Bay Area

[jimmyjazz 45889]

My wife and I want to visit the Bay Area 6/29 - 7/7.  Neither of us has spent any real time there.  We're looking for recommendations on hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, and places to see.  Some things on our list include:

-- Alcatraz

-- San Francisco proper

-- wine country (need advice on whether Napa or Sonoma might be better)

-- either Redwood or Sequoia National Park (need advice on which is "better")

-- other?

[Underdog 28581]

Giants in town? 

[immamac 42837]

I’d just change your trip to go somewhere else. lol 

[Slacks 6819]

35 minutes ago, immamac said:

I’d just change your trip to go somewhere else. lol 

He's kinda right. 

10 years ago, SF was nice. Today, it's crazy.

[We’reTexas 1473]

West Marin County is great. Sounds like you are down for a long drive? Since it’s summer I’d drive up to Redwood and stop in Mendocino along the way. 

[Gil Bang 25921]

6 minutes ago, Slacks said:

He's kinda right. 

10 years ago, SF was nice. Today, it's crazy.

the GF was just up there for work, and she said it's still nice.

[jimmyjazz 45889]

58 minutes ago, Underdog said:

Giants in town? 

Just one game, Dodgers on Sunday 6/30.  Not particularly interesting to this Cardinals fan nor his wife, but I might be able to talk her into it.  Thanks for the idea.

[Slacks 6819]

25 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

the GF was just up there for work, and she said it's still nice.

I've been about 5 times in the last year.... Embarcadero was trashed. Everything closed at 7pm.

Outside of the city is nice. I'm also old, so...

[jimmyjazz 45889]

Wait, it looks like Muir Woods has some big redwoods.  Is that a reasonable alternative to Redwood or Sequoia?  It's less of a drive.  (I don't MIND the drive necessarily, but it's nice to know any alternatives.)

[We’reTexas 1473]

17 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Wait, it looks like Muir Woods has some big redwoods.  Is that a reasonable alternative to Redwood or Sequoia?  It's less of a drive.  (I don't MIND the drive necessarily, but it's nice to know any alternatives.)

Oh certainly, I was under the impression you wanted to use the Bay as a launching point for a road trip (which is a great idea, lots within three hours). Yes, Muir is an easy to just to drive up to some Redwoods. Are you a hiker? There’s a nice little hotel called the Mountain Home Inn nearby that’s a good base for Mt. Tam hiking. Can access parts of Muir without dealing with the tourists. 

[jimmyjazz 45889]

2 minutes ago, We’reTexas said:

Oh certainly, I was under the impression you wanted to use the Bay as a launching point for a road trip (which is a great idea, lots within three hours). Yes, Muir is an easy to just to drive up to some Redwoods. Are you a hiker? There’s a nice little hotel called the Mountain Home Inn nearby that’s a good base for Mt. Tam hiking. Can access parts of Muir without dealing with the tourists. 

We're not averse to a hike.  It feels like we could save some driving and do more sightseeing if we did Muir Woods on the way to Napa Valley.  Yes?

More time to drink wine.

[pantone159 719]

19 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Wait, it looks like Muir Woods has some big redwoods.  Is that a reasonable alternative to Redwood or Sequoia?  It's less of a drive.  (I don't MIND the drive necessarily, but it's nice to know any alternatives.)

Way less of a drive. I thought Muir Woods was nice, it was not uncrowded. I have not been to Redwood (hopefully I will about a month after your trip) so I don't know how Muir Woods compares, but it is so much closer I'd do that. Another place my guidebook recommends (I have not been) is Bothe-Napa Valley State Park near Calistoga, there are supposedly some redwoods there.

 

[HornOnTheBayou 8917]

Muir Woods are fantastic, but be careful if you're driving. Go early in the morning because the parking lot is real small and fills up fast. There are also bus companies that will drive you from SF and you could just make it a day trip and then go back to the city.

And don't listen to the haters. The Bay Area is amazing and the problems in San Fran are no different or worse than any other large city in America.

