We're headed to San Fran for the first time next week and need to know where to go, what to see (and what not to see) and where to say (cheap, but clean). We also want to go to Napa and/or Sonoma. We're a young early 30s couple--not wine connoisseurs, but want to sample some and enjoy the outdoors--which is better or should we spend a little time at both? Where to stay? Any other suggestion for the area--we don't mind driving. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I live near SF and love the area. I think you're in for a treat.

I usually do day trips to SF, or stay with friends. If you have access to AAA, try them for hotels/motels. You'll probably get a much better rate outside of SF. If you want to visit Napa or Sonoma, try Santa Rosa, Napa, or San Rafael. Or even Vallejo, Oakland, Berkeley, or San Mateo, Burlingame. I've stayed at the Hotel El Rancho in Burlingame. It's pretty reasonable. If you like Sonoma/Napa, maybe you could stay there. Peteluma is another choice. All of these places are within driving distance to SF. If you stay in SF, it's going to be over $100 a night for most anything but a dump. The Ramada, Holiday Inn type places would be good places to try.

As far as Sonoma/Napa, I vote for Sonoma. It has a wonderful coastline, highlighted by the Sonoma State Beaches (some of the best in the State), and Bodega Bay. I love Bodega Bay, and have stayed there at the Inn at the Tides ($150 per night). Napa is pretty, but it can be warm, and there are few public places to go to. Annadel State Park and Sugerloaf Mountain State Park are really nice, but it could be warm. Wine tasting is fun, though. Try Mondovi, Sutter Home and Sterling wineries. The Wine train is fun, leaves the City of Napa, I think. Hiway 29 I think goes right through the heart of the wine country. You can pick up a guide book at any good book store or winery in Napa along Hiway 29.

Another wonderful place is Point Reyes National Seashore. Try the "North Beaches" on the road past the little town of Inverness. If you like to hike along the ocean, try the Palomarin trail. The Headquaters is at Bear Valley near the town of Olema. The Palomarin trail ends at Wildcat beach. It's about 10 miles round trip, but not horrible hike. Another good hike is to Coast Camp via Mt. Wittenberg, the highest point in the park. For scenery, try the Golden Gate Nat'l Rec Area, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. I think it's the Fort Baker or Fort Cronkite exit. It's the last exit before the GG bridge. You'll recognize the view from hundreds of commericals.

As for SF, besides Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39, try Crissy field for bay interaction, Fort Point for a walk across the GG bridge, Noe Valley near 24th and Castro for one of the nicest parts of SF. Pacific Heights near the Presidio is wonderful to walk around the hills and to look at $3 million houses. The Cliff House is worth going to and splurging for a meal. Noe Valley is great for reasonable resturants. Clement Street is great for Asian food, as is Chinatown, though it's more touristy there. The locals go to Clement St. Also, North Beach is great to visit, especially if you like Italian food. Golden Gate park is cool, esp. Steinhart aquarium, and the Natural History museum. Parking is usually a problem in SF, but keep trying. Clement street isn't too bad, nor is Noe Valley. Expect to pay $18 a day parking at Fisherman's wharf. Better bet is to take a cable car on California or Hyde down to Fisherman Wharf, then back to your car. There are plenty of parking lots away from the Wharf and Pier 39. The cable cars go near Chinatown, and there usually is parking there, so you can kill one bird with two stones.

Enjoy! Let me know how your trip turned out!

A short and enjoyable day trip from SF is the Muir Woods National Monutment. It is a 30 minute drive north of the city. As a bonus, you go over the golden gate bridge so you can stop before the bridge (there is a parking lot) and take a pleasant walk for a great view.

Another idea: for a pleasant meal, with a spectacular view, try lunch Greens restaurant at Fort Mason (make reservations now and ask for a window seat).

Have a great trip.

You don't say how long you are staying in S.F., but
if you want a hotel in the city, I strongly suggest
a hotel called Brady Acres. It's 3 blocks from Union
square. It is very reasonable (less than $100) and
is not a dump. Your room will be small, but you'll
have a private bath and a small fridge, micro, and
coffee maker. Fodor's travel book recommends it as
"best for your budget". Stayed there two summers ago.
The staff is super friendly, and can arrange tours,
etc. for you. They also sell the passes for unlimited
use of public transportation, including the cable
cars, for 1, 3 or 7 days, which is a great deal because
the cable cars alone are $2 a person per ride. Ask for
a lower floor (there's 3 or 4) because there is no
elevator. Also, to get a feel for the neighborhoods,
I bought the Fodors walking tours book, and the info
is great. You can pick and choose which ones you do
and all are interesting. I did a wine tour, but since
you are driving, you might just want to venture out
on your own. Even though you say you aren't a wine
expert or anything, the winery tours are great because
they teach you a little about wine at each one, and
you can sample different types of wine that you normally
wouldn't try. Have a great trip!

