San Fransisco - meet the girls

San Francisco is such a great place to visit. I spent only 4 days there but found that it has some of the best sites and restaurants. The first day we drove about 45 minutes north of San Francisco to the Muir Woods. This redwood forest is a heavenly surprise close to the city. Redwoods grow to be the largest trees in the world and most are more than 300 years old. The admission fee is well worth it. You can spend hours hiking and exploring the trails and rivers before you head to the gift and snack shop.

We then drove another half hour to spend an afternoon in wine country. Sonoma and Napa valley are wonderful. There are vineyards and tasting rooms at each turn of the road. We really enjoyed the Vinesa Winery. It definitely has a Tuscany feel with the rolling hills, vineyards and the olive trees. The small town of Sonoma is quaint and worth the visit. It is full of tasting rooms, art & craft shops, restaurants and speciality shops. Don't forget to stop at the visitor's center for maps and information about events.

We spent Saturday driving south down the coast on Highway 1 to out run the rain. What a great drive! California's highway 1 is situated right on the coast so you get to see the small fishing towns and lighthouses. We stopped at Santa Cruz and found an amusement park right on the beach. How fun is that? That afternoon we found our way to Monterey. We visited the aquarium and made our way to Cannery Row for dinner and shopping.

Of course, there is plenty to keep you busy in San Francisco. Visit the Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39. Great seafood and shopping. Everywhere you turn there is something to see. Don't miss the boat tour of the bay and Alcatraz. It is a must for any traveller. Coit Tower is a monument to the firefighters of the 1907 fire. From the open air viewing area, you can see a panoramic view of the entire city. Chinatown is another fun place to see. You will find plenty of shopping and eating in this other world in the heart of downtown. 

There is so much close to the city that you will never get bored.

Quick Tips:

San Francisco is expensive, there is no doubt about that so make sure you have money in the pocket. Not all of the parking garages, small shops or roadside stands take credit cards so you will need cash. Try the off-the-beaten-path restaurants and shops for money saving ideas. And order a visitor's guide from the web site, it comes with a coupon book for Pier 39.

A few things to remember: pack an umbrella and sunscreen. The weather can change from minute to minute. It was March when we were there and it rained 3 out of 4 days.

If you are short on time and want to see a few sites, make sure you visit the Golden Gate Bridge and take a car tour through downtown. Nob Hill and the other historic districts are a must see.

Best Way To Get Around:

We had a car, which was nice. The city is not difficult to manage if you are used to traffic. And believe me, there is plenty of traffic. Don't forget the map and be prepared to pay dearly for parking—as much as a day in tourist areas.

For visiting the pier areas, the best bet is to park the car and walk. It will save in parking and you will get to see much more.

If you are not wanting to drive yourself, San Francisco has many tours, trolleys and public buses. They even have a subway of sorts, but the places they stop are limited.

This restaurant was so wonderful. The place where the restaurant sits today has been the place where two other Cliff House's have sat. The other two were destroyed by fire. The second restaurant was during the turn of the century and was the epitome of Victorian culture and splendor. The ruins of the "baths" still sit today. Throughout the restaurant you will find old photos of the other two and the baths. The restaurant today boasts a modern decor with soft, sea colors such as white, aqua and tan. The entire west wall of the eating areas is lined with windows.

We sat by the window overlooking the bay during out meal. Make your reservation early to ensure a window seat, you will not be disappointed. Watching the waves hit the rocks was peaceful. You may even see a whale or dolphin which they say are seen often. It was rainy the day we visited, so we were not blessed to catch a glimpse. The menu is limited with a few choices of seafood, steak, and chicken and seemed to be pricey. We were there for lunch, so we chose the chef's choice. This was a preselected menu including soup, entree, and dessert. The soup was an artichoke puree with fried artichokes and truffel oil. Our entree was a tender steak grilled to medium with a red wine reduction sauce served with mixed greens and fingerling potatoes. The dessert was a decadent crème brûlée with a piece of almond brittle. A beautiful meal.

The service was first class with a waiter in eyes view at all times. Our glass was never empty and the plates were removed promptly. We arrived for lunch early, around 11:30, so the service and food preparation was quick. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a romantic evening out or just for a nice meal.

