Micki

A friend of mine and myself are planning a trip in late August2002 to San Franciso and surroundings. We will have approx 8-9 days. This is our first trip to the area and I'm wondering what are the "must sees" and "skip it" sites. Here's a tentative schedule I've come up with but would appreciate comments from others with more knowledge of the area and experience. So far I've come up with - a ferry ride to see Golden Gate bride and Alcatraz, stay at Fishermans' Wharf hotel, take trolley ride, visit Palace of Fine Arts, visit China Town, day trip to Muir Woods, couple of days spend in the Wine Country - Napa Valley. Drive South for a couple of days to see Carmel, Hearst Castle, Winchester Mansion. What am I missing here? Any more "must sees" or "don't waste your time"? Also, would love suggestions on places to stay or restaurants in San Franciso and Napa Valley.

Duke

As I write this I am 2 blocks from the Winchester Mystery house in San Jose and have never been there. I would not put this on your must do list unless you have plenty of time on the way to Monterey peninsula as it is right off the freeway.

Alcatraz tours need to be booked in advance as they are very popular. Usually a few days in advance is plenty but do not try to just go to Wharf and go to Alcatraz.This is a very popular tour in the City.

The ferry from the Ferry Building to Sausilito that the locals use will give you a good view of the Bridge and a fun day in Sausilito as well as go past Alcatraz without stopping there.

Book reservations in the wine country as you do not want to drive back and forth.

Hearst Castle is interesting to see and they have many different tours. They also have a nighttime tour that I hear is very good. Book here in advance also.

Carmel/Monterey: Check the B and Bs of the town of Pacific Grove, California. Great little city and best location on the Monterey peninsula. Many people think it is Monterey and it is not. Green Gable Inn and Inn of Seven Gables are located on the Bay with views of the water. Go to Pacificgrove.org for more hotel suggestions.

Don't miss the Monterey Bay Aquarium while in Monterey.

Susan

Micki, I'd put the Winchester Mystery House on the "don't waste your time" list. It's kinda interesting but if you live here it's worth it ... if you are only here for a visit there are many other better ways to spend your time.

I think all in all, you have a very good list. I'd suggest you spend two nights in the wine country, either Napa or Sonoma, and three nights going south.

Hearst Castle is a good six hour drive south of San Francisco, and even longer if you plan to drive the coastal route through Big Sur (which I highly recommend). So, I'd suggest you spend the night in Carmel on your way down, spend the next night in Cambria, see Hearst Castle (make reservations) and then stay somewhere else on the way back north. Are you flying in and out or San Francisco?

buck

Must place to eat in Cambria, Hearst Castle area, Sea Chest, its on the ocean drive. Best sea food in the area and a cute place, expect to wait unless you get there around 5:30, closed on Mon. August will be very busy, Sept. would be a better time, if you can change it is well worth it. The crowds start to go and the weather is beautiful, fog goes away and it is clear and warm on the ocean. Your trip list sounds great, Mustards in Napa, but be prepared to wait again, but its worth it, you can always have good chard. while you are waiting. Have a great trip, Buck

dj

Micki,

First of all, I would recommend that you fly into San Jose International Airport, since San Jose is centrally located between the various places that you will be visiting (Napa, SF to the north and Monterey/Carmel to the southwest). If you fly into San Jose (SJC), you can take the free (Valley Transportation Authority)VTA/SJC Airport Flyer bus #10 to the Santa Clara Caltrain station if SF is going to be your first stop. The Caltrain ride to SF takes about 1 1/2 hours. From SF you have easy access to the Napa Valley. If you drive from San Jose to SF, it can easily take 1 1/2 -2 hours depending on the traffic. The worst time would be during the afternoon and evening commute. If you are flying out from San Jose, you can take the VTA Light Rail from Downtown (runs 24 hours per day) and get off at the Metro/Airport Station. From there you can take the free VTA/SJC Airport Flyer #10 bus directly to the airport.
I would say that your list is mostly complete. I would say that the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose is definitely very unique and something that I would recommend once. There are many other things to see and do in San Jose(www.sanjose.org) Being that it is the biggest city in Northern California, there are numerous great restaurants, museums, and performing arts. There are many good restaurants Downtown in San Pedro Square (Spiedo, Blake's, A.P. Stumps, and 71 Saint Peter) If you are into nightclubs, there are many in the SoFA district (South First Street Area) walking distance from San Pedro Square. Pick up a copy of the Metro Paper at any street corner Downtown to get an idea of different events/performances in Silicon Valley while you are there. Two of the most notable museums in the city are the Tech Museum of Innovation and the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum (which contains the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the Western U.S.) North of the city in the town of Woodside, I would recommend the Filoli Estate (www.filoli.org) If you watched the show Dynasty back in the 80s, this is the place where all of the outside scenes were filmed. I have been there once, and feel that it is worth seeing. While in Monterey (www.monterey.com) I agree that the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must see, along with 17 Mile Drive, and Fisherman's Wharf. Hearst Castle is also something that I would definitely recommend. I have been there a couple of times, and it is an amazing place. I would take the day tour in order to be able to better appreciate the coastal scenery.

