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Mendocino

The drive to Mendocino is almost as beautiful as the town. Many Bay Area residents take the scenic route up Highway 1, which runs along the coastline from San Francisco all the way to Mendocino and beyond. When you get to the town, you'll feel like you stepped back in time. Victorian-style bed and breakfasts and shops abound in this quaint, seaside town. You can take a stroll along the dramatic coast trails, find a sheltered cove and walk along the beach, go shopping "downtown", or just curl up with a good book in your room at one of the many bed and breakfasts in the area, such as the Whitegate Inn, pictured here. Mendocino is a destination suitable for a weekend getaway or a week's retreat from the hustle-bustle life in the Bay Area.

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Driving time: 5-6 hours

Lake Tahoe

Skiing, snowboarding and snowmobiling in winter, and hiking, camping, boating and swimming in the summer make Lake Tahoe a favorite vacation destination of Bay Area residents. Outstanding ski resorts surround the lake, as well as modern hotels, motels, private residences and many recreational facilities. On the Nevada side of the lake you will find the big hotels and casinos with gambling of all kinds. Even with a lake elevation of over 6,000 feet, Lake Tahoe still boasts 300 + days a year of sunshine. Tahoe is a great year-around vacation getaway.

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Driving time: 4 hours

Wine Country

Just a short drive north of the Bay Area are the Napa and Sonoma valleys, collectively known as the "Wine Country". These valleys produce some of the best wines in the country, and are a wonderful place to spend a day or more. Driving up the Napa valley the visitor comes upon winery after winery, offering tastes of their wines and picnic areas for a leisurely lunch. You can also find luxury inns, bed and breakfasts and numerous health spas. At the north end of the valley is the small town of Calistoga, known not only for it's sparkling bottled water but also for it's relaxing mineral and mud baths. On the west side of the dividing Mayacamas Mountains is the beautiful Sonoma valley.  This less crowded valley has it's own collection of wineries, and the historic town of Sonoma, a site of one of the original California Missions.

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Driving time: 1 hour

Sacramento River Delta

The Sacramento River Delta is a collection of rivers, sloughs and tracts that connect the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers to the San Francisco Bay. The area is known for it's myriad of water sports, including sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing, fishing, and houseboating. Marinas dot the banks of the delta, providing boat storage, restaurants and other facilities.

Map of the Delta
Driving time: 45 minutes

San Francisco

San Francisco -- the City by the Bay, home of the cable car and the Transamerica Pyramid, center of business, art, and culture for the Bay Area. "The City", as it's called by Bay Area residents, provides just about anything you could want in a big city, and yet it still keeps it's "neighborhood" feeling. Noe Valley, the Mission, Chinatown, the Sunset District, Nob Hill, North Beach, and the Marina all have their own flavor, their own identity. Golden Gate Park provides residents and visitors alike with playing fields, museums, gardens, and miles of walking paths. For an evening out, you can choose from: symphony, live theater, Opera, restaurants, night clubs, musical reviews, comedy clubs, and much more. And, if you want to really get away, the San Francisco International Airport provides flights to virtually anywhere in the world!

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Driving time: 30 minutes

Sailing the San Francisco Bay

Sailing in the San Francisco Bay is a favorite among enthusiasts. Conditions vary from gentle breezes to double-reef blows. And when you're not watching your sails, you've got some of the most spectacular scenery in the world to look at -- the San Francisco waterfront and the beautiful Bay Area. Many marinas surround the bay, giving the day sailor places to duck in and grab lunch, see the sites, and get back on the water. For the more adventurous, you can sail out the Golden Gate and try the open ocean. Watch for whales!

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Driving time: 30 minutes

Yosemite

Yosemite National Park,established in 1890, consists of nearly 1,200 square miles of the Sierra Nevada range in central California. The park is most famous for the spectacular Yosemite Valley with it's beautiful waterfalls and unusual rock formations. The park also includes Glacier Point, a scenic lookout over the valley, Tuolome Meadows, a favorite for picnicking, camping and hiking, and Hetch Hetchy reservoir, a major source of drinking water for the San Francisco area. Hetch Hetchy is the jumping off point for many back country hiking trails.

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Driving time: 3 hours

Monterey Peninsula

The Monterey peninsula is known for it's awesome coastline, charming cities, fine dining, and comfortable accommodations. The City of Monterey is the site of the always phenomenal Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Aquarium has attracted world-wide attention with it's 3-story tall kelp forest, hands-on activities, and exhibits with over 350,000 creatures who live in the Monterey Bay. The aquarium is located in historic Cannery Row, the inspiration for John Steinbeck's novel of the same name. Cannery Row was the center of the fish processing industry in the Monterey area, and many buildings still exist today. The Monterey peninsula is also home for some of the most challenging golf courses in the country. The courses at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Poppy Hills
host the annual AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, formerly known as the "Crosby Clambake".

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Driving time: 2-3 hours