bk3

I will be in solo in SF for 6 days in early April and would like to get out of the city for 1 or 2 days.

This isn't my 1st trip (though it has been @20 yrs since last time) so I can't think of any specific site that I haven't seen except for the wine country. Thing is the idea of driving solo to taste wine doesn't seem to be a bright idea.

So can anyone suggest either day trips (car-free) or somewhere to drive for 1 or 2 night visit - returning rental car to SFO.

TIA

Abi

bk3,

Could you provide some ideas as to what types of places you would like to visit. There are endless possibilities when it comes to daytrips or short outings for 1 or 2 days.

Michael

Point Reyes is an option if you lie nature. There are B&B's near Inverness. For an expensive one, try Manka's--I definitely recommend its restaurant.

bk3

Abi-

I debated whether to include specific activities 'cause I really am open to any suggestion.

Car-free would be ideal, especially if there's a trip to the wine country. I love great views, and the coast is an option but as I said I have done the drive for the drive's sake before so how 'bout an interesting nearby town, perhaps? I'm really just looking to get out of the city a bit and check out something different.

I'm sorry if that's not much help - how bout a suggestion of something that may not have been around the last time I was there in the early 80s.

Abi

bk3,

I believe that there are Grayline bus tours to Wine Country from the Peninsula. For other car-free daytrips you could take BART over to Oakland and Berkeley (Oakland Museum of California and walk around Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley for the day). Another option is to take Caltrain down to San Jose or Palo Alto. In downtown SJ you could go to the Tech Museum or SJ Museum of Art, or take a walking tour. In Palo Alto there's Stanford Shopping Center as well as the University which offer tours.

Hope this helps.

easytraveler

Twenty to twentyfive years ago:

Hummm! Well, today the Castro is more of a swinging place while back then it was the Haight-Ashbury...

PacBell, oops, sorry, SBC Ball Park didn't exist then, but I don't know if there will be a ball game when you're in town...

The new Asian Art Museum didn't exist then, because back then it was the old DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, and that was rendered unusable in the Earthquake of 1989...

A lot of the SOMA scene didn't exist: the Marriott (go for a drink up in the View Room), the Metreon, the SF Museum of Modern Art, and the restaurants down there didn't exist back in the 1980s because the dotcom boom and bust came in the 1990's and early 2000's...

The Ferry Building was just for ferries then, while now it's also a vibrant organic/healthy food locale...

In fact, the entire Embarcadero drive is now a thing of beauty, as is the renovated Union Square...

You'll see a lot of new people, the homeless, on the streets and they weren't there in the 1980s...

But Chinatown is still there, as is Fisherman's Wharf, as is Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Twin Peaks, Mt Sutro, yep all the hills are still there; the Bay is still there, as are the cable cars; the bridges are still there, as is the ocean and Ocean Beach.

I'm certain others can add to the list of changes and nonchanges.

Have a good time in San Francisco! And if you want to get out of town: take the tour for Muir Woods, Sausalito, and parts north - without a car; or Point Reyes or Wine Country with your own car.

johncharles

bk3, I wouldn't rule out the wine country just because you might be a single driver. There's so much to see there, probably more new things to see and do that are pluses have grown up there since the early 80's than anyplace in the Bay Area. There are limo tours to the wine country, some of which advertise for customers in and around Union Square. Probably pricey, but maybe not so if you are willing to join and share with others. I'm sure Grey Line and others listed in the yellow pages (or findable through internet search engines) offer tours too. And then there is always tasting and spitting, always acceptable and expected at the wineries, or just enjoying the drive and the exteriors of the wineries and all the other spots to see. If you remember Sonoma County in particular from twenty years ago, you'll be amazed at how it has blossomed with wineries, inns and outstanding restaurants, while keeping its beautiful scenery.

Abi's suggestion of a BART trip to explore Berkeley--which has also blossomed with great restaurants and shops tremendously over the last twenty years, althogh more in other neighborhoods than on Telegraph Avenue--has merit, and the Oakland Museum often does have outstanding exhibits and is very easily BART accessible. I can't join in Abi's opinion that the sights he recommends in San Jose are a high enough priority for you to see that you should take the time to go down there on a visit as short as yours, however.

I do strongly agree with the recommendation of Manka's inn and restaurant at Inverness,though. You can always go west along the Russian River from the north Sonoma wine country around Healsburg and then down the coast to Point Reyes--a wonderful drive. And if you haven't before, and you have good weather, by all means drive to the top of Mount Tamalpais for an incredible panoramic view.

