San Francisco and where else?
 

We are flying in and out out of San Francisco for 7 days in August with our 17 year old son. We plan to spend 3 or 4 days in San Francisco and would like to stay somewhere else for a few days. Not sure where. We would like Napa or Sonoma but not sure that would appeal to our son. What about Carmel or Monterey? What area would you recommend and what hotel?
Thank you.

Highway 1 between Monterey and Malibu is one of the most beautiful drives in the country.

I suggest you drive to Monterey and then on Highway 1 as far as Cambria. In the morning you could visit the Hearst Castle in nearby San Simeon and then drive back to Monterey for the night and visit the great aquarium there.

Your son is too young to enjoy wine tasting in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. However, a trip there that includes nearby Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, in Vallejo, and Muir Woods (redwoods), in Mill Valley, may fill the bill.

HTTY

We absolutely love Monterey! We tagged it on to a trip to San Francisco years ago, and now we're more apt to tag SF onto our Monterey trip. We always get rooms on the water at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, which is a very short walking distance from the aquarium.

If your son enjoys kayaking, he should be in heaven in the bay (right in front of the Monterey Plaza), which is filled with sea life.

http://www.montereyplazahotel.com/?g...Fcbd4AodyH2BUw

I would hit Big Sur and Monterey/Carmel. Your son would likely not enjoy Napa at all.

Lots of people take their kids (big and small) to Napa/Sonoma, and I don't get it. My kids would have been bored stiff. Beautiful scenery, wineries, nice small towns, but very few "sights". A particularly adult destination in my book.

Yosemite is 4 hours away.

~Liz

I was also going to suggest Yosemite. My second choice would be the Monterey area.

Carmel/Monterey for 2 nights, Big Sur/Nepenthe 1 night, San Simeon/Hearst Castle 1 night, back up to SF. Not a big fan of Cambria - compared to Carmel/Pacific Grove.

Stu Dudley

Monterey. In August? Heaven!

If you're on a tight budget, consider getting two rooms next to each other at the Surf Inn, a nice little motel located on Munras about .4 mile from Fisherman's Wharf with free parking, small buffet breakfast included. It will give your son some breathing room and you two as well!

A slightly higher budget will get you into the Casa Munras or the Portola, both nice properties with pools -- the Portola is right at Fisherman's Wharf; the Casa Munras an 8 minute walk.

You can rent bikes and ride bikes on the bike path all the way south to the tail end of Pacific Grove (maybe further -- I never got that far) or north along the dunes to Seaside/Fort Ord.

Kayaking is the BEST in the Monterey Bay. The BEST. You've never seen so much sea life in your life. If you or your son have not Kayaked, they do offer instruction and tours.

Alternatively, Santa Cruz -- you have UC Santa Cruz students, you have the surfers, the Felton steam train stops at the boardwalk; the amusement park, an incredible beach down packed with students, life, funk! Some pretty decent watering holes as well. Although expensive, the Beach Shack at the Sean and Sand motel is the coolest experience, with your own back yard, outdoor spa and bbq overlooking the bay.

My suggestion is Santa Cruz and Monterey - maybe Big Sur as well. Yosemite would be neat, but August is probably the busiest time of the year, so I would be worried about finding a place to sleep.