N. Cali Weekend Suggestions?
 

Help! <BR>I'd appreciate suggestions for a weekend trip heading North along the coast from San Francisco. Thanks. Rob

<BR>I was also wondering if there's any way around the two night minimum at most of the B&B's in the area.

Rob==how far do you want to drive or actually how many hours do you want to drive? Busy places or isolated areas? <BR>Price range???

A can't miss sight is the Redwoods Nat Park sites. Take a hike through the Lady Bird Johnson Grove, or just drive along the tall trees. An amazing place to go.

Rob, I believe that the two night minimum only applies to weekends in most B&Bs. But you can always base in one place and travel from there. It's not a terribly big area, but you want to stay overnight somewhere on the North Coast rather than in the city. Bodega Bay is a favorite base which allows you to spend one day in Sonoma/Marin someplace like Pt. Reyes and Inverness and then a second day up farther north to Mendocino. As stated above, your budget makes all the difference in giving advice.

Alas... i'm a lowly medical student, and thus my price range is $140 and under! I was considering a saturday morning departure from SF and returning sunday night. I've already been to Redwood... are there other hiking areas you'd suggest? Thanks again!

There are lots of trails at Point Reyes National Seashore, plus you can walk Drake's Beach. A very interesting one is the Earthquake Trail which follows the San Andreas Fault. Also one with some reference to "bears"---could be Bear Valley? There's a trail from Marin past Mt. Tam to the coast as well.For overnight accomodations try contacting Coastal Lodgings of West Marin at (415) 663-1351 or the Chamber of Commerce of West Marin at (415) 663-9232. There's also a Holiday Inn in Bodega Bay, which probably doesn't have the 2 night minimum. You could spend Saturday in Pt. Reyes and then head up to the Sonoma Coast on Sunday with a return on 101 on Sunday night. Just be aware that traffic is a bear getting back to the city on a Sunday night so allow time and find patience! Enjoy.

Yes, it's the Bear Valley Trail. It ends up on rocks justting out to the ocean. It's nice, but it is a wide, groomed trail that's pretty level and is frequented by runners, mountainbikers, and horseback-riders as well as walkers/hikers! For a lot of info on Pt. Reyes and Tomales Bay, check this URL: http://www.nps.gov/pore/points/facilities.htm.

Actually, I was thinking of taking a drive up the coast on Saturday, staying a night in the Manchester/Point Arena area (any suggestions for B&B's in this area?), hiking on Sunday, then catching 101 and driving back to SF on Sunday night. Are there any good hiking areas north of Manchester?