Expert: Ernest Tufft - 9/4/2008

Question
Hi Ernest,

We will be leaving Napa Valley and heading to Monterey to visit with my uncle before heading off to Yosemite. We have a final day at the vineyards planned and then we though after a light dinner we'd start heading south towards Monterey...with the idea of stopping over somewhere on the way. We will have already been in San Francisco for 5 days so I don't really want to go there. Any ideas?

Answer
Jennifer,

The drive from Napa to Monterey will be about 2 hrs, so no stop-over is really necessary.  But, if you would like to expand your exploration of the Bay Area, consider a stop in one of these places:

Assuming that you take Hwy 12 east to 680 south, which is the least traffic congested route through to San Jose, consider:

Benicia--a quaint town on the Carquinez Strait with nice views, restaurants, and the only California state capitol building still standing, other than the one in Sacramento.  Benicia was capitol of California before Sacramento during the 1850s.  Get here around sunset and you will have a nice walk along the Carquinez Strait with a view of the Carquinez Bridge.

Danville--This is a new upscale downtown with a Rodeo Drive type mall of restaurants and a world class antique automobile museum.  This is upscale Contra Costa County at its best.  This place is best at night, but I don't know the hours of the museum.

San Jose--The downtown of California's third largest city has improved considerably and is worth a visit.

If you have more time, and want to stay over, I recommend going through the Santa Cruz Mountains and stop in Santa Cruz itself.

Hope this helps...alan