Our San Francisco Travel Log
August 2002
Day One
The trip started off on a high note as we got to ride a King Air from Mayo to Denver International. After an enjoyable flight to San Francisco
on United we arrived San Francisco midday. We proceeded to pick up our rental car and were suprised to find out we could rent a Mustang convertible
for a mere $50 more per week. Of course we took it. After getting our bearings we headed to our hotel on Fisherman's Wharf. We stayed at the Radisson
which proved to be a great choice as it was conveniently located to a numerous amount of attractions. After checking in we decided to visit the popular
Pier 39. After lunch at Neptunes on Pier 39 we took the tour of
USS Pampanito a WWII submarine. The audio tour was extremely informative and very
interesting. We spent the rest of the evening checking out the attractions in the Fisherman's Wharf area.
Day Two
After an early rise we took the
Alcatraz tour. We really enjoyed visiting the prison and the
audio tour really gives you an idea of conditions at the prison when it was in operation. After returning we drove to the
Exploratorium, a hands-on science museum. There were a ton of kids there but it was fun to see all of the
experiments. After the museum we toured Chinatown and ate a fantastic Chinese dinner at The House of Nan King. A little detour from Chinatown leads to
the famed Lombard Street deemed the most crooked street in the country. It was interesting to drive it after seeing it on TV so many times. We capped off the
evening with a visit to
Lou's Blues Club on Pier 47. If you like Jazz and Blues it is really worth a visit.
Day Three
This day we set out for the Napa/Sonoma area. After leaving San Francisco we crossed the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Directly over the bridge we stopped off
at the small town of Sausalito. We stopped by a few of the shops and had a great seafood lunch. The next order of business was a visit to the
Muir Woods a majestic Pacific Redwood grove. Most of the trees in this grove were anywhere from 200 to 100
years old. It is a magnificent site to view these amazing trees. After departing the woods we got onto California's famous Highway 1 and headed north.
We stopped off at the Muir Beach overlook which offers a great view of the Pacific Ocean and the coast. It was a great drive that ended at our hotel in
Sonoma County. Having some extra time we decided to drive to the city of Sonoma and had dinner at a great Irish Pub and had some fantastic gelato for desert.
Day Four
This day we spent touring the winemaking region of the Russian River Valley. We opted to spend this day touring without a guide and we used a standard
winery map to navigate the numerous estates in the area. We had a great time visiting a sampling of the wineries in the region. Here are some links to
the vineyards we visited:
Day Five
We spent this day touring the Napa Valley. Instead of driving we decided to take a small group tour on a limo. It was nice not having to drive and it
took a lot of hassle out of finding each of the vineyards. These are the places we visited
After the tour we headed south and made our way to Santa Cruz. Just prior to crossing the Golden Gate Bridge we stopped off at the overlook on the west
side of the bridge. We got some great views of the city and the bridge. We decided to take Highway 1 south of San Francisco in hopes of seeing some excellent scenery.
We were pleasantly suprised. This is a wonderful drive and there is plenty of fantastic scenery along this route. Santa Cruz is a classic college town with
a costal twist. It was a great place to stay but it would have been nice to see more of this town.
Day Six
Today we drove from Santa Cruz to Monterey. This portion of Highway was a letdown compared to the sights north of Santa Cruz. We arrived Monterey midday and
spent the remainder of the day checking out classic sights such as the
Monterey Bay Aquarium and
Monterey's Cannery Row . The day was capped off with a visit to the lovely beach at Caramel. The town of
Caramel was very posh but the beach offers some excellent views.
Day Seven
The order of business today was a whale watch conducted by
Monterey Bay Whale Watch. This was
an excellent tour and very informative as it was guided by a marine biologist. We saw four different types of whales and dolphins. It was an excellent voyage.
Being our last day we made our way back to San Francisco. We spent the evening relaxing after a jam packed week of activities.
Day Eight
The last day we mad a visit to the Haight Ashbury district of the city. It was fun to see the birthplace of the hippie revolution. Our last sight in the city
was taken in at the Twin Peaks overlook. This vantage point offers a truly panoramic view of the whole city. After leaving twin peaks we made way towards the
airport and the conclusion of our trip.
Reflections
Northern California was a great trip for the both of us as we had never been to Northern California. San Francisco is a truly dynamic city with tons of attractions
to suit any interest. The cool summer temperatures made for a welcome reprieve from the Denver heat and being prepared for them made or voyage more comfortable.
Looking back I think we would have been better severed by spending time in Sonoma County and we should have driven ourselves instead of paying for a tour.
The Napa Valley is very commercialized where Sonoma is much more scenic and less crowded. Be prepared for the Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco and Monterey
are to be very touristy. They are worth a visit but don't expect much more than a ton of shops. If you are going to San Francisco and have extra time take
a day trip to Monterey. The are is very beautiful and it is a nice break from the hustle and bustle of the city. Overall this trip was an excellent experience
and we would definitely return to catch some of the sights we missed. Here are some of the "Things to Do" and "Things to Avoid" we have compiled for your review:
Things to Do
- Visit the USS Pampinito WWII Sub
- Bring warm clothes and be prepared for cool temperatures.
- Take a side trip to the Muir Woods
- Try to break away from the Napa Valley and spend some time in Sonoma
- Take a whale watch cruise from Monterey, well worth it.
- Drive a portion of Highway 1
- Catch the Panoramic view of the city from the Twin Peaks overlook
Things to Avoid
- Spending all of your time in metro San Francisco. Venture out to see some of the close attractions such as wine country or Monterey
- Viewing the Golden Gate Bridge from the East side where most of the tourists go. Opt for the less traveled overlook on the west side
- Paying large amounts for wine tasting, there are plenty of places to taste for free
- Spending lots of time in and around Fishermans Wharf and Cannery Row (touristy)