Edited May 18 by HornOnTheBayou

[immamac 42837]

I wasn’t joking. Go to San Diego or somewhere else. There’s honestly nothing great about SF or the Bay Area anymore as far as exceptional experiences. Not good not shows not people nothing. It’s a shell of what it used to be. 

If you are really committed to going just go see the redwoods outside the city and stay well outside of the city in wine country and ride the wine train which is still alright but way the fuck overpriced and even the wine isn’t that good anymore.

i honestly can’t talk enough shit about SF compared to what it was even 6 years ago.  

[Mittens 8258]

Rent bikes and ride across the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito.  Have lunch, drink beer, shop and take the ferry back.  Eat dinner in SF.  That's a pretty full day.

[mdmost 43000]

28 minutes ago, HornOnTheBayou said:

Muir Woods are fantastic, but be careful if you're driving. Go early in the morning because the parking lot is real small and fills up fast. There are also bus companies that will drive you from SF and you could just make it a day trip and then go back to the city.

And don't listen to the haters. The Bay Area is amazing and the problems in San Fran are no different or worse than any other large city in America.

You really can't do Muir Woods now without getting a parking reservation unless you want to take a shuttle from elsewhere. Driving there is half the fun. Try to get a morning time. You should check about if you still need reservations for Muir Woods. We went on a free day so there were no reservations required except parking. 

https://gomuirwoods.com/

San Francisco is still great. It has problems like any other city. If you are doing your trips in segments, I would not even bother with getting a car until you are ready to venture out of SF. Parking is a ton and the one thing you do have to worry about is your car getting broken into. Shuttles, Metro, Uber, Lyft are all plentiful depending on where you stay. You can always rent a car in the city for excursions outside of it. mdleast and I did that on our baseball trip last summer and it was easy.

If you want to be close to Alcatraz, you could stay in the northern sections of SF. The Presidio is great to visit. Golden Gate Park. Crissy Field, Palace of Fine Arts. I love riding the cable car. It's a dumb thing I have to do anytime I am in town but there's always a line. You can jump on around Fisherman's Wharf and take it to Market Street then turn around. I think it's a great way to see the city. You can jump off at Chinatown. House of Nanking in Chinatown cannot be recommended enough. There's a separate SF thread with more recommendations. 

Outside the city, I would recommend Marin Headlands and Battery Spencer when you're going to Muir Woods and Sausalito on the east side. South of the city: Half Moon Bay, Mavericks Beach. 

 

Edited May 19 by mdmost

[We’reTexas 1473]

8 minutes ago, mdmost said:

The Presidio is great to visit.

And best place to stay. The Lodge and the Inn are what we recommend for visitors. 

[TornACL 7698]

5 hours ago, Slacks said:

He's kinda right. 

10 years ago, SF was nice. Today, it's crazy.

It has always been crazy. 

And it has always been a great city to visit.

[6th Street 6390]

Muir Woods sucks. Full of strollers and fat tourists. There a state park called Purisima out near Half Moon Bay where you can see the redwoods and banana slugs up close without dealing with the hassle or crowds. The head out to Half Moon Bay Brewing Co or the beach after. And maybe stop at the coolest Taco Bell in the world in Pacifica.

As far as SF goes, yes it's gotten rougher but just stay in the Marina, Pac Heights, and North Beach and you'll have a good time. Easy access to the Presidio, Crissy Field, Fort Mason, and the GG Bridge. Swing over to Lands End if you have time. Avoid Union Square, the Mission, SOMA, and the Haight.  

Grab an espresso martini at Balboa, beers Monaghan's and Tipsy Pig in the Marina or Palmer's in Pac Heights. For cheap eats I like Super Duper Burger and Tacko.

 

[We’reTexas 1473]

8 minutes ago, 6th Street said:

 

Grab an espresso martini at Balboa, beers Monaghan's and Tipsy Pig in the Marina or Palmer's in Pac Heights. For cheap eats I like Super Duper Burger and Tacko.

 

Think the average age of this audience is above 24. 

