Dreamer2

Greetings!
Anybody know anything about this resort (Half Moon Bay Ritz) one hour south of San Francisco? Looks great on the web, and I am considering accompanying my husband on a business trip there. Is it close to any vineyards we could visit as a day trip? Or should we spend a couple nights in wine country prior to the conference? I've never been to SF, so I'm also hoping the hotel has some sort of shuttle in. Do you think it would be worth eight hours of travel through four time zones for a 3-4 day visit? Thanks in advance for any insight!

sgbslo

I have been to the resort, but have not stayed there. It's very beautiful in the Ritz Carltony sort of way. The setting is very dramatic. It strikes me mostly as a place people would go to golf, have spa treatments etc. There's not a great deal to do in the area, although the town of Half Moon Bay is rather charming.
I doubt if the hotel has scheduled shuttles to San Francisco, but I'm sure something could be arranged.
Your idea of going to the wine country a couple of days before the conference sounds like a good one.

Dreamer2

Thanks for the reply! Can you recommend an area about an hour from San Francisco where we could stay a night or two at a charming inn and tour/taste at a couple vineyards?

humanone

Half Moon bay is not nearly as interesting as the Napa Valley, both are 1 hr. from San Francisco. I doubt that there is any public transportation to Half Moon Bay, but there surely are at least limos to Napa. Half Moon Bay is sure to be grey with fog until Sept and October; Napa will be clearer and hotter.

Surfergirl

I think Bodi stayed at this place and took photos of it that can be seen on the site he listed in his or her comments on the Spindrift Hotel in Monterey. The pictorals tell all, and I think he/she enjoyed it. Do a search for "bodi" or "spindrift"

sgbslo

There are countless places to stay in either the Napa or Sonoma area. One centrally located town in Napa is Yountville where there are several nice restaurants and good access to wineries. Suggestions for places to stay would be either Vintage Inn or Villagio. If you go to the Sonoma area a couple of places I think are nice to stay are the Gaige House or the Inn at Occidental.

Dreamer2

Thanks for all the replies; I'll check them out next. How funny that HMB is likely to be ensconced in fog - you just can't trust those publicity photos! It's also interesting that most everyone focused on Napa, as opposed to Sonoma. Having never been to either, I haven't a clue, but research on previous posts would have led me to the latter. Healdsburg seems quite popular with recent reports. Sqbslo, I'll go find the inns you recommended in both regions on the web. Thanks again all!

Lovejoy

Napa Valley is compact and very touristy.It is the second most popular destination in California after Disneyland.
Sonoma is much more spread out,and low key,especially the area west,and north of Healdsburg.If your interestead in visiting wineries,and not competing with busloads of people than Sonoma is the better bet.

PamSF

I agree Sonoma is preferable. You can explore a variety of regions and wineries in Sonoma. Many of the tasting rooms will be relatively small when compared with those in Napa. I'm a big fan of Healdsburg. I frequently recommend the Camellia Inn but others have recently stayed at the Grape Leaf Inn and seem to have enjoyed it a great deal. I think the idea of spending a few days in the wine country before the
business trip is a good one. I doubt there will be a shuttle from the Ritz to SF. I'd suggest you rent a car and venture in while your husband is in meetings. It will probably take about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Traffic could be tricky so I would recommend going off rush hours.

Dreamer2

Thanks for the additional info! I'm going to check availability at the Grape Leaf Inn, Occidental, and Camellia. I also want to check for a good rate at the Marriot's Renaissance. As for Vineyards, I'm thinking Benzinger, Chateau St. Jean, and Ravenswood. Sound okay?
We are taking separate planes, so I'll probably come late and just stay at the Ritz a couple nights. If I have just one day in San Francisco, what 2-3 things would give me the best flavor of the city? Thanks again for your help.

Dreamer2

One more question!
Which winery in Sonoma would be best to visit for champagne?
Thanks again!

PamSF

For winerie info check www.wineroad.com. You might also post the champagne question on the "other topics" forum under the "Wine-Os" thread. I can't think of a good champagne tasting room in Sonoma unless Chateau Souverain or DeLormier makes a champagne. This is an area known for its zinfandels and pinot noirs. The wineroad.com site might also suggest champagne tastings.

Regarding a day in SF..what do you like? Do you want neighborhoods,commonly visited "tourist sites" or a combo?

For dinner reservations both in Sonoma and in SF I'd say make them before you come to California. If you want some tips just let us know what you'd be interested in.

sgbslo

Gloria Ferrar in Sonoma is good for champagne.

J_Correa

The northern CA coast is generally foggy during the summertime. Usually you will have morning fog, afternoon sunshine and then the fog will roll back in during the evenning. The heat in the valley creates an inversion layer which brings in the fog. Generally, the hotter it is in the valley, the foggier it is on the coast. There are also periods of warm temperatures on the coast with no fog at all during the summertime. It really depends on how hot it is in the valley. Fall is generally very sunny and pretty warm on the coast.

PamSF

Thank you for the reminder! Also, Domaine Carneros Tattinger. Their (1997/1998) brut was the winner of our wine club's blind tasting of champagnes last year. It beat out the likes of Pol Roger and a $200/bottle Salon Mesnil! If you are in that area of Sonoma also check out the DiRosa Preserve. (They have a website and you will need reservations). This is a 2 hour docent led tour of an impressive collection of modern art by Bay Area artists.

Suzie

I love your winery choices. We visited those. Ravenswood had terrific staff and great pours. Benzinger is beautiful as is Chateau St. Jean. There are a few wineries close to Chateau like Kunde & Kenwood.

Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves http://www.gloriaferrer.com/

Dreamer2

Thanks everybody! Those look great.
As for SF, I'm thinking of:
Arrive and ride cable car
Fisherman's Wharf (what exactly is here anyway?!)
Dinner in Chinatown
End with evening harbor cruise
Sound good? Any good shopping opportunities in these areas?

J_Correa

I would do the bay cruise and fisherman's wharf at the same time since the boat will most likely leave from the FW area or somewhere else off the Embarcadero. Also, if the fog rolls in, you might not be able to see much during an evenning cruise and it is likely to be more than a little bit chilly out on the water.

The FW area is a where the fishing boats come in and dock. There are places to buy fresh fish - either cooked or raw. There are sea lions hanging around on the piers. Around that area there are some restaurants, souvenier shops, and that kind of thing.

kikahead

Chinatown will have the exact same souvenirs as Fisherman's Wharf for about 1/2 of the price the Wharf will charge. They have some really neat stores to look through. There is also shopping at the Wharf (little souvenir stores as well as the usual Starbucks, Gap, etc.). Blue & Gold Fleet and the Red & White Fleet both have bay cruises that leave from Fisherman's Wharf. By the way, while at the HMB Ritz, there is a great Italian restaurant on Main St. in Half Moon Bay called Pasta Moon if you are looking for a casual dinner close by.

Dreamer2

Wow, thanks so much for the good tips! Really helps with the fine-tuning.