SF/Napa Valley/Fort Bragg Trip Report!
 

First I would like to thank all of you Fodorites for your help in planning this vacation. It was one of our favorites!

We flew Sun Country Airlines direct from Minneapolis to San Francisco. The check-in went very smooth from the Humphrey Terminal. Our only problem was we asked for a row with extra leg room (husband is 6'4") and they gave us the bulkhead. This was the most uncomfortable row! His knees had room but you are prevented from stretching your legs out as there is a wall. Difficult to explain but quite uncomfortable. Anyway.
We got to SF and took a hotel shuttle to Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf. The shuttles are upstairs from the baggage claim area. It cost us $14 each plus tip. We were the only ones on it, so we lucked out-- cheaper than a taxi!

We checked in and stayed in room 1607, I believe? It had two double beds. Yes DOUBLE, not queen. We had requested a king, but made do sleeping in separate beds. We figured it was only for one night. We were across from the bus station but didn't have any noise issues. My only complaint is the bathroom sink or something around it really smelled like mildew. But I never attempted to switch rooms so I can't really complain ;)

We walked down to the Wharf and had dinner at Cioppino's. It was VERY GOOD. We had planned on eating somewhere nicer/fancier but were very tired and hungry so just stopped in there. I would definitely recommend it.

The next morning we were on the first tour to Alcatraz at 9:30 am. I would HIGHLY recommend this trip and taking the audio tour for the extra $4. The audio tour was phenomenal. We also were glad we were on the first trip out as there were no crowds and we took many pictures of unoccupied areas. We stayed until 11:45.

We rented a car through Budget from the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf. We only paid $140 for a week's rental of the premium car (Pontiac Bonneville) due to a 20% off coupon and free upgrade Mastercard coupon from Budget's website. We drove almost 800 miles between Tuesday and Sunday--free mileage luckily!
Then we drove off to Napa Valley. (More to come. . . . )

We stayed at the River Terrace Inn in Napa. This was SUCH a nice hotel! The location isn't great but the bed is seriously the most comfortable bed we've ever slept on. My husband looked up the mattress and it's 6K! The bathroom is fabulous, and everything is new. All this and a good continental breakfast for $99, great rate from a travelzoo email.

We had lunch at Downtown Joe's Brewery, very good.
We then relaxed until dinner at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville. Surprisingly we both had difficulty finding something to order from the menu. I had the coq au vin and my husband had the sole. Both entrees were just OK. HOWEVER the tomato bisque en croute appetizer and the goat cheese with honey and walnuts dessert were phenomenal. We would go back here but for lunch if they are open. We ate with a bottle of (cheaper) wine for about $100.

The next morning we had the first tour at Robert Mondavi. Again I would suggest taking the first tour as it is still cool outside and you can get better pictures without mobs of people around. There were only about 12 people on our tour and our guide, Nancy, was fabulous. We tasted 4 wines, they were all good. We would definitely recommend this tour, it's $15pp.

We then drove the Silverado Trail. This was a much nicer scenic route than HWY 29, but we did not have ANY traffic issues as other people have reported on 29.

We stopped at the Sterling Winery and took the tram. What a view! I am attempting to persuade my younger sister to get married there on their patio overlooking the valley. (She rolls her eyes as she's only 21 and single!) We enjoyed the tastings here as well. We love wine, but are just learning about it, so sorry I can't comment more on the quality of the wines.

We then stopped by Beringer to see it, but didn't go in. The stretch of 29 in front of Beringer was my favorite part with the beautiful trees arching over the highway. . .

On to lunch at Mustard's Grill. YUM! Wow the food was just so good. Especially the griddled goat cheese polenta and the artichoke ravioli. We'll definitely be back!

That night we took the wine train. I was skeptical, but we really enjoyed it! Yes, it moves slow, yes, it's next to the highway, and yes, we really enjoyed it! I did not find it to be cheesy or touristy (ok, maybe the depot was), and the food and wine were very good. It is pricey for what you get. I don't know if we'll do it again, but the view at sunset was just gorgeous. I would recommend the train, but if you go for dinner make sure to request the second seating as we did. The view greatly diminishes after the sun sets! Enjoy the view during the first part of the trip.

