shelja

First, I want to thank you all for your help in planning this trip. The feedback and posts I have read have been a tremendous help in building my itinerary. So, now that I have somewhat finalized, I would appreciate a review for any last minute suggestions! So here it is:

Day 1
Depart Cleveland and arrive at SFO 10:45pm. Rent car and drive to JW Marriott on Union Square (former Pan Pacific). Stay overnight

Day 2
Arise and spend day in SF. Eat breakfast at Dottie’s Tru Blue and then venture around Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square area for a bit. Afternoon - drive over to GG Park and walk around. Lunch at Ebisu for sushi. Go to the Sutro Baths and Sutro Park Trail and hike to the mesa. Have a sunset drink at Cliff House. Head back to JW Marriott. Dinner at Ar Roi – we love Thai food!

Day 3
Wake up and begin drive down to Carmel. The directions recommended are to take 6th St from Market then exit Hwy 280. At Sunnyvale exit onto Hwy 85 and take it to Hwy 101 – is this the best way to get there? Please advise. Stay at Quail Lodge Spa and Resort for 2 nights. Spend late afternoon at hotel using pool and getting massages. Dinner in Covey in hotel.

Day 4
Wake up and go to Point Lobos around 8am and then continue on for a drive to Big Sur on Hwy 1. Stop for lunch at Nepenthe. Drive on to Julia Pfeiffer Burns park (stopping at Pfeiffer Beach)– is this off of Hwy 1? Return back in the evening to Carmel Valley. Eat dinner at Baja Cantina.

Day 5
Wake up and drive up to Sonoma area, stopping along the way for lunch somewhere. Arrive at Lodge at Sonoma late afternoon. Visit Gloria Ferrar on the way if we can or then go next day. Evening at leisure at Sonoma Plaza area and dinner either at Carneros Bistro or Girl and the Fig.

Day 6
Begin wine tasting and tour. Wineries to hit:
Gloria Ferrer (if we couldn’t go day before)
Buena Vista
Robert Mondavi for tour
Stop at Oakville Grocery for lunch.
Cakebread
Stag’s Leap
Joseph Phelps
Duckhorn
Any other recommendations for this area? Is this too many wineries? Do I have to make reservations/appts for these?
Drive to Santa Rosa (don’t know best way to get there but I assume cut across 12?) and stay at Hilton at Santa Rosa. Dinner in Healdsburg – either Ravenous or Bear Republic Brewing – depending on mood.

Day 7
Bfast in Healdsburg at Center Street Café. Head to following wineries (working North to South):

Dry Creek
Ferrari- Carano
Papapietro Perry
Wilson

Healdsburg
Thumbprint
Rosenblum
Quick lunch somewhere – ideas?

Russian River Valley
Roshambo
J Vineyards
Hop Kiln
Gary Farrell
Topolos

Do I have to make appointments with any of these wineries? Too many wineries?

Dinner at Willi’s Seafood

Day 8
Breakfast in Windsor somewhere and then a couples massage at Alle’s day spa. Drive back to SF (which is best way?). Back at JW Marriott. Dinner at Farallon’s and drinks.

Day 9
Sleep in! Walk around SF area and meet friends for lunch. Try to find some time relaxation time. Any other suggestions in SF? Take red eye back to Cleveland

DH is not a planner at all – prefers spontaneity and "winging it"… I on the other hand, am a planner (can you tell?). So I am using this as a guide but will be flexible if something else strikes our fancy. Most importantly, as all of you have said, will take my time and enjoy! So, how does this itinerary look? Too much in the time we have? Please give me your feedback – I truly appreciate it!!!

tracys2cents

What days-of-the-week and times-of-the-morning are you planning your drive DOWN to Carmel and then back UP through San Francisco to Sonoma?

shelja

Sorry for excluding that. Day 1 is a Friday. So, we plan on driving down to Carmel on Sunday morning (about 9am leave from SF). Coming back we plan on leaving Carmel on Tues late morning. How will this work with traffic? Thanks

SanFranciscoNative

Do you really want to have a car in the city for Days 1-2? You can easily get around SF on public transportation to the places you want to go on Day 2 and you will ultimately be paying upwards of $30-$40/night to pay for hotel parking. I would take a cab (or BART or Supershuttle) into the city when you arrive and pick up your car from downtown SF on the morning of day 3 (I believe all the major car rental places will have outlets in the Union Square area).

Any reason why you are staying in Santa Rosa for a visit to the Healdsburg/Dry Creek valley area? There are a lot of charming places in Healdsburg to stay. It just adds 20 minutes of driving back and forth from Santa Rosa if you choose to stay there when it seems your dining and winery plans are closer to Healdsburg.

Just take 101S from Windsor. It is a straight shot to SF. Good luck with the rest of your planning!

razzledazzle

Day 6: No need to back track back to Hwy 12 to get to Santa Rosa.
Do Duckhorn last and get back on Hwy 29.
Go through Calistoga (sort of the east side of Calistoga). There will be stoplight at Lincoln Blvd. Continue on
to Petrified Forest Rd.
Turn left. Travel on about 4-5 miles
and turn right on Porter Creek Rd.
Porter Creek Road will become Mark West Springs Rd. Go along on until you reach
Old Redwood Hwy. Turn left. Follow this onto Mendocino Ave and bear left onto Fountain Grove Parkway. (This is very poorly designed intersection-so if you miss the bearing left at Fountain Grove
just follow Mendocino and find a spot to turn around). Follow Fountain Grove
to Round Barn Blvd and turn left for the Hilton.

You'll avoid all the commute and construction clog on Hwy 101 this way.

You need reservations at Joseph Phelps,
BTW.

