I've been looking to burn some free night certs within driving distance of the bay area and El Capitan Hotel in Merced is on my list of places to try next.

It's a cat 2, few hours away from Yosemite and within walking distance to some good restaurants including 510 bistro. The Castle Air Museum is 15min drive away and worth a visit if you're into aviation.

It's a shame 4B stopped their OAK-MCE service as that was a fun way to get over to Merced from the bay area. The only other non-driving option is the San Joaquins Amtrak service.