For this trip we had to cram it in! There were so many things that we wanted to do in San Francisco including a R&B festival curated by H.E.R which was the primary reason we were visiting. I can honestly say, I don’t like the types of trips that have a packed itinerary and you have to be somewhere every minute of the day. Not normally my style, but since we didn’t know when we were going to be back in the Bay, we had to go with it! So here’s our list:
Napa Valley
Now y’all know you can’t go to the Bay Area without stopping by Napa! That would be a crime! Even if you’re not a promising sommelier, if you have any appreciation for wine you should at least pay it a visit! Depending on where you’re coming from it can be a long drive so make sure to plan that into your itinerary. It takes about a hour and a half to get there from San Francisco. We took a Lyft because we didn’t have a lot of time but this is the most expensive option (~$120 each way). If you have a bit more time, there are some other options like the train, bus, etc and they are much cheaper. There is a wine train that can pick you up from several different cities. It sounded quite interesting!
There are so many vineyards and tasting rooms to choose from that it was a bit overwhelming. Do your research before going to know what places you’d like to visit and if you need a reservation. Correy and I wanted to actually learn more about the wine making process and tour the vineyards so we made sure we found one that included that in the tour. The winery that we went to was Stags’ Leap Winery (not to be confused with Stag’s Leap) and you needed to make reservations in advance. The winery did not disappoint! Our guide was awesome and she poured generous glasses of wine often. I would highly recommend this one to anyone that’s traveling to Napa Valley.
Before leaving Napa we also visited a tasting room in Downtown Napa called Brown Estate Vineyards. They are a black owned winery with a nice ambiance and great wine. Great if you’d just like to visit a tasting room and try some different wines!
Alcatraz
I personally like getting some history in on the trips so Alcatraz was a no brainer. Alcatraz Island is a major attraction in San Francisco so if you’re planning on going you need to get your tickets well in advance. You can purchase tickets prior to your visit on their website. They sell out pretty quickly so don’t wait until the last minute to book these if this is one of your must dos. To get to Alcatraz you have to take a ferry over that is 15 minutes each way. I would recommend the earlier tours as the afternoon can get packed with tourists. They have a schedule of the ferry times so keep that in mind as you’re exploring the island yourself or doing a guided tour.
Golden Gate Bridge Bike Ride
If you’re an active person, I would suggest renting a bike and riding across the Golden Gate bridge. It’s a great way to see it and have some fun. Let me give you a warning though. Please read this carefully….it is not for the faint of heart! Riding across the Golden Gate bridge takes no time at all but getting there….that’s a different story. I live in Houston where its flat so those hills were no joke! We went up hill after hill after hill to get to the bridge. Only the strong survive. There is a bike shop called Sports Basement – Presidio where you can rent bikes that’s conveniently located on the route up to the bridge and they have a drop off bike location on the other side of the bridge in Sausalito if you decide you don’t want to bike back. Sausalitio was a cute little town that you may want to stay and have lunch or dinner in before heading back.
Muir Woods
The California Redwoods were a beauty! They are these huge trees that seemingly stretch up to the sky and are never ending. This was a stop on our list as we wanted to do a little hike while we were there. Reservations are now required to enter with entrance fees being $15. They have shuttle stops around the city where you can park your car and hop on for about $3. The buses take you directly up to the woods. Beware though, it can be tough getting back as everyone seems to always be leaving at the same time. The Woods has beautiful hidden waterfalls and extended hikes if you’re into nature. The Muir Woods website has a lot of great information for you to plan your visit.
Fisherman’s Wharf
Fisherman’s Wharf is San Francisco’s waterfront neighborhood. This is the area that you’ll board the ferry to get to Alcatraz but is full of other attractions. Honestly, it’s one of those overly touristy places but its just one of those things you have to do your first time. There’s clam chowder in sour dough bowls at every turn. Seafood restaurants galore but honestly my fave was Trish’s Donuts. You get a big bucket of mini donuts that are delicious. We visited Pier 39 specifically but if you just stroll down that whole strip you’re bound to find something that interests you.
Oakland
We had to make a stop in Oakland before we left! It gets a little overshadowed by San Francisco but is becoming more and more popular. We rode the BART (subway) to get to Oakland from San Francisco which takes about 30-40 mins depending on how fast the trains comes. We didn’t have long in Oakland so we had brunch and went to get some drinks. Our last stop was Alameda Beach which was a nice beach where there are a lot of windsurfers and people just kind of walking along.
Although we didn’t have a lot of time to just explore, we hit a lot of the major things to do while in the Bay. To get a detailed look of everything we did, feel free to read our The Bay post. We’ll definitely have to schedule another trip at some point to go to other places we didn’t get to see but I’m pleased with how much we were able to do in that short of a time! Have you visited the Bay or live there? Let us know what were your favorite places to visit!