My husband and I both have business trips in CA (me in LA, he in San Jose) at the same time so we will be taking our first trip together without our 18-month old. As you can imagine, this wee trip is a Big Deal. Unfortunately, between business and childcare arrangements, we only have the weekend.

We are taking advantage of our friend's empty house in Novato for the weekend.

He is picking me up at the San Jose airport Fri afternoon. How long should we expect the trip to Novato to take? Is there any sightseeing along the way that you can recommend? My flight gets in around 4. Since we don't have much time, we want to make the most of Friday if possible.

Sat we plan to spend the day doing wineries so we're fine there.

Sunday, we have to fly out at 5:30PM from SFO. We have a very vague plan to head towards Point Reyes or Muir Woods. Hubby is not much of a wine drinker so we want to do something more active on Sunday and obviously something in the direction of San Fran. We are early risers, so it is possible to do any or all of these things?

Really would appreciate any help on Fri PM and Sunday. Thanks!!

Traffic will be nasty.

You have two driving options. Take Hwy 101 up the peninsula, through SF, across the Golden Gate Bridge & up to Novato.
or
Take 880 up through Oakland, then take 580 across the San Rafael Bridge to 101 towards Novato.

Either way it is about 80 miles but probably 2.5 - 3 hours at that time of day especially on a Friday.

You will get to Novato about 8'oclock so that probably means no sightseeing.

You can always stop for dinner in SF or maybe Jack London Square (if you go 880) before finishing the rest of the trip.

I'd suggest doing something around San Jose Friday evening. Traffic will be hairy into town and through SF, which as the previous poster states, will have you getting to Novato late anyway.

If your child will allow for it, plan on dinner in the city and he/she can sleep on the way up to Novato, with a later arrival.

As for driving route, I think it's 6/half dozen.

Keep in mind you may need reservations for tastings at some wineries. And dinner reservations are always recommended in the area on weekends.

Enjoy!

friday bay area traffic is nasty, so you might want to look at san jose and see if anything there interests you. then go north on highway 280, it is very beautiful and you can stop at the scenic outlooks. Filoli house and garden is in Woodside but would be closed that late. then probably up 101 to novato. if you are going to muir woods there is a shuttle from highway 101 to go to muir woods. if you drive yourself be aware the dropoff is steep and not much guardrails! do a google search on muir woods shuttle. in san francisco remember that you can use you cell phone to call 511 for all public transportation choices/help, buses, ferries schedules to places, etc. i like the ferry building (great hamburgers), the art museum palace of legion of honor with an incredable view down to the water, the new de young museum (discount if you arrive by bus and free access to viewing tower for all) and the japanese tea garden, both in golden gate park, where parking on the weekend is really tough to find. getting an early start will help you beat the weekend crowds. have fun!

also could go to half moon bay if you go up 280, then 92 west i think. foster city off 92 is a good place to stop and eat if you are heading that way instead of up the city itself.

Figure your SJC flight gets in at 4:00. If you only have carry-on, you'll leave the airport around 4:15. Take 280N towards SF. (Avoid 101N all the way up at all costs - even with the carpool lane it will be a slow crawl.)

I will sometimes take 280N all the way into SF or if i'm going downtown, take 280N, 380E, 101N then get back on 280 towards downtown SF. Check to make sure there are no baseball games if you take that route though as it'll dump you right next to PacBell Park.

If there are no significant delays, you can make it into SF by 5:45 or 6:00. One option would be making an early reservation for dinner somewhere in the city to break up the drive. Have a meal, then possibly stop off for sunset viewing (if the weather's good) near the Golden Gate Bridge. Your best option is on the north side of the bridge since you'll get a view of SF. The drive from SF to Novato should take you about 30 mins.

I like the suggestion on taking 280 West from San Jose to San Francisco. However, I suggest that as you reach Daly Coty, you continue on to 19th Avenue all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge, rather than take the PacBell Park/Embarcadero route. The Pacbell Park area has horrendous traffic on Fridays.

This is not to say that 19th Avenue will be smooth sailing. However, it will be more like stop-and-fo due to the traffic lights.

Also, there is no way that it will only take 30 minutes from SF to Novato at 6 pm on a Friday. That can only happen if you happen to be in a helicopter.

From SJ airport, on a Friday rush hour, count on at least a 4 hour drive to Novato.

Bill Boy,

Will it be 30 mins from SF to Novato if they leave after dinner at 8:00 or 8:30 pm? I'm figuring traffic will be mostly done by then.

I work near SJC and can usually get up to Noe Valley in 1:20 on 280N even if I leave at 5:00 p.m. Figure if they stop in SF on the way, and wait for traffic to die, it'll be an easier drive.

At 8:30? Yes, 30 minutes.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think we will take the advice about staying in San Jose Fri evening for dinner, check out Half Moon Bay, relax a while before heading on to Novato after 8 PM. Any restaurant suggestions in San Jose? Remember we will not have the baby with us.

Also, about Sunday. If we get up and leave Novato around 8 or so, and head south - what activities do you suggest for that day? Muir Woods? Point Reyes?

Just a word about Half Moon Bay...

If you decide to go you will take 92 west (from either 101 or 280) to the ocean (12-15 miles) until you get to CA-1. To get to SF you have to backtrack on 92 east because CA-1 north to SF is closed at Devil's Slide due to the mudslides this spring.

Saps - thanks for the heads up!!

Anyone else - suggestions for a nice meal overlooking the ocean in San Jose?

There is no ocean view in San Jose. San Jose is at the south end of the SF bay and is 30 miles from the coast. In fact San Jose is even inland from the bay itself.

I don't dine in SJ much so I don't have great recommendations but...
You can go to Santana Row (a very upscale outdoor shopping/dining district). The downtown areas of Menlo Park, Los Gatos, & Palo Alto (all enroute to SF) all have very nice restaurants and dining atmospheres.

Hopefully my South Bay neighbors can help out!

In Novato, head northwest west on Novato Blvd. follow it out of town until it ends/
intersects with the Petaluma/Pt. Reyes
Road. Turn left and you'll be in Olema
(Pt. Reyes) in about 30 minutes.
Should be quite fabulous at that hour !

Once at Pt. Reyes, head to the Visitors Center to get an idea of your options.
The views from the Lighthouse are spectacular-and the excercise of climbing the 331 steps back UP will be invigorating.

I could skip Muir Woods. It will be quite crowded unless you go there at daybreak. Pt. Reyes is way more spectacular, IMHO.

R5

My favorite restaurant in San Jose is 71 St. Peter on San Pedro square (at 71, get it?). They have a tasting menu with wine pairing that is to die for. Go there directly from the airport for an early dinner, and then hit the road any time after 6:30 when you will be chasing behind traffic. Then stop in either SF or Sausalito for a drink before heading into Novato.