California trip, north of San Fran

Hi all,

I'm from the UK, just north of London and am planning a trip to the US for our honeymoon. We'll be in San Francisco for three nights, then over to Yosemite and Seqoia before finishing off in Grand Canyon and finally Las Vegas.

We've got a couple of days to kill after San Fran and I was thinking of the Napa Valley but neither of us are big wine drinkers and it's mega expensive round there.

So, in this geographical area, where would the inmates recommend, we'd like to find some small town america with good food and an outdoors vibe.



Thanks all,

From old town Petaluma, why don't you head west to Bodega Bay and up the coast to Fort Ross. The scenery is pretty spectacular. Expensive is the watchword for this area due to the beauty, wineries, and proximity to millions in the Bay area. It's all the wine country, and it's all gorgeous riding...but I like Windsor, the Mendocino coast area, and Fort Bragg a little further north.

It's still a worthy ride! Redwoods, rugged coast, and great views. Just watch the weather!

Feel free to PM me for specifics.

Seriously consider riding out east out of the SF area to the Sierra Nevada mountains for good rides, less money and small town charm. You'd also be going in the right direction to get to Yosemite. PM me for more if interested.

When will you be here?

The Napa area isn't just wine anymore. Micro breweries are opening all over California. In Petaluma, there is a $60/night motel (cheap but clean) next to Lagunitas Brewery. I like this brewery because it has a genuine warm feel, with covered outdoor seating with live music nearly night. Their brewery tour makes you feel like an insider.

There are 2 more breweries in Napa, 1 in Healdsburg, 3 or 4 in San Francisco, and a couple along the Sierra foothills (Auburn Ale House in Auburn & Snowshoe Brewery in Arnold.

To save on lodging look into youth hostels. They are housed in some interesting buildings around the Bay Area: old military barracks in Marin and Pier 39, lighthouses along the coast, and a cool resort near Yosemite (Yosemite Bug Hostel). All have private rooms for couples.

The small town feel can be found all over. Along Highway 49 in the Sierra, check out Auburn, Placerville, Sonora (where I live, feel free to look me up).

North of SF, Bolinas is a strange little hippie town, Sonoma, Calistoga, Glen Ellen, Healdsburg are all neat little towns.

I'd second that. Head East on 80 to Truckee (3hours), go see Lake Tahoe, head South towards Yosemite from there. Good roads, good scenery, good times.




Charlie

Yuck.


Avoid 80, google the delta and find a route through there. Small town charm, river ferries for free if you can find them, off season prices, good food, empty roads...cross 99, cross 5, thru Elk Grove or Galt, wander until hwy 49...avoid the bypasses and take the old 49 routes into the little towns, small town charm will be found. Eventually you will see the signs directing you towards Yosemite.

Leave SF on the Bay Bridge: I-80 East to Hwy 24 East past Berkeley to Walnut Creek, then onto I-680 to Concord, then Hwy 4 to Antioch and then it gets good.

Take Hwy 160 toward Rio Vista and Sacramento along the Sacramento River. Turn East onto Hwy 12 toward Lodi, ride through the Lodi wine country toward Lockeford and go East on Hwy 88 over Carson Pass to Woodfords.

Take Hwy 89 South through Markleeville and go East over Monitor Pass to Hwy 395 South to Lee Vining, then go West on Hwy 120 over Tioga Pass into Yosemite.

You won't be sorry.

Looks like we are both looking for info about the same area this week.
If you haven't seen it, here's my thread, which has some interesting suggestions about the area I think:
http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=950745

Just my opinion, but if you haven't been to the CA coast before, take some time to see the coast. Drive as much of Hwy 1 as you can.
FWIW, I'm from Minnesota, (and hate to fly) so any chance I get to see an ocean, I'm fascincated by it. Perhaps living in the UK, you get to the shore a lot more than I do and it won't be that big of deal for you.

