Recommendations for our trip to California?

[Flying Dream Blues]

We're going to start in SF, go up to the wine country, and then over to the coast.

Any recommendations? We're leaning toward Sonoma vs. Napa area, and was thinking about Mendocino for our coast stop. Any ideas for places to stay, restaurants, vineyards, scenic drives will be appreciated!

It's just going to be Mr. TTLG and me, and we'll celebrate our anniversary on the trip...we hardly ever get away together and I can't wait!

:party: :toast:

[sundog]

1. score some good bud

:evilgrin:

[wtmusic]

2. Rent a boat and paddle down the Russian River

Mrs. wt and I spent our honeymoon in Northern CA wine country.

[Sandpiper]

3. Yeah, get on the 5

And head to Southern California. ;-)

[Ladyhawk]

21. Actually, just traveling highway 1 is great, if you like ocean views.

I only like SoCal for the theme parks.

IMO, NorCal has all the best scenic places, unless you like smoggy, crowded cities and hot valley and desert towns. San Diego isn't so bad, but I don't like the LA area, except for DisneyLand and Universal Studios. :) The desert areas are pretty, but I'm not good with heat.

Of course, everyone has their favorite haunts and what I like may not be the same as what someone else likes. Dat's what makes da world go 'round.

[Sandpiper]

30. Yeah, the PCH might be

The most beautiful stretch of highway in America.

That and the Blue Ridge Parkway are my two favorites.

[Kadie]

4. Here is a great place in Santa Rosa

We stayed here years ago, it was absolutely beautiful.

http://www.vintnersinn.com/index.asp

and the best meal I ever had was at the John Ash & Co. Restaurant.

http://www.vintnersinn.com/dining/johnash.asp


Have a wonderful trip!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. I LOVE Ash's restaurant! great advice!

[Flying Dream Blues]

12. I saw that one, and it did look great! n/t

[Mz Pip]

5. So many!

Before you head to the wine country take a drive to Muir Beach and Stinson Beach. They are beautiful beaches. Point Reyes is a fun town to visit. It has a lot of art galleries and there are many beautiful beaches nearby.

For wineries, I recommend Sattui, near St. Helena. Tasting is free and it's been voted the #1 winery in California. They have a deli and a picnic area. We stayed at the Ink House which is right outside St. Helena. It's a lovely old Victorian Bed and Breakfast. Wine and cheese are served in the early evening and the breakfasts are awesome. Take a trip on the Wine Train if you can. It runs out of St. Helena. If you go a bit farther North you'll hit Calistoga. It is spa heaven. Most of the Hotels/Resorts have hot spring pools. The Calistoga Spa is terrific with several pools of different temperatures. THe Roman Spa is nice, too. The Wappo Grill is a good place to eat in Calistoga.


Definitely go to Mendocino. There are lots of wineries on the way.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[Flying Dream Blues]

13. Sattui is on the list now...thanks!! n/t

[Ladyhawk]

6. I always enjoy whale watching in Monterey,

but there are always four or five people who get so sick, they want to die. Also, trips vary. I've had some exciting trips and some boring trips. It just depends. I use Monterey Bay Whale Watch, which operates out of the wharf. A fairly famous marine biologist narrates many of the trips. I've seen her on a lot of nature documentaries. She specializes in killer whales. Have a look at the "sightings" page at the site and you can get an idea of what kind of animals are spotted. I've seen a wide variety.

On Edit: Here is their June sightings list...very impressive and heavy on orcas:

