More travel suggestions needed - SF area in mid-January

Parent Cafe
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I think CC is about 5/5 in helping me plan trips to places I’m not familiar with, so I’m returning for more ideas. H and a co-worker have a meeting in Sonoma in January, on a Wednesday-Thursday lunch time. Co-worker’s spouse and I are flying in Thursday, arriving around 1PM. We all fly out of SF Sunday evening, so we have Thursday afternoon to Sunday later afternoon to plan. We need to fill in our calendar for Thursday afternoon/Thursday evening. Friday we are going to spend the day in the Point Reyes National Seashore area, doing some exploring and hiking. Saturday we will do Muir Woods, then head back into the city for a nice dinner and stay in the city Saturday night, so we will be convenient to stuff to do on Sunday until we have to leave for the airport. We have some ideas of what we want to do on Sunday, but will not finalize anything until after we see the weather forecast. H and I have been to SF; co-worker has been for business, but co-worker’s spouse has never been, so the trip will combine some iconic activities as well as new stuff for all of us.

I think what we’re most stumped about is what to do Thursday afternoon/evening. We will be arriving from SFO, but they will be up in Sonoma. H and I are not wine people, and they really don’t want to spend the afternoon touring wineries, so that kind of activity is out; we realize it will be dark by 5PM, so not a lot of daylight hours to plan something on our day of arrival. Anything else to do up that way? Or midway between the two. H and co-worker will have a rental car, and co-worker’s spouse and I will have a rental car, so we can meet anywhere, really.

And yes, we are aware temps will be cool and it could very well be rainy, so we are bringing appropriate clothing, shoes, etc. so we don’t get stuck inside the whole time if it rains and is cold.

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Teri, if you like modern art, I recommend visiting Hess Collection. It is a winery attached to a modern art museum (or vice versa :slight_smile: ). Jack London State park is a short drive from Sonoma and is well worth visiting.

3

Where are you staying Thursday night?
If you will be in SF, then don’t go up to Sonoma, head to the recently reopened MOMA for the afternoon.
https://www.sfmoma.org/

Or, if the weather is nice, you can head into Sausalito. Cute town and there is a tall ship being built on the waterfront there.
http://www.educationaltallship.org/Yard.php

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Sonoma State Historic Park is also very interesting. It’s really six separate sites near the town square in Sonoma that trace it’s history from the Mission period onward. Sonoma is a pretty significant town in California history as it was the location of the “Bear Flag Revolt” where a small group of men rebelled against the Mexican government that controlled California and declared it an independent republic…Shortly thereafter the American flag was raised and the little republic became part of the U.S.

5

Angel Island is a nice day trip with Sausalito. When in the mood, Fisherman’s Wharf can be fun, especially if it’s a nice sunny day.

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@mominva - I like the idea of Sausalito; we could explore the town, including the ship, and have dinner there. We have not made any hotel reservations for Thursday night yet. We want to see where we end up first, then will make those reservations. By the time we land and get our rental car, I expect it’s going to be close to 3PM when we get that far north. So we could tell our spouses to meet us in Sausalito. We will also need to drop off one of the rental cars - we won’t need two for the entire long weekend.

@Himom - yes, Fisherman’s Wharf is a possibility for Sunday; all depends on the weather. If the weather is decent, we will go to Alcatraz; the other couple have never been. But we wouldn’t have time to do a day trip from Sausalito since we probably won’t arrive until around 3PM.

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You may want to check traffic on the web or on a phone app at the times of day you expect to drive.

http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/maps/traffic/mwebview.html?z=10&ll=37.77,-122.43#page1
(click Options to turn on display of traffic and other things on the map)

For some possible meeting places, it may be easier for you to take BART from the airport rather than drive.

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Re the comment upthread: SFMOMA is great, but it is huge and a little overwhelming, so it is worth planning ahead. There’s a great Bruce Conner exhibition there right now thru January, and don’t miss the William Kentridge installation. And the Richard Serra.