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

8 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

My wife and I want to visit the Bay Area 6/29 - 7/7.  Neither of us has spent any real time there.  We're looking for recommendations on hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, and places to see.  Some things on our list include:

-- Alcatraz

-- San Francisco proper

-- wine country (need advice on whether Napa or Sonoma might be better)

-- either Redwood or Sequoia National Park (need advice on which is "better")

-- other?

Stay in Fisherman's Wharf, still a pretty safe area.  Alcatraz is a cool trip. Ride a cable car down to Chinatown for a meal, but go no further than Chinatown. 

Then get the hell out of there.  Rent a car and drive down the coast to Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel-by-the Sea, Pebble Beach.  All are much better places than SF.

[jimmyjazz 45889]

3 hours ago, immamac said:

I wasn’t joking. Go to San Diego or somewhere else.  There’s honestly nothing great about SF or the Bay Area anymore as far as exceptional experiences. Not good not shows not people nothing.

We're not going to fucking San Diego.  Keep your off-topic suggestions to yourself.

And just for edification, one reason we're going there is to see our daughter's band, so yes, we have "shows" covered.

Edited May 19 by jimmyjazz

[jimmyjazz 45889]

Thumbs up or down on the zoo?

[Firemans4Horn 18034]

3 hours ago, immamac said:

I wasn’t joking. Go to San Diego or somewhere else. There’s honestly nothing great about SF or the Bay Area anymore as far as exceptional experiences. Not good not shows not people nothing. It’s a shell of what it used to be. 

If you are really committed to going just go see the redwoods outside the city and stay well outside of the city in wine country and ride the wine train which is still alright but way the fuck overpriced and even the wine isn’t that good anymore.

i honestly can’t talk enough shit about SF compared to what it was even 6 years ago.  

 

this is the San Francisco thread on Surly, not Texags.

[jimmyjazz 45889]

2 hours ago, We’reTexas said:

Think the average age of this audience is above 24. 

Hey, we act younger than we are.  Er, less mature.

[jimmyjazz 45889]

3 hours ago, We’reTexas said:

And best place to stay. The Lodge and the Inn are what we recommend for visitors. 

The Lodge looks good, $350/night.  If we based there but wanted to go into the city would it be better to Uber or drive our rental and pay for parking?

[We’reTexas 1473]

10 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

The Lodge looks good, $350/night.  If we based there but wanted to go into the city would it be better to Uber or drive our rental and pay for parking?

Uber for sure - or actually, Waymo. It’s all I take these days if I can. Waitlist is a few weeks. Parking is just a massive PITA here and you don’t need to deal with that on vacation. 

[Hook1997 5351]

Mendocino, Bodega Bay and Fort Bragg north of San Francisco along the coast are beautiful and relaxing to spend a day or two, nice restaurants and some cool air bnb’s.  I’d drive up to the redwoods after for a day atleast and then the wine country.  Knock your SF kick out in a day or two at most and then move on.  

Edited May 19 by Hook1997

[6th Street 6390]

10 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

Thumbs up or down on the zoo?

Zoo is dated, pass. Time better spent at Ocean Beach and Lands End nearby there. 

Mendocino coast is badass btw. Put the windows down and take in the smell of those redwoods on that windy road CA-128 between the 101 and the PCH.  

Healdsburg is on the way to Mendocino and is famous for its Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. Less crowded than Sonoma too. 
 

[Underdog 28581]

Monterrey aquarium was pretty cool as was Carmel.  We flew to San Diego… holla, @immamac and drove up the coast spending a few days in SD, LA in between.  

[closetohumping 17435]

I was there a couple of months ago.  Still nice.  

[mdmost 43000]

13 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

We're not going to fucking San Diego.  Keep your off-topic suggestions to yourself.

And just for edification, one reason we're going there is to see our daughter's band, so yes, we have "shows" covered.

You figure someone who looks like a Jerry Garcia would appreciate SF more. 

[mdleast 8289]

If down in Chinatown, stop by John Wick’s favorite restaurant and get the sesame chicken

[Underdog 28581]

I’d do immoral possibly illegal things with/to Ms. Fang 

[Macanudo 12975]

Muir Woods is a yes.   Get a reservation for parking as early as possible and you'll avoid the crowds.   

