Whale watching in California
 

What is the best time to plan a whale watching trip near San Francisco? Also, can you recommend a bed and breakfast or a small inn along the coast, either north or south of SF to stay? Thank you.

I heard on the radio that December and January are the peak months for whale watching. I live in southern California, but I assume the report referred to the whole state. <BR> <BR>I can't help you on the B&B question, but I bet there is information posted on the forum, so try a search.

December through April are whale watching months. You have a choice of the Carmel coast in which case there are many, many hotels/ b&Bs, probably the most charming are the 7 Gables and the Green Gables Inns in Pacific Grove. In Carmel, we like the Cypress Inn. Another spot is the Central Coast, and the town of Cambria. Stay anywhere on Moonstone Beach. Or you can go up to the Mendocino coast where I would recommend Gualala and the Whale Watch Inn or the town of Elk with the Harbor House Inn.The Whale Watch Inn has views of the ocean. Closer to SF you can look for whales at Pt. Reyes, just north of SF. There the nicest inn probably is Blackthorne Inn in Inverness. Hope you'll see a couple. Even if you miss the whales, any of these places is lovely to visit. We're having a very dry winter so far, but normally, I would recommend staying south of the city until March or April. Who knows this year.

Thank you for replying - I think I'll check out the Mendocino area. Are there also places to hike close by? Would three days be too much time to spend there? Maybe a night in Sonoma County also?

If you stay in the Mendocino area, I highly recommend the Noyo River Lodge in Ft. Bragg. A good restaurant is the Rendezvous, also in Ft. Bragg. You can drive through the Anderson Valley on your way there or back, and stop at some of the excellent wineries there, most notably Husch for their Chenin Blanc and Yorkville for any of their reds, but particularly the Petit Verdot. Man, I want to go back already, and I was just there in December!