ajwc3179

I'm looking to get some feedback on a trip I am planning for my husband and I (we are in our late 30s). In total it is 8 nights and 9 days, Airfare is booked so we cannot extend it. I've done a good bit of research and I'm looking to see whether I crammed too much into any particular day (I have a tendency to do that according to my husband). I also wouldn't mind feedback on a couple activities as to whether or not they are worth it. I have only started to research the napa/sonoma section of the trip so any thoughts there are welcome.

Day 1 Tuesday- Flight in from the East Coast arriving late morning. Looking to stay in Union Sq. (possibly the Sir Francis Drake Hotel). With the time change I'm thinking we may just grab a snack check out Union Sq, do dinner and have an early night.
Day 2 Wednesday- Streets of San Francisco Classic Bike Tour in the morning/midday (9:30-1:30). Then take a cable car down to the Ferry building. (debating whether to grab a bite closer to where we will be at and do the ferry building closer to dinner). Any feedback here on this bike tour/co. would be great.
Day 3 Thursday- Ferry out to Alcatraz in the morning. Grab lunch on the return. Relax for a bit and head over to AT& T park for a baseball game that evening. (I checked and the Giants are in town)
Day 4 Friday- Spend the day doing Lombard st., Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, Ghirardelli Sq., Crissy Field. Debating maybe doing a Go Car rental for a little bit this day as well. Any feedback on that would be great.

Day 5 Saturday- Pick up a rental car and head down to Monterey. I believe my husband will play a round of golf (Spanish Bay) when we arrive and I'll check in to the hotel (not sure where yet possibly Carmel) and maybe head down to Point Lobos for a bit and hang in town until he is done. Drive the 17 mile drive and call it quits for the day.
Day 6 Sunday- Head over to Pebble so hubby can check it out, then head up to the Monterey Aquarium and see Cannery Row. Leave from Monterey mid-afternoon and drive up to Napa Valley. Not sure where we are staying yet. Was looking at the Candlelight Inn in Napa.

Day 7 Monday- Do a few tastings in Napa Valley. I haven't selected where to go yet. I'm thinking we will Uber around wherever we go. We like reds (hubby mostly cabs).
Day 8 Tuesday- Debating whether to stay in Napa Valley or head over to Sonoma Valley and do a few vineyards there and stay there that evening.

Day 9 Wednesday (last day)- Drive to Muir woods, maybe muir beach and/or stinson beach, Mt. Tamalpais. Head into Sausalito for the rest of the day before returning the rental car and heading to the airport for a 10:45 redeye.

Any thoughts, advice, tips to know would be appreciated! Thanks

sf7307

Is playing golf in the Monterey area of particular importance? If not, I’d skip the Monterey part of the trip altogether and spend more time in SF -Marin-Napa-Sonoma. If it IS important I might head there straight from the airport. What’s great about Monterey isn’t Cannery Row, it’s the beauty of the coast and south. Need more info!!

as for San Francisco, your day on Friday is mostly wandering around - I would add walking to some of the hidden steps (from Montgomery St up to Coit Tower for example, and since you’re planning on making it to Crissy Field, I’d definitely include a walk on the Golden Gate Bridge.

emmajm

Some initial negatives--those Go Car type vehicles scare me when I see them in traffic--so little. Bikes ? Be prepared for cool foggy weather in July.

Be sure you book early for Alcatraz. Need reservations for Muir Woods. Point Lobos parking fills up, need to get there early.

There are hundreds of wineries in Sonoma and Napa valleys. It is spread out rural so there will not be hundreds of "ride share" vehicles circling for fares like they do in SF.

janisj

If the golf is important -- I might forget the Napa/Sonoma bits -- and concentrate on Monterey/Carmel/Point Lobos/Big Sur for the first few days (drive straight south from SFO). Then finish up in San Francisco car-less.

There are more and better redwoods in the Santa Cruz mountains and Big Sur without the over crowding and required reservations of Muir Woods. There are wonderful vineyards/wineries in the Monterey area, and better ocean scenery than Stinson Beach.

curiousgeo

I tend to feel less can be more for your trip. So I agree with both janisj and sf7307's recommendations. With the time you have I would consider concentrating on SF and either the Monterey/Big Sur area or Napa/Sonoma. Of course you could do all of it, but it would be a rather rushed experience just hitting a few of the main points.

StuDudley

Like SF7307, we've lived in San Francisco or close by for the past 43+ years. We visited Fisherman's Wharf "on foot" a few weeks ago for the first time in perhaps 20 years. It was even worse than I remember it. The Cannery is mostly vacant. I recall 30 years ago that it had interesting shops to explore and live entertainment on the ground level (Jason Chase - the juggler??). No more. The restaurant with the ceiling from Hearst castle is now closed. Ghirardelli Square is now mostly condos with about 3 ice cream stores and around 3 "tourist trap" shops as the only commerce. I recall a nice book shop from decades ago. The "main" street of the Wharf (Jefferson) was as tacky as I recall from 20 years ago. Mostly trinket shops.


IMO, the two best destinations in coastal Northern Calif are San Francisco and Carmel/Monterey (as other locals have noted).


Here is something I wrote over 10 years ago that I originally titled "Alternatives to Fisherman's Wharf".


https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...ations-356478/


Stu Dudley

ajwc3179

Thank you for your feedback. As of now the golf is on the important list for the hubby.

You are correct in that that last day in San Fran is not terribly organized yet. Thank you for the suggestion.

ajwc3179

sf7303: Thank you for your feedback. As of now the golf is on the important list for the hubby.

You are correct in that that last day in San Fran is not terribly organized yet. Thank you for the suggestion.

emmajm: Thank you for the feedback. We've done a similar style as the go car before and you are correct its a bit scary when you are next to big trucks! Your thoughts on how plentiful or not a rideshare (uber) will be in wine country is very helpful. Thanks!