Last time we went, we rented a place down in Pacifca and used that to home base but we were also going to spend some time going south to Monterey and Big Sur.  

[Foosters 17841]

If you're already in the region, and you haven't done it before, I think it would be worth spending a day or two in Big Sur. Some very high end hotels and restaurants in the area as well.

[Macanudo 12975]

25 minutes ago, Foosters said:

If you're already in the region, and you haven't done it before, I think it would be worth spending a day or two in Big Sur. Some very high end hotels and restaurants in the area as well.

The trip before staying in Pacifica, we stayed at Bernardus Lodge near Carmel.  That was pretty sweet and a great location to explore Monterey/Big Sur.

[Braff Zacklin 13553]

1 hour ago, Underdog said:

I’d do immoral possibly illegal things with/to Ms. Fang 

Appears that somebody else beat you to it.

[HenryJames 66038]

Go to that place with the wine.

[royiv 9261]

18 hours ago, immamac said:

Go to San Diego or somewhere else.

San Diego sucks big dong. Most overrated place in the US. 

[Upgrayedd 5810]

17 minutes ago, royiv said:

San Diego sucks big dong. Most overrated place in the US. 

Funny.  We have the same opinion about you.

[immamac 42837]

3 hours ago, mdmost said:

You figure someone who looks like a Jerry Garcia would appreciate SF more. 

I’ve spent a fairly significant amount of time there. It’s empty and enshittified. It’s probably still pretty cool for a first timer but if you go often and saw it when it was exceptional it’s kind of just a sad shell of itself now. 

Go do tourist shit. Fisherman’s wharf, Alcatraz, wine country, yadda yadda and tell everyone about your completely inane non unique experience and enjoy the weather and double priced everything. 

[South Austin 52454]

8 minutes ago, immamac said:

Go do tourist shit. Fisherman’s wharf, Alcatraz, wine country, yadda yadda and tell everyone about your completely inane non unique experience and enjoy the weather and double priced everything. 

And please remember to put a flower in your hair.

[jimmyjazz 45889]

12 minutes ago, immamac said:

Go do tourist shit. Fisherman’s wharf, Alcatraz, wine country, yadda yadda and tell everyone about your completely inane non unique experience and enjoy the weather and double priced everything. 

Dude, you are really thick.  We are going because our daughter is playing a big show there.

For fuck's sake, it doesn't have to be fucking paradise for us to visit.  I'll make sure to clear everything with you next trip in plenty of time for us to avoid horrible mistakes.

Edited May 19 by jimmyjazz

[South Austin 52454]

27 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Dude, you are really thick.  We are going because our daughter is playing a big show there.

He’s not thick. He’s saying your daughter’s band needs to cancel the San Francisco show and book a gig in San Diego. It shouldn’t be about her.

[Gil Bang 25921]

She should play at Humphrey's.  It's super cool.   

 

[Underdog 28581]

Just go to Bakersfield. 

[jimmyjazz 45889]

2 minutes ago, South Austin said:

He’s not thick. He’s saying your daughter’s band needs to cancel the San Francisco show and book a gig in San Diego. It shouldn’t be about her.

They'll be in San Diego this Wednesday.  Maybe I can get him on the guest list if he'd like to check it out.  Or, there's ABQ tonight, Phoenix Tuesday, a couple of shows in LA soon thereafter and then Vegas.

All kinds of destinations!

[royiv 9261]

44 minutes ago, immamac said:

I’ve spent a fairly significant amount of time there. It’s empty and enshittified. It’s probably still pretty cool for a first timer but if you go often and saw it when it was exceptional it’s kind of just a sad shell of itself now. 

Go do tourist shit. Fisherman’s wharf, Alcatraz, wine country, yadda yadda and tell everyone about your completely inane non unique experience and enjoy the weather and double priced everything. 

You’re being a dick.

[We’reTexas 1473]

Enshittified.