Hands down the BEST city in the U.S. to visit! Avoid obvious tourist traps like the plague--Fisherman's Warf, Grant Avenue in Chinatown, Sausalito (although the shopping district around Union Sq. is excellent and caters to many tastes). Not sure about Alcatraz. Never personally felt it was exciting, so we never paid a visit. I hear visiting there can eat up a morning or an afternoon. The surrounding bay area and Northern California just HAVE to be seen beyond the city. Most car rental companies have locations downtown. When you get there, and if you stay around the financial district or Nob Hill, skip the car rental the first few days. You can spend the first days using SF's EXCELLENT public transit and taxis to see the city. Pick up a car downtown in the last days of your trip, see the country and just return the car to the airport (be preparred though for hefty garage fees while keeping it overnight in downtown) . Traditionally there is no charge for picking up a car downtown and returning it to the airport. Marin County, Point Reyes, Monterey and Carmel are GREAT excursions (and are beuatiful drives). Napa Valley was a little disappointing--more commercially developed than I anticipated. I hear Sonoma is more rustic and charming. If you're an academic, visting Stanford in Palo Alto and UC Berkeley in Berkeley on the way to other destinations is fun. Stanford and surrounding environs are preppy and affluent, Berkeley is more urban and ecclectic. The drive up to Bodega Bay on 1 is beautiful and a little off the beaten path. The famous 17-mile drive from Monterey to Carmel is beautiful, but perhaps a little overrated and busy with other tourists. As for the city...roam it like a local. Visit residential areas (but tourists are still likely to be lingering) like Fillmore St, Union St and Sacramento St. They're great and removed from the blantantly touristy areas. I'm not that familiar with the Mission District and Haight Ashbury, but I will tell you that the Castro area needs to be arroached with an open mind (it is fun and campy though). There's not much for the tourist on the western side of Twin Peaks--its very residential--but worth wandering around in (especially when you can see glimpses of the ocean bewteen the homes). All of the city's parks and museums are worth the time if they're a top priority on your list. You'll find however that your just minutes from most parks and sqaures when visiting something you DO want to see--so stop by. The restaurant scene is other-worldly if you're coming from a much smaller city. Dinning in trendy spots can be a liitle intimadating with beautiful people dressed in their best Armani (and that INCLUDES the hostesses who show you to your table). So throw on your best black suit (SOO Manhattan!) and get an attitude and do that scene at least once. I'm not sure how the locals still feel about it, but Wolfgang Puck's Postrio is WORTH the visit (and fulfills your "trendy" restaurant visit) The cuisine is VERY Californian and the decor is straight out of a movie set. When I was in the Bay area twice in the last two years--lightly whipped mashed potatoes were THE side item on EVERY dish. Some restaurnats though are very resonably priced and just simply need to be wandered upon. The dining choices in this city are mind-blowing--it seems endless. I hope these pointers are usefull.

