babe11

Hello my Flyertalk friends!

I haven't posted in a awhile. Business is 2009 was soooo slow. I'm so thankful business in 2010 is better. Unfortunately, I lost a lot of status's on my once bountiful airline & hotel accounts.

So, now I've planned a trip to Hawaii in March 2011 to celebrate my birthday with hubby. Thanks to my friends advice here, I was able to use my award tickets to plan a stop-over (3 nights) in the San Francisco area for this trip as well. Below are my questions about this stop-over and I want to thank you in advance for your suggestions:

- Planning my 3 nights & 4 days......My thoughts were to rent a car on day 1 (SFO) arrival (1:00pm PT) and drive straight to Napa or Sonoma for 2 nights. Want to cross the Golden Gate bridge and take our first wine tour. Which place...Napa or Sonoma?

- After the wine country, drive to SFO, return car, take the train to Fisherman's Wharf and spend 1 night at Fisherman's Wharf, take the train back to SFO for late flight to Hawaii.

- We'll be headed to Hawaii for 8 days. Been there several times.

Let me know your thoughts on my temporary San Fran plans. Any ideas are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

SFflyer123

Sure. People have already posted 76 responses to your question:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/san-f...threads-6.html

And don't forget the sticky put in by the moderator with multiple threads:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/san-f...g-layover.html

squeakr

OP is actually on a 3-4 day layover..thread title edited.

JerryFF

There are also quite a few discussions for 3-4 day trips -

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/san-f...north-s-f.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/calif...endations.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/san-f...iking-spa.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/calif...ip-thread.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/san-f...ns-sought.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/calif...pa-sonoma.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/calif...noma-area.html

wcj1

My recommendation would be to:
* return the car to downtown SFO instead of the airport to save time and the hassle of getting back to the city.
* Pick a hotel around Union Square to make it easier to get to and from BART and just ride a street or cable car to Fisherman's Wharf.

BillJ

nnn

How you split your time between S.F. and Wine Country really depends on what you would enjoy most. Obviously, being in S.F. will be a whole different experience from being in Napa or Sonoma. As for Napa vs. Sonoma, Napa is a bit more touristed and developed, whereas Sonoma is quieter and in a way more like what Napa used to be. If you are truly doing two days up there, you could spend a day in each. If it were I, I'd just set up shop in a S.F. hotel for all three nights and do a day trip to either Napa or Sonoma, as one day of wine tasting and wine country restaurants would be sufficient for me. Your decision may also depend on which Hawaiian island(s) you're visiting and how much you want to contrast the S.F. portion of your trip from the Hawaiian part.

SoCal

Quickest route to either Napa or Sonoma from SFO would not be, I believe, over the Golden Gate Bridge (and for the latter you'd need to drive through SF traffic). Considered Mendocino? There are lots of wine-growing areas in California, so I'd urge you not to limit yourself to just those with the most famous names (and the resulting crowds and high prices for lodging, etc.). You might want to research the different areas before you decide, including what you want to do there (for me, one winery tour-- and you pay for tasting, remember-- would be enough) and what else nearby you might want to see. This article http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/08/29...l/29hours.html makes Sonoma sound more appealing than Napa to me. But there are also other areas, including Mendocino and Monterey, worth considering.

Shesells

Don't want to hi-jack this thread but we also have 3 days (well 2.5) in San Francisco at the end of this month. Apart from Alkatraz, are there other must sees. Any hidden gems not usually on the tourist trail? We're a couple in our early thirties, well travelled but first time in SF. We won't have a car, staying in Hotel Nikko.

PTravel

I recommend that first time visitors and out-of-town guests attend Beach Blanket Babylon. It is a tourist attraction, but I'd consider it a partially-hidden gem.

nnn

We enjoyed the chocolate walking tour.

ebayj

There are many "hidden" gems outside of the heavily touristed northeast quadrant of my city - but I would need to know a little more about your interests and things you enjoy, especially for a brief (three day) visit. Agree that Beach Blanket Babylon and Alcatraz are both great attractions, but there are many others too. Feel free to PM me. I have lived here 22 years and am constantly taking visiting company around to my favorite places and discoveries.

I had a new friend in from Washington DC yesterday, and took her a terrific new restaurant, art gallery, and park in my neighborhood (Hayes Valley) that she would otherwise not have known about. I usually give custom advice to visiting friends, as there are hundreds of San Francisco tour books.

squeakr

JMHO

tons of hidden gems in SF.....I just like walking the haight or mission districts, GG park....Hayes Valley..it's a great walking town.

rjque

I avoided Alcatraz for my first few years here. I finally went a few years back and thought it was very worthwhile. For one thing, you actually get out in the Bay for a short trip, which is cool enough on its own. But the tour itself is also interesting. I'd say it's pretty high up there on the list of things to do. The wharf, on the other hand, is best seen in one of the many other cities in America that have the exact same crap stores.

Shesells

Thanks for the great suggestions....for off the beaten track I kinda mean things like Chumleys in NYC (the now closed speakeasy dating back to the literary greats) and lunch in the delegates dining room in the UN...things I would never have known I could do without internet fora.

Early 30s, his big interest is politics, mine is theatre and the arts....so quite a mix really. Looking forward to SF, have friends in OC so have spent a lot of time in California, just have never made it north yet.

squeakr

you should sign up for
www.goldstar.com

to get emails of 1/2 price tickets to a lot of musical and theatre events. There's also a booth in Union Sq but if you're only here for a couple of days it may not be as feasible.

You will have JUST missed Scapin at ACT which is too bad. We will have the road company of West Side Story (like the NY production, partially in Spanish) starting the 29th

Lots of small theatres...sign up for goldstar and see what appeals to you