Page 57 - 2022-2023 Travel Guide to California

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE at U.S. Coast Guard Station
Golden Gate in Sausalito, opposite.
spa town of Calistoga. More wineries
are drawing visitors with architecturally
striking tasting rooms that offer wine
pairing with food, picnic grounds set in
lavish gardens, and activities such as
bocce courts and vineyard tours.
SOUTH BAY: Silicon Valley, San
Mateo County & Santa Cruz
In Palo Alto, on the peninsula south of
San Francisco, lies the bucolic campus
of Stanford University, one of the
country’s leading universities. Silicon
Valley—home of Apple, Facebook,
Google, Intel and other high-tech power-
houses—has emerged as a center for the
arts, with a vibrant cultural scene and
attractions such as San Jose’s Museum
of Art and the Tech Interactive Museum,
which pays homage to the valley’s in-
novative spirit. Mountain View’s Castro
Street and Palo Alto’s University Avenue
are hopping, and San Jose’s booming
downtown and Santana Row shopping
and dining center are bustling.
Neighboring San Mateo County’s
coastline still shows its traditional
fishing and agricultural roots. It’s
within a short drive of major popula-
tion centers yet a world away, with its
sprawling artichoke fields and miles of
pristine beaches. Santa Cruz County to
the south offers visitors a wealth of
attractions, including parks and
DRIVE TOUR
PETALUMA
Start by crossing the Golden
Gate Bridge driving north,
stopping in SAUSALITO.
Head northwest to MOUNT
TAMALPAIS STATE PARK and
take the steep, twisting road
to the Pantoll Ranger Station
and drive the PANORAMIC
HIGHWAY for ocean, city and
mountain views. Drive to
MUIR WOODS NATIONAL
MONUMENT for a short walk
among redwoods. Head back
toward Sausalito and
Highway 101 and drive north
to the wine country town of SONOMA. Explore its shady plaza,
surrounded by shops, wine tasting rooms and historic sites. From
Sonoma, it’s a short drive to California’s other major wine region, Napa
Valley, and the city of NAPA.
MUST
SEE,
DO
• SAN FRANCISCO TOP SIGHTS Fisherman’s
Wharf and Chinatown offer even more reasons to
visit. Along the pedestrian-friendly wharf visitors
can buy fish straight from the boats. The Cartoon
Art Museum lies just east of the reinvigorated
Ghirardelli Square, home to the San Francisco
Brewing Co. and its beer garden. Meanwhile, on
the North Beach edge of nearby Chinatown, the
China Live complex offers an amazing variety of
Chinese food choices.
• sftravel.com
• EAST BAY EXPLORATION Oakland’s lively
Uptown, Temescal and Piedmont Avenue neighbor-
hoods are filled with excellent restaurants, including
Commis and Duende. The neighboring university
town of Berkeley also offers much to discover,
including the UC Berkeley campus, the Berkeley Art
Museum and Pacific Film Archive. The outdoors
beckons at 2,000-acre Tilden Park, which has a
lovely botanical garden and steam train that
children adore.
• visitberkeley.com
• SONOMA SOJOURN Sonoma County’s
vineyard-covered landscape features dozens of
renowned wineries. In the Russian River Valley
appellation, visitors stroll among the shops of
Sebastopol, Graton and Forestville and pick up picnic
goodies for alfresco dining while sampling the
county’s famous Pinot Noirs and other varietals.
• sonomacounty.com
• ICONIC HIGH TECH Silicon Valley giants open
parts of their headquarters to visitors. Intel offers a
Tech Interactive Museum and Apple’s futuristic
campus includes a glass-walled visitor center. Grab
a bite along Palo Alto’s University Avenue where
Silicon Valley’s elite dine.
• smccvb.com, santaclara.org
• EXPLORE THE OUTDOORS Mount Tamal-
pais and the coast of Marin County just north of the
Golden Gate Bridge are a spectacular playground for
hikers, bikers and anyone who enjoys the outdoors.
Mount Tam affords stunning views and Muir Woods
National Monument on its western flank wows visi-
tors with its towering redwood grove. Oceanfront
towns Stinson Beach and Bolinas have a laid-back
vibe that is part of their charm.
• visitmarin.org
2022-23 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 55