6/1 7 Killer Whales (transient type)
5/31 2 Killer Whales (transient type)
1 Humpback Whale
50 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
3 Humpback Whales *
5/30 p.m. 8 Humpback Whales
15 Risso's Dolphins
5/30 a.m. 11 Humpback Whales
500 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
35 Risso's Dolphins
40 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
8 Dall's Porpoise
3 Harbor Porpoise
5/29 p.m. 15 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
5/29 a.m. 2 Fin Whales
200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
65 Risso's Dolphins
5/28 p.m. 4 Dall's Porpoise
5/28 a.m. 2 Humpback Whales
60 Risso's Dolphins
5/27 p.m. 5 Humpback Whales
25 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
500 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/27 a.m. 18 Humpback Whales
700 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
1800 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/26 5 Humpback Whales
20 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
25 Risso's Dolphins
2 Killer Whales *
5/25 1 Humpback Whale
65 Risso's Dolphins
9 Bottlenose Dolphins
5/24 2 Humpback Whales
30 Risso's Dolphins
5/23 11 Humpback Whales
1500 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
250 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/22 4 Killer Whales (transient type)
2 Humpback Whales
50 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
200 Risso's Dolphins
5/21 4 Killer Whales (transient type)
6 Humpback Whales
300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
900 Risso's Dolphins
125 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/20 4 Killer Whales (transient type, predation on elephant seal)
5 Humpback Whales
20 Risso's Dolphins
5/19 4 Killer Whales (transient type)
5 Humpback Whales
5/18 6 Humpback Whales
18 Risso's Dolphins
5/17 2 Humpback Whales
45 Risso's Dolphins
5/16 1 Humpback Whale
20 Risso's Dolphins
5/15 p.m. 200 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
400 Risso's Dolphins
70 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/14 a.m. 4 Humpback Whales
4 Baird's Beaked Whales
60 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
50 Risso's Dolphins
5/13 8 Killer Whales (transient type)
5 Humpback Whales
1 Blue Whale
150 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
650 Risso's Dolphins
40 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5 Harbor Porpoise
5/12 4 Humpback Whales
250 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
600 Risso's Dolphins
40 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/11 7 Killer Whales (transient type)
5 Humpback Whales
50 Risso's Dolphins
5/10 7 Humpback Whales
4 Killer Whales (transient type) *
5/9 4 Killer Whales (transient type)
8 Humpback Whales
30 Risso's Dolphins
5 Harbor Porpoise
5/8 p.m. 3 Humpback Whales
5/8 a.m. 4 Killer Whales (transient type)
7 Humpback Whales
650 Risso's Dolphins
300 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
8 Harbor Porpoise
5/7 p.m. 6 Humpback Whales
400 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
150 Risso's Dolphins
400 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/7 a.m. 4 Killer Whales (transient type)
5 Humpback Whales
25 Risso's Dolphins
300 Pacific White Sided Dolphins *
5/6 p.m. 400 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
800 Risso's Dolphins
300 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
5/6 a.m. 12 Humpback Whales
1000 Pacific White Sided Dolphins
1200 Risso's Dolphins
600 Northern Right Whale Dolphins
4 Killer Whales *
5/5 6 Humpback Whales
80 Risso's Dolphins
20 Harbor Porpoise
5/4 p.m. 3 Humpback Whales
50 Risso's Dolphins
5/4 a.m. 5 Humpback Whales
2 Gray Whales
120 Risso's Dolphins
15 Killer Whales (transient type) *
5/3 6 Humpback Whales
10 Killer Whales (transient type)
5/2 p.m. 5 Humpback Whales
70 Risso's Dolphins
5/2 a.m. 17 Killer Whales (transient type)
5 Humpback Whales
300 Risso's Dolphins
6 Harbor Porpoise
2 Gray Whales *
5/1 p.m. 22 Killer Whales (transient type)
34 Killer Whales (predation on Gray Whale, evening) *
5/1 a.m. 34 Killer Whales (transient type)

[Flying Dream Blues]

15. Cool...I thought we were off season for whale watching! n/t

[Ladyhawk]

23. *Warning! Pictures* The season is only "over" for California gray whales.

Although a few gray whales might still be passing through, most of them are at their northern feeding grounds by now.

Have a look at some of the pics I've taken in Monterey Bay:

_______________________________

Pacific white-sided dolphin:



_______________________________

Long-beaked common dolphins:



_______________________________

Killer whale:



_______________________________

Humpback whale:

[Ladyhawk]

27. Also, you'll see that there is mention of predation behavior by the orcas.

The orca I saw ate a sea lion. :)

On 5/1 thirty-four(!) orcas ganged up on a gray whale and probably killed it. On 5/20, four killer whales took out an elephant seal.

The orcas I saw were two sub-adult males who were fairly far apart, even though they were traveling together. Can you imagine the sight of thirty-four orcas coordinating an attack on a gray whale? Exciting stuff! I wish I could have been there.

It's too bad the gray whale probably died, but I've watched nature in the raw my whole life. Predators eat other animals. That's just the way it is. I actually consider myself lucky when I get to see predatory behavior, because it isn't often seen. I like to watch ospreys catch fish at the lake. I've seen red-tailed hawks catch snakes, squirrels, all kinds of things. You have to be in the right place at the right time and it happens so damn fast, you usually have to do a double-take.

