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.
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
TOURISTS WALKING WITH DOG ON BAKER BEACH with background of Golden Gate Bridge, the most popular suspension bridge in San Francisco, opposite.
DRIVE TOUR 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.
PETALUMA
2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 41