As far as art museums go, SF has a lot of good ones. I love the de Young, which is much more manageable and has a spectacular observation tower. Fantastic location in Golden Gate park. Maybe combine that with the Japanese Garden which is right next door and is pretty (but small).

The Legion of Honor museum is in Lincoln Park, one of the most beautiful, iconic locations in San Francisco, with the views of the Golden Gate bridge and the the cliffs with the Monterey pines and mansions. Actually, the views there are so pretty that might be my first choice, even though the museum’s collection is just okay.

Or you could go to the Ferry Building for a few hours if you are hungry and then maybe go to the Coit Tower to check out the view and walk down the staircase to the bottom of the hill, maybe seeing some parrots along the way.

There’ so much to do in the Bay Area it is hard to narrow it down!

You mentioned s possible trip to Alcatraz on a Sunday; buy tickets well in advance (like now) because they sell out.

Point Reyes Seashore will be freezing so pile on the coats and scarves. Make sure to stop by the Cowgirl Creamery shop / marketplace in Point Reyes Station for picnic supplies, and after your hike head to the Marshall Store on the other side of Tomales Bay for afternoon oysters on the bay (again dress warmly).

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I agree that the Legion of Honor is a very special spot (we’ve never been in the museum but have seen it from the outside as well as the view of the Golden Gate Bridge from there). We also love the old Palace of Fine Arts, where they used to house the Exploratorium, which isn’t as interesting in its new venue on the wharf near the Ferry Building. We used to feed ducks and swans near the Palace 10 and 20 years ago.

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Oh by the way, if you are going to be in Sonoma anyway, you might want to consider a hike in the Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve instead of going all the way back to Muir Woods. It is very pretty and much less crowded. And there is also gorgeous coastline in Sonoma.

If you are not that into wine but still want to soak up the atmosphere at a winery or two, I recommend getting picnic supplies in Healdsburg, choosing a winery based on scenery and view, skipping the tasting and tour , and just buying a single bottle of wine to linger over at a picnic table in a beautiful garden. I do this with my sister all the time; I bring a sketchbook and she brings an adult coloring book. It is the most perfect relaxing way to spend a few hours after a hike in the redwood forest or a paddle down the Russian River (you’ll obviously be out of season for paddleboarding).

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@nottelling - thank you for the Alcatraz ticket suggestion. We honestly thought we’d wait until that week to see how the weather was going to turn out to decide which day to go. Wrong! And I think the best suggestion so far is the one that recommends a creamery shop. And I’ve told H not to let me go near the Ghiradelli Chocolate Company.

As far as weather, I was pretty comfortable when we visited the coast of Ireland in mid-March a few years ago and we did have two cold, rainy days while there; I have a great raincoat and lots of layers I can add on and peel off when necessary. Also have great hiking boots with Wigwam and Smartwool socks.

I’d forgotten about Coit Tower; great views from there on a non-foggy day. These are great ideas I need to throw out to the group. The only ones I’m not sure how all the group members feel would be art museums. It might be a back up plan if we get sick of rain or cold. And there’s certainly more than enough to do without doing any art museums, but we will keep them in mind.

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If you are staying in SF, my ultimate favorite is Beach Blanket Babylon, long running musical revue which changes all the time, to reflect current events… https://www.beachblanketbabylon.com/ Love Ferry Plaza as well, then walk all the way to Pier 39, Ghiradelli, back up to North Beach and Chinatown…one of my favorite walks. If it’s nice, Chrissy Field walk all the way to base of GGB is gorgeous along the water.

In SAUSALITO, near the tall ship, is the Bay Model, a football field sized model of SF Bay, used to study currents, etc. Also, walk along the piers, the waterfront. Quite Scenic. Also, Caledonia Street is more for “locals” and some good restaurants there
The Spa at Cavallo Point is excellent…or have dinner at Cavallo, which is in a former military base, with great views of GGBridge. Or play bocce and have some very good casual food at Bar Bocce on Bridgeway, overlooking Richardson Bay.