Watching the killer whale attack a young sea lion was interesting. I really like sea lions. I really like killer whales. But an orca the size of this fellow has to eat four juvenile sea lions a day in order to stay fit. That's what Nancy Black said. If you ever see a documentary on killer whales, chances are Nancy Black was part of it. The BBC series, Blue Planet, features Nancy Black and some hard-to-watch orca predation footage. If you go whale watching, there's a good chance Nancy Black and Captain Ternullo will narrate the trip. I love talking with Ms. Black. She has an amazing amount of knowledge. If you go, try to get aboard Sea Wolf II. She's the best ship in the whale-watching fleet. I think Nancy Black prefers Sea Wolf, also.

On edit: I thoroughly recommend Monterey Bay Whale Watch. Dramamine is on sale in the little red building on the wharf. If you don't see a large whale, they will give you new tickets (perhaps a refund if you don't live close, but I'm not sure about that). If Steve the fisherman still works there and you're a blond woman (like me, hehe), he will buy you a drink, a hat, perhaps a ticket to the next whale watch and regale you with stories of the sea. Ask him about his great white shark experience. :) Damn, that was cool. I got a free hat, a drink, an extra ticket and stories from the sea. When I told a lady working behind the counter, she laughed and said it was because Steve liked blond women. :)

Monterey Bay Whale Watch used to be Sam's Fishing Fleet. I don't know if they still fish or run fishing expeditions, but if you're a blond woman, be sure to flirt with Steve. :D

Once again:

If you are a blond woman, flirt with Steve the Fisherman, shown below:

[maveric]

7. You've got see San Diego!

In spite of the repugs here SD has great beaches, cliffs, sunsets and other natural beauty.
The best Zoo in the world too.

[Flying Dream Blues]

16. I love SD...we are saving that for a family trip tho! n/t

[DBoon]

9. Calistoga, north end of Napa

Natural hots springs, lots of resorts to soak and get decadent California-style massages

Also a natural geyser that erupts like clockwork - similar to "old faithful"

The restuarant at Domain Chandon is very good for lunch, and by Napa standards not too expensive.

[Flying Dream Blues]

17. Yay! Calistoga was on my list for the mudbaths...n/t

[Gormy Cuss]

10. Mendocino Inn

Old inn in the heart of town, quaint and across the street from a public access bluff over looking the ocean. You may see dolphins, porpoises, otters, or whales. There are many lovely places to eat in Mendo, too.
Outside of town the Jug Handle Reserve is another place to walk on a bluff above the ocean and it has access to a beach in a pretty little cove.

If you're beach people I second the vote for Stinson Beach. It's gorgeous. If you have time Point Reyes National Seashore has a neat attraction, the Earthquake Trail. By following the line of fence posts you can see where the faultline moved several feet during the 1906 quake. Point Reyes has wandering elk herd, an historic lighthouse, beaches and tons of scenic views. The town of Point Reyes has a couple of good restaurants and a deli/market with a great takeout menu.

One general piece of advice if you're not a Californian: the coastal roads are windy and hilly so what appears to be a quick trip on the map can take hours. Same thing for the east-west secondary roads. Highway 101 is the faster route.

[Flying Dream Blues]

11. Thanks for all the great ideas!

Keep 'em coming...you guys are great!

[GOPisEvil]

14. Drive through the Muir Woods north of SF.

In fact, the drive from SF to Bodega Bay is gorgeous.

Then again, the drive from SF down to Monterey isn't bad either. ;)

[Awsi Dooger]

22. You beat me to it, buster

Definitely Muir Woods. Also the 18 mile drive at Monterey near Pebble Beach. If you wait until 2 AM like I did last time, you can even wander drunk out to the 17th green and pretend you're Tom Watson chipping in to beat Nicklaus in the Open.

[GOPisEvil]

24. Hell, just drive the whole PCH from border to border.

Heck...go on to Oregon, too. I hear that's lovely as well.

LOL - I'd love to wander out to the course at Pebble. That is outstanding.

[Purrfessor]

18. Here you go.............

I've lived in and driven this area for 20+ years, so I hope this helps.

You can check out some of the areas on the web. After visiting Napa County, cut over to Santa Rosa (see reference to Calistoga below) and head north on 101 to get to Mendocino. You'll go through the heart of Sonoma wine country---Healdsburg, Geyserville, Cloverdale. Allow yourself plenty of time to visit the wineries.

