roundaglobe

Hi-
I'm planning a trip for my husband and I to fly into San Fran then drive down the coast to L.A. to visit family. We want to stay in either Napa or Sonoma Valley but need some serious advise.
We need to know the best places to stay (nice rooms, good views, good service), best places to eat (moderatly priced - nothing to expensive), and best wineries to visit (good wine and reasonable tasting fees along with good views).
We are on a budget so we are not trying to spend a ton of money but would like to get a good value and enjoy ourselves.
Any input you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Also, if you know any nice places to stay in San Fran (just for a night so nothing to expensive) that would be helpful too.
Thanks

jtrandolph

Napa and Sonoma are north of San Francisco, so you won't be going by them on your way to L.A. You would need to make that a separate trip.

Suzie

"Reasonable" is a relative term. What is your budget per night for the Wine Country part of the visit? What are you willing to spend per person for wine tasting? What do you want to spend for meals per person? And how much is "not too expensive" for SF for the one night? That would be helpful.

roundaglobe

I would say the budget is 100-150 per night. I don't even know the going rate for wine tasting so if you can let me know that would help. We would like to spend $13-18 (entree's)on meals.
I apologize if I didn't give enough information as to what I'm looking for. We have never been and don't even know where to begin to plan.
Although, I do appreciate the tip on SF being south. I always thought it was further north. Also, I just would like to spend one night in SF so I'm not looking to spend more than $120-130 but I want a nice room.
I hope that gives a little more insight into what I need. I just need something to start off with since I'm a virgin to the area.
Thank you

jtrandolph

When I said that Napa and Sonoma are a separate trip, I just meant that they are not on your way to Los Angeles, but north of San Francisco.

Both of these valleys can be done from San Francisco as a day trip, since you can get to Sonoma in about an hour and also Napa, although the wineries in the Napa Valley require more time to drive north of the city.

For your one night in San Francisco, see what the rates are at the Chancellor Hotel. It is in a good location near Union Square and the staff is very helpful. Others, with your budget, recommend the Commodore, which may cost a little less, but I haven't stayed there, so can't really comment. Still, good location.

I would suggest Sonoma Valley rather than Napa because of the time frame and since the crowds and tour buses are much more prevalent in the Napa Valley. It can be like a zoo.

There is an historic winery north of the town of Sonoma where a Hungarian count, whose name I cannot spell, brought the first European wine grapes to California. It is called Buena Vista and is a charming small stone winery. The last time I was there the tasting was free, but I am sure that is not still the case. Just for fun they have a wine called "Green Hungarian". I like it. Not sure whether that is actually a grape, or whether it is a blend of different grapes.

For wineries in the Sonoma Valley go to svcc.com or google Sonoma Valley Visitor's Bureau. They can give you a map.

If you decide on Sonoma and would like to spend the night I can recommend the El Pueblo Inn, which is about a mile from the historic Plaza with its 1830's Franciscan Mission and the adobe buildings from the Mexican period.

The motel is reasonably priced, depending upon the time of the year. Very comfortable, with gardens between the buildings and a pool. Includes breakfast, which also lets you make "do-it-yourself" waffles.

You probably need to be aware that if you are coming now, it is almost grape harvest season and accommodations are going to be scarce and expensive. In fact, they may have a two-night minimum stay.

You would really enjoy the Sonoma Valley and if you can find lodgings in your price category I would highly recommend it. The town of Sonoma is charming.

As for restaurants, just walk around town and look at the restaurant menus. Highly recommended, but expensive, are The Girl and the Fig and The General's Daughter, and La Haye (but it can be noisy).

Sometimes we just go to the Cheese Factory, on the Plaza, and pick up some deli items and some wine and picnic in the Plaza or in our room at the motel. One of our favorite things to do is to have a nice lunch and then pick up crackers, fruit, wine and cheese for "supper". Lunches in the good restaurants are always less expensive, but not less quality.

In San Francisco, if you are planning to pick up a rental car at the airport and then spend the night in a hotel there, you should be aware that hotel parking costs can be up to $40/night. It would be better to take BART or a shuttle to your San Francisco hotel and then arrange for a rental from one of the city rental places just before you leave San Francisco.

Another alternative is to get your car at the airport and then stay in one of the motels in the Lombard Street corridor which have free parking. I would do this if you don't really care about the "downtown experience" because this is a residential district on the way to the Golden Gate bridge. These are, however, fine lodgings, but just really places to rest your head and you miss the city. Although, if you have time you could take public transportation to the Union Square area to see it.

Whew. I hope this helps. If you have questions about my very long answer please ask them, and I will try to find this thread to answer.

From where are you coming?

roundaglobe

Thank you so much for your advise. It is a great start. We are coming from Boston, MA and we where thinking of going either late May or mid-September.

lcaruso

bm