OT: San Francisco visit.

[John]

We are planning to be in San Franciso for a short visit from Sept 11 to the 16th. We come back to Red Sox territory on the 17th.

We think we will stay at the Metro on Divisidaro on the edge of the Haight. We have stayed there before and it is tight but comfortable, unless there is a suggestion about another hotel.

On our list is Big Sur, hopefully Sausalito, and maybe a night in Sonoma county and see Point Reyes. We might get talked in to a dinner at the Nanking, but are open to suggestions

John G.

[Bill]

On our list is Big Sur, hopefully Sausalito, and maybe a night in Sonoma county and see Point Reyes. John G.

Big Sur is about 140 miles south of SF. Farther, if you take the scenic coastal Highway 1 -- which is really a great ride. That would be a day down, a day back and . . Maybe a day in Carmel . . . leaves you with maybe an overnight in SF :)

Or if you have not already done so, do Sausalito, Muir Woods, Alcatraz, Fisherman's Wharf and a Bay cruise. Maybe an overnight in the wine country. We can probably arrange a Bay cruise in an Ariel -- Or, you could take the Blue & Gold fleet's cruise.

[John]

Bill,

We have been to the Bay area once before, to visit my son, who now lives there. That trip, we drove down to Monteray and Carmel. We also spent a weekend in wine country and visted several vinyards. We drove north up to the Stinson Beach area and saw the sea lions just north of Stinson Beach. We didn't have time to make it to Point Reyes. We spent an afternoon in the Muir Woods and then I took a bunch of pictures from the Marin headlands, looking back towards San FRancisco.

My son, who lives in San Francisco took us on a large Catamaran for an evening cruise around the bay. We went to the top of Telegraph Hill and I have a great picture of the Bridge that I took from East Beach. We took the boat out to Alcatraz and took the tour there. We had dinner at the Nanking and then saw Coppela enjoying the spring at an outdoor table at his restaurant.I guess we are now trying to fill in the holes, so to speak.

Thank you for the offer to find a way to cruise the bay on an Ariel. We have a short trip and a long list. What can I say. Oh...I was greatly surprised to find a Baltimore trolley car going down the Embarcadaro.

We are trying to fit a few things in in a short time, I know. so we are looking for suggestions about what we can do this time. My wife would like to visit Big Sur and my son suggested we take the highway north to Point Reyes. We didn't see Sausalito

[ebb]

If you are driving south from S.F. head for Highway One at Half Moon Bay - for a way it used to be tour along the coast. Check out Ano Nuevo for a bit of a hike to see the elephant seals on the beach. Too Much!
As soon as you get to Santa Cruz turn right on one of the first roads (Swift?) and go down to the cliff drive and turn left towards downtown. Hundreds of kids in rubber suits trying out their surfboards on twofoot combers. Funky cottages & castles and a surfing museum. You'll run into the Boardwalk where the oldest wood roller coaster on the west coast (maybe the country?) in all its beautifully maintained glory overlooks white sand beach, volley ball courts, and municipal wharf.
The marina is just around the corner. They still allow dogs at the beach and have lifeguards. Flavor of California beach town of the 60s, can just hear the Beach Boys above the traffic. Rebuilt 'downtown' shop and restaurant area that was hit by the earthquake a few years ago. Lots of young people, it's a college town too.
Great boutiques, great used book store, good bakery restaurant, 100 coffee shops, collectibles - amongst the usual Gap, Borders, and Curry junk stores. I think Santa Cruz rivals Hong Kong for every shop you can imagine.

But if you have but one stop on your way to Big Sur make it the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Lunch at the cafeteria, you'll never forget it. You may have to prebuy tickets, phone them. worth the effort :D


As a transplant 'native', I have to warn you that you can't rush this part of California. Even from S.F. I would overnight at a motel. Maybe two nites in Cruz or Carmel. It's less crowded at the Aqurarium in the morning. Also, at the southern end of Big Sur is the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, if you're into that sort of thing, never been there myself.