To do in San Francisco and Napa Valley ...?

[major10th]

Might have a chance to spend a week or so this summer. Any tips on cool things to do, must places to see, etc? Thanks.

[onewebfoot]

way too many possibilities to list, particularly for a week or so. Which 15 categories out of a potential 450 might interest you? :-)

[ShredderMaximus]

Bodega Bay is a cool place to go hang out for a day, pick up some good seafood and chill on the beach, catch a show in Frisco, check out Bananas at large in San Rafael, my favorite local music store, obviously wine tasting is popular, if in Santa Rosa I'd check out either the Aleworks, Stout Brothers, Toad in the Hole, or Russian River Brewery in downtown Santa Rosa for some tasty beverages. Also we got some great local "greenage" worth trying while here, if your into that sorta thing.

[Sam Hain]

Go to Sausalito and check out the art galleries and restaurants.

Go to Marin and rent a mountain bike. It's awesome.

Head to Napa and do a winery tour. Check out Frogs Leap and be sure to go to my friends winery, Kelham Vineyards. It's a small family run winery. The restaurants in this area are second to none.

Also go to Muir Woods to se the Giant Redwoods.

[major10th]

Originally Posted by onewebfoot

way too many possibilities to list, particularly for a week or so. Which 15 categories out of a potential 450 might interest you? :-)

I wasn't expecting an exhaustive list of all possibilities, just a few you thought might be worthy during a week long visit. Here's some categories for starters:

• Wineries, for sure
• Anything music related (cool music stores, museums, etc)?
• Noteworthy PCH stops
• Toying with the idea of a hot air balloon ride
• Not too sure if Alcatraz is worth checking out, any thoughts?

[onewebfoot]

1. If you do a selective search, perhaps a little research ahead of time, you could likely whomp me on planning a winery trip or three during your visit. I've only been in the SF Bay for 4 years (this month). and I just head to Sonoma. I always end up enjoying everything just poking around there, but always with at least one specific target in mind. You might miss some cool stuff a little off the main roads if you depend only on signs. There are two wineries, for example, that have castles, and are powered by green tech. PM me if you want me to look up some bookmarks or something.

http://www.sfgate.com/winecountry/

2. Lots of venues to check out live music. Some fairly good online resources. Don't forget, this is Michael Manring country, Jeff Schmidt country, much, much more. Some big jazz acts (global touring class) are likely to be at Yoshi's (www.yoshis.com).

3. Others have already spoken to, or will speak to, the coastal scene. Follow them. :-)

4. Haven't checked out local hot air balloon options in the bay, but I did do a hot air balloon ride down in Temecula (SoCal) years ago, in wine country there. Awesome.

5. If you are into hiking, and want to get on the water a little bit, but don't want the spectors and poltergeists of Alcatraz, take the ferry out to Angel Island and hike for a few hours. Best view of the bay is from the top of that island.

[Sam Hain]

I thought Alcatraz was pretty cool. I'd say worth it.

[UncleFluffy]

Originally Posted by major10th

Not too sure if Alcatraz is worth checking out, any thoughts?

As long as you get the audio tour, Alcatraz is actually a lot better than you'd think it would be.

Apart from Alcatraz, stay well clear of Fisherman's Wharf. It's a horribly generic seaside tourist hole that could be pretty much anywhere.

You could maybe try the sunset cruise on the Tiburon Ferry, that can be fun, especially with a couple of friends, a bottle of wine, and a picnic.

[ShredderMaximus]

Also should note that the Les Claypool lives in a little town names Sebastopol, and occasionally makes appearances in some of the local pubs and bars. Cool little country style town too, very hippy.

[ShredderMaximus]

Agreed, Alcatrazz is pretty cool, really spooky

[crucislancer]

Originally Posted by major10th

I wasn't expecting an exhaustive list of all possibilities, just a few you thought might be worthy during a week long visit. Here's some categories for starters:

• Wineries, for sure
• Anything music related (cool music stores, museums, etc)?
• Noteworthy PCH stops
• Toying with the idea of a hot air balloon ride
• Not too sure if Alcatraz is worth checking out, any thoughts?

I'm not to familiar with the wineries in the area, but in addition to Napa Valley you might also want to look at Sonoma and Glen Ellen as well. Also, if you have a taste for beer, there are several micro breweries in the area, Russian River Brewing Co. in Santa Rosa has some fantastic beer.

There are a ton of clubs in SF, Yoshi's being quite popular.

For some coastal sight seeing, check out Point Reyes Station, Bodaga Bay, and the Marin Headlands.

There are several hot air baloon companies in the area. Never tried it myself, but here's the link for one of them:

http://www.justwinecountry.com/hot-air-balloons.html

Alcatraz is worth it for sure, make sure you buy your tickets early as space on the ferry fills up quickly during the summer.

There are several museums in SF that might interest you, depending on what you like: The Exploritorium, The DeYoung Museum of fine art and the CA Academy of Science (right across from each other in Golden Gate Park), SF Museum of Modern Art..........not to mention there is a bit of history all over the city and the surrounding area.

Yeah, stay away from Fisherman's Wharf. It's an overpriced tourist trap.

[MJ5150]

Go to a Giants game.

-Mike

[guitar ed]

You might check out Alembic. They are north of SF, and make wicked cool guitars & basses, though I don't know if they offer tours.

As for wineries, Napa/Sonoma has plenty of them. As does the South Bay, in Saratoga, Santa Cruz, and the surrounding area. They just aren't as well known.

edg

[major10th]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

Go to a Giants game.

-Mike

That's a great idea, thanks!

[skwee]

Sonoma > Napa. I won't go into a major spiel (I lived in SF for 7 years), but I recommend the following restaurants in The City:

Thep Phanom (Thai)
Chow (American)
Shalimar (Indian/Pakistani)
Sunflower (Vietnamese)
Taqueria La Corneta (Mexican)
Crepe and Coffee (Breakfast)
Martin Mack's, Bitter End, Plough and the Stars (all pubs)

You want to eat at these places.

[stevetx19]

Originally Posted by ShredderMaximus

Also should note that the Les Claypool lives in a little town names Sebastopol, and occasionally makes appearances in some of the local pubs and bars. Cool little country style town too, very hippy.

What?! I love that area and have been several times in the last few years. If only i had known to be looking for les...

I said it in a zombie thread about this very topic last week; if you are north of san fran, check out the sebastapol/occidental/bodega area. I believe the bakery is called "wild flour" in freestone. Go there and be at peace with the world.

[sneha1965]

Go to the Mesa Engineering plant in Petaluma.

[ShredderMaximus]

Or Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma is a local favorite, never been but I heard its awesome, and I love Lagunitas! Hers a link to there site http://www.lagunitas.com/taproom/index.html

[baba]

Lagunitas beer rocks.

Alcatraz is totally worth it. Seems a bit hokey, but it's really a cool worthwhile ferry ride and tour.

Rent bikes at Fisherman's Wharf and ride them over the Golden Gate into Sausalito. Have lunch, check out some galleries, then take the ferry back to Fisherman's Wharf with your bikes. Cool trip.

Run around North Beach and hit the pubs and Italian restaurants.

If you have a whole week, make the 3.5 hour drive to Lake Tahoe for a couple days.

[smperry]

I'll try to chime in on wineries, restaurants, etc. later. Posting here so I remember to.