More to come. . .

The next day we had the first tour at Schramsberg. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Maybe just for the drive up the hill :) This was a really cool tour, lots of history and you get to go into the caves. We learned a lot about sparkling wine and wrote down the names of their Minnesota distributors.

We then had lunch at Wappo's Bistro in Calistoga. This was both of our favorite meals, and it was one of the cheapest! We ate out on the patio and had the duck carnitas and the greek chicken. Everything had so much flavor (even the icewater :) Definitely recommended and we will be back!

We enjoyed a spa afternoon at Lavender Hill Spa. The bath treatments were so relaxing. My husband was slightly wary of the whole thing but really liked it. We had 1 hour baths followed by 1 hour massages. My only complaint is the constant drone of traffic that can be heard from the massage house (not the bath house). I am talking semis! Lots of traffic. I would definitely return for a bath, but probably not a massage.

We ate at Terra that evening. Our waiter was so helpful and completely not condescending when I asked him what certain ingredients mentioned on the menu were (squab, sweetbreads, lumquat, etc.) We almost died when we found out what sweetbreads are--we're both health care professionals concerned about mad cow! OK enough about that but the waiter was so nice explaining everything without being pretentious.
We had the lobster bisque, the salad, the steak tagliatelle (sp?) and the lamb risotto. Everything was just so fabulously yummy. We will definitely return here!

That night we stayed at the GOlden Haven Spa. BIG MISTAKE! We should have stayed another night at the River Terrace Inn. We were actually on a Murphy bed. You know, the ones that come out of the wall?!? There was no boxspring and the bed was so uncomfortable I was literally miserable. We both were. I would never stay there again! (Room 15). I must say that the grounds were kept up very nicely, but the room was just horrible.

One more segment to come. . .

So on Friday we had breakfast at the Crepe Garden in Calistoga (very good breakfast for good prices!) and headed up to the coast.

We took backroads to 101 to 128 to 1. A very scenic, very slow drive. When we got to Ft. Bragg we ate lunch at Sombero's Mexican. Very good and very cheap!

We checked in to the Surf and Sand Lodge. What a location! We would stay here again--it's set back from the coast. The wildflowers were gorgeous. A good price too-- $89 per night.

We ate dinner both nights at the North Coast Brewing Company. We're in our twenties and from the midwest and love our beer! We loved all of theirs :)

Saturday we drove up highway 1 to Leggett, to the drive thru tree, and continued on to the Avenue of the Giants. What a lovely day!

Sunday we drove back to SF via highways 20 and 101. We stopped for lunch in Sausalito and then completed the 49-mile scenic drive. It was great-- I am really glad we did it, but it took a loooong time.

We returned the rental car and flew back to hot humid Minneapolis! Wish we were still there!

Thanks again for all the help and let me know if you have any questions!

Really enjoyed your report..very informative and enjoyable..
Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know how your plannikng turned out..

OOPS--miss spelled "planning"
Also how were the rooms at Surf and Sand motel??
I was remodeled a few years ago so I wondered if they did a good job?

Tim and Liz,
I'm glad you drove the portion of Highway 1 above Mendocino and Fort Bragg. Isn't it beautiful? It's so wild and rugged - I love the glimpses of the Lost Coast mountains to the north. North Coast Brewing Co. - I've had some surprisingly sophisticated meals there, and of course their beers and ales are superb. It sounds like you really got off the beaten path and enjoyed yourselves!

Sounds like you had a great time.
I would agree with the bulk of your comments.
Unfortunately our perspectives as health care professionals are different: sweetbreads are wonderful and very healthy eats (from young stars/nothing remotely related to mad cow) and one could simply ask @ Bistro Jeanty what is recommended that day/evening and get a great meal.
If I stood 1.93 M like your spouse, I would fly business or first class rather than chance DVT!