I now live in the San Francisco Bay area and was recently putting together a tourist itinerary for someone from the UK. I went to Trip Advisor to jog my memory and discovered that people rave about the Segway tour of SF. You're outside, don't have to walk everywhere, and you're up close and personal. It sounds much better than a bus tour.
http://www.citysegwaytours.com
Also, if you plan to visit Alcatraz, book many weeks in advance. Also, go on the early boat to avoid the crowds.
san francisco advice.
Re: san francisco advice.
The view of San Francisco as you are coming back from Sausolito on the ferry is priceless, though I'll agree that Sausolito itself pales compared to San Francisco.Maitre D wrote: I feel badly for anyone who heeds the advice to head to Sausolito when there's a gazillion things to experience in SF. Unless you have a month, don't leave the DT.
Do the city bus tour. Takes like 4-5 hours and was so well done when I went on it. Incredible.
Re: san francisco advice.
Angel Island is a lot more fulfilling to me, but people seem enthralled with the idea of visiting Alcatraz.
http://www.angelisland.org/
The soul of the city, despite MD's suggestion about staying DT, is in the outlying districts.
http://www.angelisland.org/
The soul of the city, despite MD's suggestion about staying DT, is in the outlying districts.
Re: san francisco advice.
If you are looking for off-beat hotels, go to www.sfgate.com and search Under Covers. On drop-down menu, select full archive.
I don't know if this search url will work, but try it
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/qws/colar ... mode=range
I don't know if this search url will work, but try it
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/qws/colar ... mode=range
Re: san francisco advice.
SF to Mendocino area.
You have two choices - Highway 1 or Highway 101. 1 (as it's referred to) goes along the coast. 101 is inland and you will have to cut over to get to the coast. You could pick one route for the trip up there and the other for the return.
Highway 1
Warning - lots of windy roads and it's a lot slower
Beautiful coast line and beaches
Sites:
*Fort Ross State Park (old Russian settlement)
*Bodega Bay - just off the highway is the schoolhouse where Hitchcock's The Birds was filmed
*Sea Ranch - development famous for it's architecture
*Many small picturesque towns
Highway 101
Freeway until you cut over to the coast
Take Highway 128 from Cloverdale.
Sites
*Lovely scenery with some wineries.
*Town of Boonville - known for the fact that early inhabitants developed their own language (of sorts). For example, a phone is call a Bucky Walter
*Navarro River Redwoods State Park - definitely worth a stop
Mendocino can be touristy but the setting is wonderful and the Victorian houses are cute. The Mendocino Botanical Garden (between Mendocino & Ft. Bragg) is lovely and you can walk to the coast.
Ft Bragg (north of Mendocino). It used to be a 'real' town, until the lumber mill closed about 10 year ago. I haven't been there for several years so I imagine it's become oriented for tourists. Interesting museum on logging in the mill manager's house. Lots of Victorian homes. Local attraction is the Skunk Train that winds along a river through beautiful scenery. It was a working RR at one time and some people who live along the route use it to get to town. I love it. http://www.skunktrain.com/
Local (Mendocino area) state parks with beaches:
Van Damme
Russian Gulch
Mackerricher
Jug Handle
Caveat - due to the never-ending California budget crisis, some state parks may be closed. However, it's not like they are fenced, so you could probably climb over or under gates.
You have two choices - Highway 1 or Highway 101. 1 (as it's referred to) goes along the coast. 101 is inland and you will have to cut over to get to the coast. You could pick one route for the trip up there and the other for the return.
Highway 1
Warning - lots of windy roads and it's a lot slower
Beautiful coast line and beaches
Sites:
*Fort Ross State Park (old Russian settlement)
*Bodega Bay - just off the highway is the schoolhouse where Hitchcock's The Birds was filmed
*Sea Ranch - development famous for it's architecture
*Many small picturesque towns
Highway 101
Freeway until you cut over to the coast
Take Highway 128 from Cloverdale.
Sites
*Lovely scenery with some wineries.
*Town of Boonville - known for the fact that early inhabitants developed their own language (of sorts). For example, a phone is call a Bucky Walter
*Navarro River Redwoods State Park - definitely worth a stop
Mendocino can be touristy but the setting is wonderful and the Victorian houses are cute. The Mendocino Botanical Garden (between Mendocino & Ft. Bragg) is lovely and you can walk to the coast.
Ft Bragg (north of Mendocino). It used to be a 'real' town, until the lumber mill closed about 10 year ago. I haven't been there for several years so I imagine it's become oriented for tourists. Interesting museum on logging in the mill manager's house. Lots of Victorian homes. Local attraction is the Skunk Train that winds along a river through beautiful scenery. It was a working RR at one time and some people who live along the route use it to get to town. I love it. http://www.skunktrain.com/
Local (Mendocino area) state parks with beaches:
Van Damme
Russian Gulch
Mackerricher
Jug Handle
Caveat - due to the never-ending California budget crisis, some state parks may be closed. However, it's not like they are fenced, so you could probably climb over or under gates.