Muir Woods is fabulous; however very popular and if you are not there early in a.m., you will have to shuttle in.

Or, get your redwood fix by ziplining in Occidental http://www.sonomacanopytours.com/

Oxboro Market in Napa is impressive food emporium. Yountville is a cute village to walk around…and has many excellent restaurants.

In Santa Rosa, Charles Shultz museum (very interesting) https://schulzmuseum.org/visit/hours-and-admission/ and then go next door and rent skates at Snoopy’s Home Ice - https://www.snoopyshomeice.com/calendar-PS.php?type=main&month=1&year=2017 (good rainy day

  • Large outdoor animal preserve http://www.safariwest.com/
  • There are bike or segue rentals in both Sonoma and Napa.
  • Spas in either Sonoma or Napa; mudbaths in Calistoga

-Both downtown Sonoma and Napa have lots of fun shops to stroll thru…

  • When you go towards the Coast, Point Reyes Station is quaint village (Cowgirl Creamery here, as well as Bovine Bakery, Station House Cafe & Oysteria Stellina. There is also a Cheese Trail in West Marin & Sonoma...and of course, wonderful oysters on the coast.

Oh, and FYI, SF Restaurant Week is Jan 18-29…if you plan on dining in SF, especially on a Saturday night, you may want to secure your reservations now…actually, I will say securing reservations now for Sonoma dining would be a good idea…

Enjoy!

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It’s been a while since I’ve been there, but The Pelican Inn was a great place for Sunday brunch. It’s at Muir Beach. Is it still there?

I am a big fan of Mt Tamalpais for hiking. I love the hikes through the woods down to Stinson Beach.

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There’s a hike in Marin called Tennessee Valley – through the Marin headlands to the beach – that is both beautiful and short (and also well-maintained). It’s not far from the Golden Gate bridge; you could do it going out or coming back.

I love the mudbaths in Calistoga. That’s pretty accessible from Sonoma.

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Marin Meals…

** Breakfast: ** The Lighthouse Café in Sausalito has incredible breakfast - all kinds of delicious breakfast. Diner feel with a line out the door, so get there early.

** Lunch:** Joe’s Taco Lounge in Mill Valley has the best burritos anywhere - very casual and reasonably priced. Fun little spot.

** Dinner:** Buckeye Roadhouse is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere - really inviting charming old lodge feel. Right off of 101 in Sausalito.

…and don’t get me started on downtown Mill Valley. Love it!

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IF you get good weather and want something different, consider a Segway Tour. We had a blast doing one! They originate on the far west side of Fisherman’s Wharf area. Then follow up with Irish Coffee at Buena Vista Cafe. It’s all in the vicinity of Ghiradelli :slight_smile:

As for Thursday night, what about doing Alcatraz then? Will you be there during nightly fog season? Alcatraz is a different experience at night and worth doing at least once.

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Be sure that you are fully vaccinated as medically recommended (except when medically contraindicated) before visiting Marin County. Marin County happens to be a hotbed of anti-vaccine activism, so the risk of catching a vaccine-preventable disease is probably higher there than in most other places.

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^ sad, but true!

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Another idea is to take a walking tour using the Detour app. I’ve heard good things about it but haven’t used it yet myself.

https://www.detour.com

If anyone has used it, I’d love to hear how it was.

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SF Bay Area native here…

On Thursday after arriving, I would plan your time at getting wherever you plan to go around viewing the sunset. Alcatraz would be awesome. The Cliff House would also be excellent. A beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge can be had from Golden Gate Heights Park. Incoming and departing flights are notoriously late into SFO so don’t plan too tightly. Enjoy our beautiful Bay Area!

Edit: Assuming no thick cloud cover with rain. Summer is often worse!