Micki

Thanks all. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Anyone have suggestions for good accomodations in the Napa Valley?

?????

El Bonita Motel in ST. Helena has a great location and very good value.

Kate

Following up on the previous posters about Alcatraz, you'll need to buy your tickets AT LEAST 10 days in advance. You can buy them over the phone at 415-705-5555 or on the web at www.blueandgoldfleet.com. I doubt they are on sale yet, but I'd suggest putting a note in your calendar to call the beginning of August. Otherwise, you'll end up paying exhorbitant scalpers' prices for them. My personal suggestion is to go on the Night Tour rather than the day tour because it's much less crowded and more interesting, but the day tour is good too if that fits into your schedule.

One of my favorite things to do in SF is to take a boat over to Angel Island, another Island in the bay. Great hiking, fantastic views, very interesting history, and not well known. You can take boats there from Pier 41 in the City or from Tiburon. The website listed above probably has more info about it.

Enjoy!

janis

I definitely second the Angel Island visit. Instead of going to Sausalito - take the Tiburon ferry. Lost of nice shops and bars/restaurants and then you catch the boat over to Angel Island. it is a very short trip and leaves from right next to where the SF ferry lands. Angel Island (especially on a clear day) is my favorite place in teh bay. You can walk all the way around and have amazing views of the SF skyline, all the bridges, Berkeley, Alcatraz, lost of wild life including deer - plus a lot of REALLY interesting historical sites. Civil war battlements, old settlements, the west coast "Ellis Island" immigration center, a small museum, WWII gun emplacements. All with no cars (except the few park rangers' pickups) it is a very special place. Take a picnic lunch or buy food in the small cafe on the island.

janis

must be getting tired - can't believe all the typos - make that "lots" of nice shops, "lots" of wildlife, and a few others that you can probably figure out.

Mike

Drive down to Big Sur.

John

We often stay at Indian Springs in Calistoga. You get a little bungalow, with a kitchen. It's not cheap, but not bad for up there. Calistoga is a great town, a little quieter than down the valley. I love Hearst Castle, but you're getting pretty stretched out. Maybe save it for another trip and take the suggestion on Filali, you'll get your richer than God fix, and still have time to visit the best parts of the north.

Maureen

We liked the Winchester Mystery House! (How can Duke bash it when he's never even been there?)

It is probably not for everyone, but if you're into unusual architecture it is like nothing you'll see elsewhere.

If it made your "must see" list, I'd leave it there. It's on our list again for next month.

lp

I agree with Maureen. Don't skip the Winchester Mystery House. If you like shopping, you should chek out the recently expanded Valley Fair Mall with over 200 stores including Nordstrom, Macy's, and many upscale shops.

Grasshopper

Someone's flying to the San Francisco area and you are recommending Valley Fair and the Winchester Mystery House?! Geesh! Micki, don't listen!

Consider the Sonoma county wineries instead of Napa. Less crowded, smaller, more charming. I'd stay in Healdsburg, do the Dry Creek and Russian River Wineries and then drive out to the coast to Bodega Bay, stay there one night and head down to Muir Woods. Visit Sausalito (you can get there on your ferry trip when you see the Bridge). If it's nice weather go out on the Marin Headlands to look at the city views. Absolutely incredible!

lp

Grasshopper,

If you were to read Micki's message, the Winchester Mystery House is on her itineray. Since she in in that part of the city, I figured that she might also be interested in shoppin as well.

lp

Grasshopper,

If you were to read Micki's message, the Winchester Mystery House is on her itineray. Since she in in that part of the city, I figured that she might also be interested in shopping as well.

Grasshopper

She also asked what was a "don't waste your time". In my opinion, the WMH is a don't waste your time.

kam

I live in Palo Alto and agree with the above posters that the Winchester House is not worth it for a tourist visiting SF. If you happen to have a week in the SJ area, then it might be of interest to see the Winchester House which is right down the road from Valley Fair, a humungous shopping center, but with the same old, same old stores (Macy's, Nordstrom's etc.) I would suggest 4 days in the city and then 2 in the wine country and 3 in Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur/Cambria. A quick route back north from Cambria is 146 to 101 to 85 to 280 to SF. You might also think about flying into Oakland for that is a good airport to get to the wine country and SF and you can get back from the Monterey Peninsula via 880 although it's a pain on that freeway.A nice hotel at Fisherman's Wharf is the Tuscan Inn, if it fits your budget. And, just to clarify---the cable cars are not the trolleys! Trolleys can be found on the F line on Market Street--they are old restored streetcars, but they are definitely not cable cars. Cable cars are on the Powell/Mason, Powell/Hyde and California/Van Ness lines. Have a great time and go to www.sfgate.com for more info.

xcp

Micki,

I have been to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose several times. Whenever I take friends or family to the city they have always enjoyed it. It is an interesting place to see at least once. Obviously, a local person does always see the value in "touristy" sites. However, I would that you check it out. The whole story about Sara Winchester, the lady who built the house, is quite fascinating. However, there are other things that may be of interest in and around the city, including the Tech Museum of innovation and the San Jose Museum of art, both of which are downtown (about a 15 minute drive from the Winchester House) www.sanjose.org