Expert: Ernest Tufft - 1/13/2011

Question
My husband and I have a five day trip planned in California. We intended on flying in to San Fransisco and driving to Monterey.  A friend has convinced my husband that this is not worth our time. He would now like to just drive to Napa Valley and stay there the entire time. We have been to wine country one other time and enjoyed it, but not to Napa Valley. I think our original plan would be more exciting. What is your take on this? If we decided to drive the coast what places would you recommend to eat and to stay. Our trip is planned for May 2011.

Thank you so much for your time
RS

Answer
HI Rita,

I'm not sure what experience persuaded your husband's friend that the world-class tourist destination of Monterey is not worth one's time.  It's very hard to compare Napa Valley and Monterey Bay, but I would consider one over the other depending upon the season of the year.

Within a an hour and half of SF, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Pacific Grove, Santa Cruz and Monterey ring part of the Monterey Bay--which is the largest marine preserve in the USA.   Inland is the nation's wealthiest produce agriculture--Salinas, Castroville, Watsonville, and San Juan Bautista.  In addition to strawberries, artichokes, and other produce, there are even a few good wineries in the region.

If you drive from San Francisco to Saratoga (a quaint Silicon Valley town worth lunch), you can take winding CA 9 south through a number of hamlets within the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mtns.  Eventually, you will arrive in Santa Cruz--the premier surf and mountain biking capitol of Northern California.  The Pier has great crab sandwiches and the boutique shops of downtown are worth window shopping, before continuing south.  Along the way to the south end of Monterey Bay via CA 1 coast route, stop at the produce stands for tourist packaged condiments and special produce.

Rather than stay in Monterey, I recommend Pacific Grove for lodging, but prepare for the expense.  I wouldn't bother paying extra for a room with a view because mornings and evenings in this region are often socked in with fog.  Just get a place located close to the beach for walks along Pacific Grove's very unique seascape.  Anyway you do it, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, maybe the best in the USA, is minutes from your lodging.  Take the 17 mile drive through Pebble Beach and see variety of ecosystems found here.  At the end of this drive--Carmel--is also popular, as the downtown is a popular attraction for couples.  Visit Mission Carmel, the mission Father Serra favored most.

You will also want to visit Napa Valley in a day trip, and it's possible, to do it in 5 days, but if you have never been to SF before, you'll want to spend most of your time there.  But, in SF, unless your husband and your are not ambulatory, you DO NOT want the rental car--this will be a time wasting confusion driving and parking around SF, especially considering its efficient and safe public transit system.  I recommend that you go to the MUNI website and route trips before you arrive in the city.

Rather than drive all the way to Napa Valley, it's also possible to catch the Golden Gate Ferry to Vallejo, and then get a rental car there.  See my Virtualtourist.com travel tips for all the towns in Napa Valley on how to appreciate this beautiful and complex wine region.   Also, go to Virtualtourist.com for additional travel tips and images for San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Monterey, Carmel, and other towns in the Monterey Bay and Santa Cruz mountains.

Have fun...