The restaurant bearing the movie jargon of Forrest Gump was a fun place for dinner. We did not have a wait at all when we opted to sit at the bar. This was fine with me since the entire restaurant is smoke-free. As we sat in the bar area and we were able to watch the movie "Forrest Gump" during dinner. The atmosphere was casual and seaworthy.

They have a neat way of letting the wait staff you need assistance, you put up the "Stop Forrest Stop" license plate. It really does work, which is good since we rarely saw our waiter other than that. The menu was primarily seafood, but did have steak and chicken available. I had the stuffed shrimp—heavenly. Eight large shrimp was wrapped around (not stuffed with) a crab and shrimp mixture, then baked with Monterey jack cheese and served with rice and bread. My friend had the steak and stated it was on of the best she had found in California. The drink list was large and unique, and if you buy certain drinks you get a free glass with the Bubba Gump logo. Of course both the food and drink menu have Forrest type names that are quite cute. Prices ranged from $8 to 18. Even thought the price for our 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 drinks came to about $50, I would go back anytime I was back in California.

Plan to take this boat tour. The views from the bay are outstanding. The tour boat is open so you are at an advantage to take in all the sites. It was a clear day so we could see across the bay into the towns that line the opposite shore.

The boat is large, so you are with about 100 people so you really don't feel the waves under you. The tour is narrated by a salty sea captain which is nice because it tells you the history and current events of San Francisco and the surrounding waters. You float under the Golden Gate Bridge for a feeling like no other. That bridge is massive, and you feel it looking up.

The day we were there, the sailboats were abundant. So that was great for the photos. The boat also travels around the island of Alcatraz. That is the famous old prision. I'll tell you that I think that anyone could have swam that bay if they were strong enough and had a good reason, say escaping from prison. The old buildings are a sight to behold, and what a strange feeling you get—almost spooky.

You then float to see the Bay Bridge that links San Francisco with Oakland and finally the cityscape. The hour long trip was well worth the costs (about $20). A must for any traveller.

This was one of the best days of my trip. This little piece of heaven is just north of the city about 30 minutes or 12 miles. A wonderful place for singles, couples, or families. This national monument is open year around from 8am to sunset and for the small admission price of $2-3 it is worth the trip.

The park is large enough for hiking, but small enough that you don't feel exhausted at the end. A great place for kids. The paths are clean and well maintained. There are also numerous less travelled trails leading to beautiful areas all over the mountain. You will see many species of birds and other wildlife such as deer, chipmunks, and fish. There is a gift shop and a deli in the visitor's center. The restrooms have a little to be desired, but were clean enough.

Open daily for tours. 

Located in the rolling hillside of Sonoma Valley, the Viansa winery offers a glimpse of Old World Italian through it's wine, food, vineyards and courtyard. It is a small, family run with a wine cellar dating from the 1930's when the grandfather. For $10 you can taste 5 different wines from the "wall of wine". The best part for me was the gourmet foods. Viansa's Italian Marketplace has an assortment of food items and recipes that are available to tasting prior to purchase. The smoked mozzarella cheese spread is wonderful as is the fig infused balsamic vinegar. You can buy a true Italian tomato, mozzarella and basil sandwich and eat in the in gardens of the courtyard overlooking the vineyards and olive trees.

And don't forget to rub the boar's nose for good luck. It is located in the courtyard.

Open daily 10:30am to 5:30pm
Guided tours at 12pm, 2pm & 4pm

Since I love the taste of good champagne, we stopped at the beautiful and classic winery. As we drove up the grape lined drive, we found ourselves in awe at the stunning Spanish architecture and lush green rolling grounds. The tour of this winery was fun and educational. Gloria Ferrer has produces some of the world's most honored wines, winning over 100 gold metals in the past five years. We first took a self tour of the grounds and the caves. I learned more about champagne and sparkling wines than I ever thought possible during the impressive guided tour.

We visited the tasting room which had a glorious view of the vineyards and of Sonoma Valley from the Vista Terrace. The tasting was $2 to $7 per glass and you were given a full glass for tasting. If you have lunch in mind, gourmet foods are available for purchase. They even rent out the winery rooms for meetings and weddings. A wedding there would be just beautiful

The aquarium was somewhat of a disappointment. I expected so much more than was offered. They have one of the largest collections of jellyfish and they have a semi-great collection of local fish. But there was a sad few sharks and no seals or whales. The children around seemed to be having fun, but the adults looked extremely bored. For the outrageous price of $28 for an adult, it was a waste of money and time.