At Cloverdale take HWY 128 toward the coast. It's a beautiful drive that takes you through Boonville, an interesting little town noted for its own language---Boontling.

After your stay in Mendocino, you can take HWY 20 East to 101, and from there south to San Francisco. It's another beautiful drive along HWY 20.

Healdsburg has some very nice B&B's and is perhaps a good place to start from when you set out for Mendocino.

While In Napa county, make sure to visit the wineries along the Silverado Trail, which runs at the base of the mountains along the east side of the valley and usually has less traffic. HWY 29 runs through the center of the valley, but the valley itself is probably only 5-7 miles wide, so it's not far to the Silverado Trail.

Calistoga is a lovely town, and from there you can cut over to Sonoma County by going through Alexander valley, another well known wine producing region.

If you have the time on your way back to San Francisco, just as your approach the Golden Gate Bridge, take the very last exit before the bridge as you head south. As you come off the exit, probably only about 50 yards, turn left at the stop sign and follow the road up the hill as it curves to the right. There are some absolutely beautiful views of the city from up there, and you'll even see some of the concrete bunkers built during WW2.

The road takes you on to the top and then curves around and back down the opposite side of the hill. I believe from there you can go through a tunnel and on into Sausalito. You can find some nice restaurants there.

Have a great time.

Wave when you come through Petaluma, where I live. American Gaffitti was filmed here and we have a lovely little downtown area, with a new 8 screen movie theater. If you have time, stop by a see a movie--it's called Cinemawest Theater--and then walk up the street--Petaluma Boulevard--and on the opposite side from the theater ther are 2 really nice Sushi bars. One right by McNear's--a music theater--and one a block further down called Hiro's.

If you have any more questions let me know.

[Flying Dream Blues]

19. Thanks so much, Purrfessor!

I will definitely :hi: when we come through Petaluma. Sounds like a fun stop, too! I can't wait...

[Purrfessor]

20. I think I was a tour guide in a past life

eom

[henslee]

25. have dinner here...... (in Jenner... where Hitchcock shot the Birds)

http://www.timbercoveinn.com/

[cally]

26. Adding on to the other great advice

I definitely recommend Muir Woods but you have to go very, very early. Otherwise it's overrun by tourists. The 50 year anniversary of the UN will be celebrated here so you need to check dates for that.

I also love the Pt. Reyes and Stinson Beach Areas. I think you missed the whale watching and elephant seals but check at the ranger station. If they are here then it's worth the drive to the Light House to see them. If you go out there, about an hours drive, then take a walk and see the wild elk. Otherwise take a hike at Point Reyes. Remember about poison oak in all this area and remember it's cold this time of year. It will be foggy and windy sometimes and then sunny and warm at others. You need to be careful.

You can rent Kayaks and go out on Tomales Bay or out by Sausalito. That's fun.

I also like Anderson Valley on the way to Mendocino. It's much less crowded than Napa. I like Mendocino but I usually only want to stay a day or two. I also suggest picking up a copy of farm trails. There are some great local cheese factories and other small, organic farms.

You really can't swim anywhere on this coast except maybe at Stinson. It's too dangerous elsewhere and sometimes Stinson has shark warnings. You can swim on the Russian River but I've heard the water is still fairly swift and dangerous now. Be careful.

Have fun. I live north of SF and love it.

[Ladyhawk]

28. Fantastic Scenic Drive: 17 Mile Drive, just south of Monterey. n/t

[Awsi Dooger]

32. Whoops, you're right; I tried to tack on an additional mile

Somewhere above I turned it into an 18 mile drive. Must be a trend. I just heard on TV a marathon was run at 27+ miles recently instead of 26+.

[Arugula Latte]

29. Ferry Building in S.F -- Slanted Door Restaurant

[redacted]

31. Sonoma is relaxed -- Napa is more pretentious

I think Sonoma has more natural beauty and the locals are nicer. It has access to the coast.

Pacific Star Winery is right on the coast just north of Fort Bragg (Mendocino County) -- the only winery RIGHT on the coast and incredible views.

J Wine has food paired with its wine (costs 10 to do a tasting, but worth it.)

Shopping on the Sonoma square is nice. Make sure you stop by The Bath Factory -- owned by friends of mine -- good Dems.

I live in Sonoma County so you can PM me for more tips if you want.