CalgirlSusan

Point Reyes and Muir Woods are the two best spots to hit.
I don't know about you, but I couldn't possibly go to wine country and spit out all the wine I tasted. Maybe that is the way the pros do it, but it seems like a waste to me. Taking a tour with Grayline is an option.

bk3

Thanks all

About the wine country, if I were to go on a groupish type trip - does anyone know of something a bit more offbeat than the probably standard Grayline fare?

Is Point Reyes only accessible by car?

I was thinking about ferry/boat trips. I recall taking a ferry to Sausalito but have any other towns pooped up that are a boat ride away?

The idea of a ball game did cross my mind and I will be there opening day. However, it looks sold out.

Oh johncharles if your still here- the Russian River - Mt. Tam route suggested is that a 1 or 2 day trip? What towns (and moderate $$) are suggested for where to sleep.

The trip is really to just relax and soak up a little SF/ NoCal flavor so I am torn between spending all 6 days in the city or take a mini road trip.

ramblinrose

bk3

I have done the wine country many times alone while my husband was on business in area. The tastings are so miniscule, you don't need to worry. I would recommend this area over Point Reyes - which I love.

You could drive up to Calistoga and stop for tastings and sightseeing along the way. Spend two nights in Calistoga at one of the places in town, and have a spa treatment; massage, mud bath etc et al.

Then work your way down the Silverado trail. Calistoga is a great town to walk around. And the wineries are so receptive - going solo won't seem alone.

Enjoy your time.

Idnas71

Yosemite National Park... I did a one-day tour with Grayline from San Francisco in 1999 and it was such fun. You spend a lot of time on a train and bus but the three hours in the park was really something. If you have never seen this National Park it's worth the effort even for three hours.

J_Correa

If you are interested in an overnight side trip, the Monterey Bay area is a good option. It's about a 2 hour drive from SF. You could even do it in a day, but it would be a bit of driving for 1 day. I believe there is a bus tour you can take as well if you didn't want to use a car.

Lake

To go to Point Reyes you would need a car.

I think that the mini roadtrip idea makes a lot of sense, especially since you have 6 days. I'd recommend 2 days in SF, 2 in Wine Country, and 2 exploring areas to the south (San Jose and Monterey). I know that there are grayline tours to Monterey.

BayArea

You can easily take the Ferry to Sausalito, or Corte Madera in Marin County. Tiburon is lovely for a morning, as is Angel Island out in the bay. Boats go to all those places.

Interesting places to for a short drive include:

-Mount Diablo for a nice spring time walk/hike. There will be copious wildflowers.

-Down PCH 1 to places like Half Moon Bay and San Gregorio.

-Sebastapol/Jenner/Sonoma Coast stopping in the cute mini town of Occidental.

Longer trips for an overnight:

-the aforementioned Pt Reyes (this could also be a day trip) Staying in Pt Reyes Station, Inverness of Stinson Beach

-Out to the Sierra foothills, Angels Camp, Placerville or Mariposa. Gold country is wildly different from the coast.

Guarto

I agree with splitting up your time outside of SF since you have 6 days. You could do Wine Country as either a day or overnight trip from SF. I think it would be better as an over night trip. 2 days each in the Wine Country, SF and down in the San Jose and Monterey areas would make a great trip. I also highly recommedn the drive along Big Sur. The best route to San Jose and Monterey from SF is the scenic 280. From SJ take highway 17 over to route 1. The most scenic strech of route 1 starts south of Santa Cruz where highway 17 meets route 1. The link below gives some of the the main stopping off points along scenic route 1.


http://www.pelicannetwork.net/big.sur.coast.htm

Have a nice vacaton.

bk3

First many thanks to all for the ideas

Update- I will be based in SF for entire trip after seeing the low cost of rental cars ($27/day) and getting a pretty decent hotel rate (Grand Hyatt $55/ni)

For certain I will rent a car in Union Sq on last morning returning to SFO @8pm. So if that inspires anyone to offer up a new/different itinerary, please do

The idea of various ferry trips seems really appealing. I am still torn about finding a group tour to wine country or getting a car and going solo.

Thanks again all and I'm still open to any ways to fill my 6 days revisiting a city I last visited in 1981.