Page 43 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to California

north, the 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, which
pays homage to the valley’s innovative
spirit. Mountain View’s Castro Street
and Palo Alto’s University Avenue are
hopping, and San Jose’s booming down-
town 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
wineries in its redwood-covered moun-
tain range, and laid-back beaches where
surfers polish their technique.
TOURISTS WALKING WITH DOG ON BAKER BEACH with background of Golden Gate Bridge,
the most popular suspension bridge in San Francisco, opposite.
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
beckon 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
the Intel Museum and Apple’s futuristic campus
includes the glass-walled Apple Park 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
visitors with its towering redwood grove. Oceanfront
towns Stinson Beach and Bolinas have a laid-back
vibe that is part of their charm.
• visitmarin.org
2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 41