Hands down the BEST city in the U.S. to visit! Avoid obvious tourist traps like the plague--Fisherman's Warf, Grant Avenue in Chinatown, Sausalito (although the shopping district around Union Sq. is excellent and caters to many tastes). Not sure about Alcatraz. Never personally felt it was exciting, so we never paid a visit. I hear visiting there can eat up a morning or an afternoon. The surrounding bay area and Northern California just HAVE to be seen beyond the city. Most car rental companies have locations downtown. When you get there, and if you stay around the financial district or Nob Hill, skip the car rental the first few days. You can spend the first days using SF's EXCELLENT public transit and taxis to see the city. Pick up a car downtown in the last days of your trip, see the country and just return the car to the airport (be preparred though for hefty garage fees while keeping it overnight in downtown) . Traditionally there is no charge for picking up a car downtown and returning it to the airport. Marin County, Point Reyes, Monterey and Carmel are GREAT excursions (and are beuatiful drives). Napa Valley was a little disappointing--more commercially developed than I anticipated. I hear Sonoma is more rustic and charming. If you're an academic, visting Stanford in Palo Alto and UC Berkeley in Berkeley on the way to other destinations is fun. Stanford and surrounding environs are preppy and affluent, Berkeley is more urban and ecclectic. The drive up to Bodega Bay on 1 is beautiful and a little off the beaten path. The famous 17-mile drive from Monterey to Carmel is beautiful, but perhaps a little overrated and busy with other tourists. As for the city...roam it like a local. Visit residential areas (but tourists are still likely to be lingering) like Fillmore St, Union St and Sacramento St. They're great and removed from the blantantly touristy areas. I'm not that familiar with the Mission District and Haight Ashbury, but I will tell you that the Castro area needs to be arroached with an open mind (it is fun and campy though). There's not much for the tourist on the western side of Twin Peaks--its very residential--but worth wandering around in (especially when you can see glimpses of the ocean bewteen the homes). All of the city's parks and museums are worth the time if they're a top priority on your list. You'll find however that your just minutes from most parks and sqaures when visiting something you DO want to see--so stop by. The restaurant scene is other-worldly if you're coming from a much smaller city. Dinning in trendy spots can be a liitle intimadating with beautiful people dressed in their best Armani (and that INCLUDES the hostesses who show you to your table). So throw on your best black suit (SOO Manhattan!) and get an attitude and do that scene at least once. I'm not sure how the locals still feel about it, but Wolfgang Puck's Postrio is WORTH the visit (and fulfills your "trendy" restaurant visit) The cuisine is VERY Californian and the decor is straight out of a movie set. When I was in the Bay area twice in the last two years--lightly whipped mashed potatoes were THE side item on EVERY dish. Some restaurnats though are very resonably priced and just simply need to be wandered upon. The dining choices in this city are mind-blowing--it seems endless. I hope these pointers are usefull.

JUST RETURNED FROM SF AFTER SPENDING 5 GREAT DAYS HERE. THE MOST ENJOYABLE TIME WAS SPENT ON THE HORNBLOWER DINNER CRUISE. FOOD WAS VERY GOOD, THE CRUISE AROUND THE BAY WAS SPLENDID AND BEAUTIFUL, THE DANCING WAS FUN AND THE WEATHER WAS JUST PERFECT. THE PRICE WAS REASONABLE WHEN YOU CONSIDER YOU RECEIVE A DINNER, A CRUISE AROUND THE BAY, A SMALL BAND TO DANCE TO, AND A BOAT RIDE ALL IN ONE. WINDOW SEATS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE SO DON'T PAY THE EXTRA $ TO RESERVE A WINDOW TABLE. WE STAYED AT THE QUEEN ANNE HOTEL ON SUTTER/OCTAVIA, NEAR JAPANTOWN. IT WAS IN THE LOWER PACIFIC HEIGHTS DISTRICT AND WAS VERY ENJOYABLE, QUIET AND EASY ACCESS TO BUS/CABLE CARS. WE ENJOYED DINNER DOWN AT A NEWER RESTAURANT CALLED OKAUNA, ON SUTTER BEFORE YOU REACH VAN NESS. WE ALSO STAYED AT THE SHERATON NEAR THE WHARF WHICH WAS REALLY NICE AND ESPECIALLY IN A GREAT LOCATION FOR CATCHING THE FERRY'S TO ALCATRAZ AND SAUSILITO AND RETURNING TO THE HOTEL WITHOUT NEEDING TO GO FURTHER DOWNTOWN. WE TOOK THE BUSES ALL AROUND THE CITY AND FOUND THEM EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND MADE ALL CONNECTIONS QUICKLY AND EASILY. GOLDEN GATE PARK WAS NEAT. WE ENJOYED CHINA TOWN AS WE DID NOT GO DOWN GRANT STREET BUT WENT DOWN STOCKTON AND ONE OTHER WHICH IS WHERE THE LOCALS OF CHINATOWN TRULY REPRESENT THEIR CULTURE AND HERITAGE. WE WERE EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH THE FRIENDILNESS OF ALL THE LOCAL PEOPLE WE ENCOUNTERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. HAVE FUN AND WISH I WAS GOING BACK SOON.

The SF - Napa area is known for its wine, but there is some spectacular beer brewed in the area as well. I think the best beer bar (perhaps in the US) is the Lyons Brewery Depot of Dublin, 7294 San Ramon Blvd, Dublin CA, (510) 829 9071, Judy Ashworth, Prop.. This is where I580 and I680 intersect, perhaps out of the way, but worth the trip, and there are a couple of hotels within walking distance. From one bar stool you can take a brewery tour of the West. Tell Judy I said to say hello.

In Napa, check out The Beazley House, a very fine B&B - Jim and Carol Beazley, Innkeepers of many years.

It will be a great trip!

Dane Wells, CHA (& Certified Beer Judge)
Innkeeper, The Queen Victoria, Cape May, NJ
http://www.queenvictoria.com