three days to fill in SF
 

I will be traveling to San Fransisco in March with my best friend (I have never been there!) -- she will be there on business and will be committed for a few hours on one of the days. Any suggestions for solo fun if we are staying in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Also, we have an entire day to do something -- maybe a trip to winery, any ideas would be great! Thanks!

I went there last summer. Bike rental place in the Wharf, rent bike, follow designated route (very scenic)to bike over the Golden Gate bridge (very safe, don't worry) and then down to Sausalito. You can then this huge commuter water taxi (yes with bikes, no problem), back to the Wharf! I highly recommend it. Biking over the bridge is something you will never forget.

SF is the kind of city where you should plan your time around exploring the various neighborhoods (and what great neighborhoods there are!), eg., Chinatown, North Beach, the Haight, etc. You should check out the obvious sites (Golden Gate Bridge/Park, Coit Tower, Lombard St. - the crookedest street in the world, the Painted Ladies at Alamo Square).

Since it's your first time to the city, and there's so much to see and do, I would save a trip to Napa or Sonoma for next time unless you don't mind missing out on all the things you could be doing in SF. (Those are really day trips, and it doesn't sound like you'll be in town very long.)

If we were going to do a day trip to wine country, how long of a drive would it be? And any suggestions on specific ones would be appreciated. We will be there Thurs-Sun, and she only has a commitment on Friday during the day - so we have a full day on Saturday to work with.

How long is that bike trip over the Bridge?

Jack, you made me laugh. I have to ask, where are you from? "huge commuter water taxis" Yes, ferries!

Riding across the bridge is one of my favorite things to do. Once you get onto the bridge it's all flat or downhill and the views are fantastic. You can stop in Sausalito and ferry back, or continue to Tiburon or even Larkspur and ferry back. The ride to Larkspur is a 25 mile RT ride and is a fun all day thing, with stops for lunch and sightseeing. To Sausalito is probably not more than 10 to 15 miles. I would say you can do it in 2 to 3 hours, counting ferry time and stops for photos and gazing at the fantastic views. Wear layers and a windbreaker is essential. It can get cold on the bridge!

kandc - It's very close to the city, about 40 mins. to an hour depending on traffic. (You should be fine on a Sat. morn.) Just posted a similar reply on another thread...Napa/Sonoma wineries...so you might want to check that out too. We personally thought that Sonoma is much more picturesque than Napa and delivers more on the wine country "experience" that I've always envisioned, but I love them both.

Here's a list of recommendations:

Napa: Joseph Phelps...We did their blending class, and that was a lot fun. Opus One - One of the most gorgeous wineries, a must do, esp. if you love big reds. Cakebread for both reds and whites. Also, since this is a girls' outing, I HIGHLY recommend doing the seated tasting at Swanson Vineyards (call head to make an appt.) - very boutique-y with great nibbles (they have special bon bons created for their Alexis wine by Vosges Haut Chocolates). Others we liked included Clos Pegase, Domaine Chandon (sparkling!) and Chateau Montelena.

Sonoma: Gary Farrell (excellent reds!) and Ledson has a great selection of reds as well. Kenwood for the awesome wines and views, also Ferrari-Carano for great grounds. J vineyards is a must-do for their food/wine pairings.

Have a great time!

Oops, how could I forget Domaine Carneros (gorgeous French Chateau setting and great sparklers) as well as Gloria Ferrar (gorgeous views and sparklers) both in Carneros. Also Viansa in Sonoma's nice...great picnic stuff (as many of the wineries have).

Two great web sites you should check out are napavalley.com and sonomacounty.com.

Biscuithead....you can bike over the bridge very quickly, let's say 5 minutes or do like me, stop, take pictures, stop take pictures, stop take picturs, wave at people, look down, get dizzy, stop take pictures.

Thanks, Jack. I meant distance-wise but it can't be too long if it can be done in 5 minutes. I bike a bit but the rest of my family doesn't. That sounds fun but I didn't want to tax their abilities.

takes about 15 minutes to bike TO the bridge along the water route, very scenic and children with biking experience should have no problem. When you get to the other side of bridge, you go for a nice downhill ride to Sausalito on the road. Not a very busy road, but it's a real road. Then it's easy because you eat a very nice lunch and walk bike around corner to commuter boat, and that is also a nice little scenic thing to do.

I strongly second J vineyards. Fabulous food. Owa

If you do not visit any other vineyards, try Ferrano-Carrera, Souverain, Roshambo, and J Vineyards - all in Sonoma County.

If you get tired after your bike ride over the GG Bridge, try getting a drink at the Spinnaker in Sausalito. Great views, unfortunately, no valet parking for bikes.

On a good day, you can see forever and have a tremendous time! We just were over at the Marin Headlands yesterday - wonderfully clear day and WHAT-A=VIEW!