your idea to go to the wine country during the week is a good one, its much less crowded and more much more pleasant. Some of the posters recommended Sonoma, but if you are going for the first time, I would still recommend the Napa Valley for the sheer beauty of the valley and the incredible selection of restaurants and wineries. I went to college right outside of St. Helena, so I've spent lots of time in the area.

My recs would be to do a tasting at Joseph Phelps (I think you should make a reseration). The winery is off the Silverado trail and slightly above the valley so you get very nice views. I would also recommend a romantic sunset drink at Auberge du Soleil. The bar there is one of the most pleasant places in the Valley.

For a laid back lunch/dinner, go to Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena. It is on a backstreet so you won't get the big tourist flow.