If any in your group are into beer check out Santa Rosa and go to Russian River Brewery. Also nice if you are a Snoopy fan.
@lamom - thank for the tip! Snoopy fans here. Santa Rosa is still in pain after the fires. Mr. B is definitely into beer. And wine. In moderation. 
OP - drive up the CA coast. It is gorgeous. If you can splurge… stay at Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay. It was the best possible way to use my Marriott points
You won’t regret that CA Trip…I’d do it in a heartbeat.
Let us know which you pick. I would probably do the CA Coast, but Lake Tahoe is very nice too.
I have always loved the Colorado mountains in the summer. Estes Park is always extremely packed, but I like the ski towns more. Aspen, Vail, Beaver Creek are all lovely in summer and have gorgeous resorts and spas. I suspect some places may already be full though. Let us know where you end up!
Second BB’s recommendation (#42 post) above–Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay is wonderful!!
We did that trip years ago. The ride is beautiful. The 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach is amazing. You stop and have drinks at Pebble Beach on the veranda overlooking the golf course. Stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in Monterey. You wake up hearing the sea lions barking. Very nice trip
Just realize that you will most likely be in fog on the northern CA coast in July. The fog can be quite heavy and may never burn off at the coast itself. The fog can make it cold and windy.
If you have never been, may want to look into Yosemite as well. Accommodations may be difficult to get at this point, however.
Tahoe is lovely and the drive from SFO to Tahoe is 3.5 to 4 hours. Or closer from Reno. Spending a couple of days in SF/Marin County and then going to Tahoe would make a great week. Or to the wine county depending on your preference.
As a local here in the Carmel/Monterey area (at least until this fall), if you decide to come this way, please send me a PM as I would be happy to be a virtual tour guide. July can be foggy at the coast - but that has a certain beauty of its own. And you can always head out to Carmel Valley where it will be warm and sunny with great hikes and wine tasting.
I hate to put a damper on the Yosemite idea but…the Yosemite Valley is an overcrowded mess in summer. There can be hours long lines at the entry station followed by a line of cars driving around the valley looking for a place to park.
The NPS needs to institute a limit on entry with a reservation system, but that’s for another thread.
The high country of Yosemite (Tuolumne) is another story. It is harder to access but is really beautiful and much less crowded. Of course, Yosemite Falls, Vernal Falls, Nevada Falls and Bridalveil Falls are all in the valley.
We have booked flights to Reno/Lake Tahoe and rented a nice 1 bedroom condo on the north side. We decided to wait and do northern Cal when we have longer than a week, as our list of must-see there was much longer and involved more driving around. A week in Lake Tahoe will provide us with a lot of relaxation and there are so many hikes that look incredible. If you have any restaurants or hikes that are a must do, I’d love suggestions.
Emerald Bay State Park and Vikingsholm! Sugar Pine Point State Park!
@Marilyn “You could include a couple of days in Palm Springs.”
Not in mid-July as the average temp is 110 degrees. Palm Springs is great 6 months out of the year, July is not one of them.
Near Incline, check out Sand Harbor State Park. http://parks.nv.gov/parks/lake-tahoe-nevada-state-park. On the water, but you can hike from there. Also, have seen a concert there. I believe there is also a Shakespeare festival in July. Just beautiful. But parking lot fills up fast!
In Kings Beach, check out Soule Domain for Excellent food. http://www.souledomain.com/index.htm In a little log cabin.
In Incline, a bit higher up the hill from the main road is Big Water Grille. Good food; great place to look down on lake and watch the sun set. http://bigwatergrille.com/
In Incline on the water, The Hyatt has an impressive restaurant on the lake–Lone Eagle Grill. Very Good food…but also usually quite busy. We love to go to the beach and out on the dock where they have a floating bar.
Squaw Village is fun. Plumpjack has delicious California cuisinge.The drive from the north end of the lake to Emerald Bay is lovely…except for one hairpin turn that leaves me white knuckled. And it’s hard to keep your eyes on the road because it is just so gorgeous!
I would suggest making dinner reservations prior to your arrival. Tahoe is just as popular in the summer as it is in ski season. Enjoy!
We tend to stay on the west shore. Hikes there include Eagle Falls and Lake (depending on how far you want to go). Bliss State park has a lovely beach with a hike along the shoreline. Farther south there is Fallen Leaf lake and the Angora Lakes resort, which is a nice place to relax and swim and where you can rent paddle boards and kayaks. Meeks Bay beach is also nice, but the water will be cold in mid July.
Sand Harbor Park is great too!
Agree that Yosemite can be crowded in the summer, but if you can stay in the valley and use the buses or bike you can find the less crowded spaced. (But I am from the NYC suburbs so crowded is a relative term!). Agree that Toulume is amazing. Sometimes you have no choice but to visit these places “in season”.
Enjoy and Happy Anniversary!
Ha! Yes, I thought the John Muir Trail was too crowded and that requires permits to keep the numbers down.
I enjoyed the Valley in the winter snow. We hiked around and on some trails had the sights to ourselves. So quiet we could hear the snow falling.