San Francisco?

Has anyone ever visited the wineries in Napa? Any good reco's there or places to stay near San Fran? We are looking to book a trip for our 2nd wedding anniversary.

Re: San Francisco?

Yup ,we did this for our honeymoon

We flew JetBlue into Oakland, then stayed in Sausalito which is across the bay from San Francisco. It is a really cute artsy town. We stayed at "The Inn Above Tide" and I HIGHLY reccomend it. Most of the rooms have big balconies on the water overlooking the San Francisco skyline with amazing sunrise views in the morning. You can take a ferry to San Francisco which leaves from the pier a block away from the hotel, it's about a 20 minute ride across the bay.

Then we went up to Healdsburg (in Sonoma county). We stayed at The Grape Leaf Inn. It was a nice place, but I liked the place we stayed in Napa MUCH better. In Napa we stayed at the 1801 First Inn and it was awesome. I wish I had spent more time there. Then only downside was that Napa was not as cute as some of the other towns. There were some really great restaurants there though and the other towns were only a short drive (or cab ride ) away.

I have SOOO much more information so FM me if you want any more specifics. Hope you have a great trip, I can't wait to go back!!!!

Re: San Francisco?

When we were there in December, we visited Rubicon vineyard, which is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. Beautiful estate, great wines and a very interesting tour that focused on the history of the vineyard much more than the wine-making process.

We also visited Muir Woods and I'd recommend burnch at the Cliff House, which is at the far end of the city on the ocean.

If you're there for more than a few days, a drive to Monterrey and Big Sur is worth it as well.

We're going back in a few weeks; I'll let you know what we see on this trip. My brother recently moved to that area, hence the repeat visit!

Re: San Francisco?

Thanks ladies, this is a lot of info - I will look it all up - thanks so much!!!!
We are planning on going to San Fran, visiting Napa, and then I have 2 very close friends in the area, one in Modesto and one in Sacramento so we are trying to coordinate something to meet. So we wont be in Napa or San Fran that long, maybe only 3 days or so. I cant wait. Thanks again for the info and lilac have fun on your trip.

Re: San Francisco?

Wow. I was just going to post this. We're going in September for our 1 year anniversary. I saw JetBlue is going to start flying from JFK to San Francisco May 2007. I can't wait to go!

Re: San Francisco?

I just got home from San Fran about 1 hour ago! I was there for the weekend, for a business trip, but was in San Fran and Napa back in Sept.

Both times in San fran I stayed in Union square. I would definately recommend staying there over the wharf area, which is very touristy. I stayed at the Renaissance off of Market street, and this weekend I stayed at the Grand Hyatt on Stockton street. Not sure what type of hotel price range you are looking for, but these are both in a great area, and reasonably priced.....In union square,
For our San Fran/Napa trip, we did 2 full days in San Fran and 3 full days in Napa. We stayed in little B&B in Napa, it was actually a best western, and it gets very high ratings on trip advisor. Nothing fancy, but extremely clean, and friendly place, with breakfast included. I would definately stay there again. My DH and I were more interested in spending $$ at the wineries and on food than the hotel. Food out there is amazing.

Looking forward to another trip to Napa in July.

Please let me know if you need more info.

Re: San Francisco?

Re: San Francisco?

The wineries are about 1.5 hours from the city. I actually prefer Sonoma to Napa, because I think downtown Sonoma is very quaint and you can stop and have lunch.

If you go to Napa, check out V. Sattui. They have excellent wine, and they only sell at the winery or through mail order. They are one of the few places that have a picnic area with tables and I think they sell simple food - sandwiches, cheese and crackers, etc.

I would try to get my friends to meet you in the city if possible. There isn't really much to see in Modesto, and Sacramento is about 2 hours away, if they are in the city. I would want to spend the bulk of my time in SF and the Napa Valley, JMO.

I added a lot of stuff to do in SF on another thread and will try to link it here:

san francisco thread

ETA: I would also prefer to stay in Union Square over Fisherman's wharf. It is more accessible to public transportation and within walking distance of more things to do. The area is also a little safer and nicer than the wharf, IMO.

Message edited 1/29/2007 10:57:08 AM.

Re: San Francisco?

One great thing to do, is on the drive from SF to Napa, I would suggest going to Muir woods if you want to see the red woods. You have to get there early to get a parking spot, but it is a fun little side trip that is kinda on the way. Then from Muir woods, if you want a really cool drive (instead of taking the highway), I would drive alongside the coast/thru the mts. It takes longer than the highway, but it is a beautiful drive. I dont remember the name of the highway, but I am sure if you ask a local, they would be able to tell you the route....

also, as others have posted, make sure you check out the smaller wineries, they are so cool, and such a different experience than the larger wineries

Re: San Francisco?

We started our HM in San Fran, stayed at the Archbishop's Mansion - a boutique hotel, very cute and they upgraded us to a wonderful suite. We did a day trip to Napa (went to Cakebread and Coppola), Muir Woods, Alcatraz and more. It was wonderful! Any questions - please ask!

Re: San Francisco?

Lots of good information, thanks!!