Last minute trip to California - away from it all near San Jose??

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I am trying to plan a last minute trip - my daughter would like to see Yosemite, but I fear it would be a zoo to try and go over 4th of July weekend!</p>

<p>Any suggestions - d is in Mountain View, I don’t want to have to drive TOO far, and we are looking for nice scenery and for the possibility of a day hike or two.</p>

2

<p>The best hike in that neck of the woods IMO is a drive away, unfortunately - Muir Woods. </p>

3

<p>That’s not so bad! Is Point Reyes the kind of place where one goes to spend a weekend? Or does it still seem ein the greater metropolitan area?</p>

4

<p>I wonder if any of these would work:</p>

<p><a href=“2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in San Jose | AllTrails”>AllTrails: Trail Guides & Maps for Hiking, Camping, and Running | AllTrails;

5

<p>These look great! I just inquired about two Homeaway properties near Point Reyes.</p>

6

<p>Hey fendrock!!! My s’s are in Palo Alto and San Francisco! I’ll ask for pointers. I think they’ve spent some time in the Santa Cruz mountains. <a href=“2023 Best 10 Trails and Hikes in Boulder Creek | AllTrails”>AllTrails: Trail Guides & Maps for Hiking, Camping, and Running | AllTrails; </p>

<p><a href=“http://www.bigbasin.org/”>http://www.bigbasin.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p><a href=“http://www.everytrail.com/guide/epic-bay-area-ridge-trail-hike-in-the-santa-cruz-mountains”>AllTrails: Trail Guides & Maps for Hiking, Camping, and Running | AllTrails;

7

<p>Stay in Carmel or Monterey. Do day hikes in Big Sur, Point Reyes, local state parks. The area is only about a 90 minute drive from the San Jose area.</p>

8

<p>Do you think my daughter will Carmel too upscale?</p>

9

<p>This is a bit of a drive, but Armstrong Redwoods is gorgeous. We went quite a few times when I was at Sonoma State.</p>

<p>Carmel is gorgeous, but Monterey I think is a little less “upscale” or intimidating. Everything in Carmel is very expensive. Monterey a little less so.</p>

10

<p>A big fan of Muir Woods - Ancient Redwoods and six miles of trails.</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.nps.gov/muwo/upload/unigrid-muwo.pdf”>http://www.nps.gov/muwo/upload/unigrid-muwo.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

11

<p>You might consider staying around Mill Valley in Marin County…You could see Muir Woods, do a day trip to Point Reyes or Angel Island and be very close to wonderful urban hikes in the Presidio and along the Embarcadero, as SF is easily accessible either by car or via the Larkspur or Tiburon Ferries. I think it might be easier to find a place to stay in a Southern Marin in either a hotel/motel or VRBO than in Point Reyes on a busy holiday weekend. </p>

12

<p>Stay in Pacific Grove, on the Monterey Penninsula, or in Carmel Valley, if you want sun and warmer temperatures. Pacific Grove is lovely, a small town, surrounded by a few beaches and oodles of beautiful rocky coast with a path by the ocean to walk for miles. It can be foggy in summer. There are tourists, but it is far more relaxed than Carmel. Monterey has history, but not as nice as Pacific Grove. Take a drive to Big Sur, and a day trip to Point Lobos State Park, a coastal reserve. </p>

<p>Santa Cruz is sunnier, and also beautiful for walking. See the redwoods on the UC Santa Cruz campus, on the hills above town. </p>

13

<p>You could stay in Santa Cruz and hike in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, which is gorgeous. Or stay in Santa Cruz and hike at the Forest of Nisene Marks, also a beautiful redwood park. The North Bay has many great places to hike, but if you’re in Mountain View, you can find places that are closer.</p>

14

<p>Napa!</p>

15

<p>Yes, thumper! And they have a very nice 4th of July fireworks show on the river. You can eat at Angele’s and view the fireworks :)</p>

<p>Just an FYI, hotels in Silicon Valley empty out on holidays and weekends because all commuter workers go home, so it might be much cheaper to stay somewhere in Palo Alto or San Jose and take day trips to surrounding places. </p>

16

<p>Point Reyes is a terrific places for a mini vacation. Calistoga or Healdsburg are good wine country destinations. The Guerneville area, on the Russian River, offers Armstrong Redwoods for hiking, plus river activities like swimming and canoeing.</p>

<p>(I happen to have just bicycled around to all these places. Yep, they’re all good tourist spots.)</p>

17

<p>Thanks everyone for your ideas!</p>

<p>I’ve made inquiries for VRBO type places to stay - keep your fingers crossed for me!</p>

18

<p>Go to the mountain winery in Saratoga. Spectacular views from up there. ITs the old Paul Masson Winery. The hold concerts there now. <a href=“http://www.mountainwinery.com/news”>The Mountain Winery; <a href=“http://www.mountainwinery.com/concerts”>The Mountain Winery;

19

<p>Chaminade hotel in Santa Cruz if the VRBO doesn’t work out. Point Lobos makes a wonderful day trip. Muir Woods is one of my favorite spots but it is north of San Francisco. Point Reyes is even further north.</p>

20

<p>I would recommend eating at Brixx in Napa. The best brunch I have EVER been to!!</p>