I don't know about having dinner this night in Healdsburg. There are quite a few good places in Santa Rosa-especially on
4th Street east of Santa Rosa Plaza.
Let me know if you want ideas.

R5

Neopolitan

Regarding having a car or not in SF: Normally I'd agree they might want to forget the car, but if you read the plans for that first day, I can't imagine doing all that -- particularly Golden Gate Park, the baths, and Cliff house all by public transporation.

shelja

Thanks for the feedback.

We won't rent a car till day 3. We are staying Santa Rosa because we are using Hilton points to stay.

Razzledazzle - how long will it take to get from Duckhorn to the Hilton in Santa Rosa based on the directions you gave. What are good eats in Santa Rosa?

Thanks.

shelja

Also, do you all feel we are trying to cram in too many wineries? thanks.

shelja

ok... so maybe we need the car on that Sat?

SanFranciscoNative

I personally think it's very doable by public transportation, but I'd love to hear other opinions.

It depends how much of GG park you want to see. The De Young, the Japanese Tea Garden, the Arboretum and the Conservatory of Flowers are all clustered close together (i.e. walking distance) and can be accessed easily from the 9th and Lincoln entrance to the park (which coincidentally is one block from Ebisu). They could take the N judah to 9th and Irving, walk around in the park, eat lunch. Hop back on the N judah to the end of the line, walk along the great highway, past ocean beach and up to the cliff house and the sutro baths. Then take the 38 Geary (or many other options) back to their hotel. If you want to see the buffalos and drive around and explore, then a car would be necessary. But, in my opinion, the interesting things to see are all around that central museum area.

SAB

The plan SFNative has set forth is very doable. Paying the extra 2 day rental car cost and associated parking expenses in order to use a car for 1/2 day seems like an unnecessary expense. You could take a cab back from the Cliff House and it would still be less expensive.

In terms of driving to Carmel, if you leave around 9 you should be in Carmel by noon--280 to 85 to 101 to 156 (Monterey Pennisula signage) to 1 Carmel usually takes me about 2 hours 15 mins, but I have a lead foot and I'm not seeing it for the first time.

SAB

I forgot to add--I would have an alternative plan for late Sat. afternoon in SF if there is heavy fog at the coast as it will be cold and miserable at Sutro Park and there will be no sunset to see. May explore North Beach or Chinatown.

TravelTess

I'm puzzled. Some days you're waking up and others you aren't. Are you planning to drive when you're asleep? ;-)

You've mixed up Sonoma, St Helena, Napa and Yountville wineries. Map them out according to area and hit what you can, giving 30 mins to 60 mins for each one, depending on how much time you like to spend.

Have you been to SF before? Big Sur is on Highway One, its parks are too.

The route you're taking from SF to Carmel is a roundabout scenic route. We live in the Carmel/Pebble Beach area and just take 101 straight down to 156 Castroville to 1 south. It's faster for us and a straight shot. The time you're leaving SF is fine. Since you love sushi, make sure you dine at Wasabi Bistro tucked away at the Crossroads Shopping Center in Carmel - best sushi on the peninsula.

shelja

As far as the wine days (days 6&7) - is this doable? thanks.

SAB

Shelja--as you can see the best way to Carmel, depends on whom you ask, some people swear that taking 17 (either from 101 or 280) to 1 is the best: Tess likes 101 to 156 to 1; I like 280, 85, 156 to 1 because I like 280. You really can't go too wrong--and there may only be something like 1/2 hour difference in driving time depending on how fast you drive.

Tess, you agree that 280 is much more scenic than 101 right? I also actually find that it is faster than 101 because there are fewer exits and entrances slowing down the flow of traffic.

TravelTess

SAB - I love 280. My husband insists we go down 101 and has brainwashed me into thinking it's faster.

pmccallum

I would take 280 to 17 to 1. By taking 280 you can look down on the Bay Area - the scenery is beautiful. While this route will be longer, you can stop at some of the coastal towns along the way (this would be the "winging it" part of the trip).

SAB

See what I mean shelja!! BTW as much as I love to drive I do not like 17, too many people either driving too slow or too fast on a curvey 2 lane road through the Santa Cruz mountains.

Tess--tell hubby that 280/85 can be very fast driving compared to 101. They didn't nickname 280 the speedway for no reason!!

shelja

Thank you all for your recommendations on the drive to Carmel. Most likely we will take 280 - we are not in a huge rush and would like some scenery. It was nice to hear all sides of it though

...other than that, how does the itinerary look... as I have mentioned I am concerned about the winery days as those are the most hectic. Any thoughts? Thanks!

razzledazzle

So, shelja, I hope I am reading your plan correctly-After spending the night at the Lodge at Sonoma:

Day 6
Begin wine tasting and tour. Wineries to hit:
Gloria Ferrer (if we couldn’t go day before)
Buena Vista
Then over to Napa County on up
Hwy 29 to:
Robert Mondavi for tour
Stop at Oakville Grocery for lunch.

now on over to the Silverado Trail
Cakebread
Stag’s Leap
Joseph Phelps needs appointment,
Duckhorn
Any other recommendations for this area? Is this too many wineries? Do I have to make reservations/appts for these?
Drive to Santa Rosa

My directions via Petrified Forest Rd & Mark West will take 30-40
minutes

Day 7
Bfast in Healdsburg at Center Street Café. Head to following wineries (working North to South):

Dry Creek
Ferrari- Carano
Papapietro Perry
Wilson

Healdsburg
Thumbprint
Rosenblum
Quick lunch somewhere – ideas?

Russian River Valley
Roshambo
J Vineyards
Hop Kiln
Gary Farrell
Topolos

Well, it maps out in the right order on my map, LOL

I may have missed it-what days of the week are you in the Wine COuntry ?

R5