Just go north on Hwy 1. Lots of small towns along the way, and the scenery is great. You might go out on Point Reyes NS, through Inverness. Further north you might also detour through Freestone, Occidental and Monte Rio. There's no reason to go inland any further than these locations as you will just encounter traffic and lots of people. Kentucky St in Petaluma is nice if you want to shop or eat. You might also consider going to the top of Mt Tamalpais on Panoramic Hwy and then driving north through Fairfax and Nicasio.

Got to ask is this honeymoon going to be on 2 wheels or 4 ?

The further you get away from the coast, the cheaper things become, though, it's all relative. California is an awesome place, but inexpensive it is not. Western Marin & Sonoma Counties are awesome. Check this place out. www.knobhill.com 888-663-1784 In Point Reyes Station - wife and I stayed in The Master Suite one weekend. Point Reyes is a pretty cool little town, and this is a very central location for day trips to the Lighthouse, Limantour Beach and more. Might be what the doctor ordered after several days in SF. Hit Mt. Tamalpais, Muir Woods, Bolinas on the way up the coast. www.knobhill.com 888-663-1784 Congratulations on your recent marriage! Got 30 years under my belt, and it just keeps getting better.

I tried not to skim this thread too quickly, but I'm not noticing when the OP is going or whether he is riding or driving.

Personally, I am partial to the Nor Cal coast and the little towns in the coastal mountains, but there are gorgeous roads and rides in the Sierras, i.e. Markleeville, for example.

I think the when and how matters, in terms of advice given.

Cheers.

Correct - time of year and whether they are on 2 or 4 wheels makes a difference, too. Some mountain passes close in winter and it's socked in with fog on the coast in some months. Or it's sunny and clear and gorgeous on the coast or in the mountains...choose a date.

Stuff the bloody vineyards, you can catch an Easyjet to Italy & see proper vineyards with history & culture if that's what you want.

Change any wedding plans to coincide with this............
http://www.mazdaraceway.com/fim-superbike-world-championship-0

with a rental car i assume?

i've always like Calistoga for a soak and a great meal.
there is great riding in every direction.

not far away is the the awesome harbin hot springs

closer to SF, don't miss fairfax-bolinas rd & ridgecrest blvd up to mt tam.

our nor cal map lays it all out
http://www.butlermaps.com/Motorcycle-Road-Maps/47/Northern-California-Map

Wow, some great replies (and some very kind offers via PM!).

We'll be driving a rental in early August. I thought about a mustang convertible (spot the Brit!) but I have a convertible here in the UK and that can be unbearable with the roof down even in our rubbish summers! So probably going to go for a "full size" to try and get the massive yank car thing at least!

I'll take a longer look through the thread and compare with the map.

Cheers all,

Ben

That's funny, because I am looking forward to renting an Abarth Fiat 500 when we go to the UK next year. It is always fun to experience every aspect of a place, right down to transportation.

If you can stomach the price, try to find the biggest Lincoln or Cadillac. Either will be like driving on a cloud. Next choice would be a Ford Crown Victoria.

I wouldn't rent a big car with the gas prices out here. Get a small car and save your money for Vegas.

Mustang Convert seems to be the rental car of choice as you see them everywhere along Hwy 1 in the summer. Be forewarned that weekend traffic on hwy 1 in the summer is very heavy. Best to get on the road early in the morning if you want to enjoy the drive. Weekdays = much lighter traffic.

We all joke about America's love of over sized trucks, but how often does someone from the UK get to drive a 3/4 ton capacity diesel 4X4 pickup? My friend's Ford with a Powerstoke diesel gets about 21 miles per gallon. They actually are fairly comfortable to travel in (though I don't have room for one in my driveway). Enterprise Rental has them here:

http://www.enterprisetrucks.com/tru...s/ThreeQuarterTon4WDPickupTruck-personal.html



The OP may want to wait until they are on their way out of SF though, because parking one of those in The City would be a nightmare.