Wedding Trip to the Bay Area

Author: Diane L.
Date of Trip: July 2009

We had already been to visit the San Francisco area during the Spring of 2009, so we didn’t want to repeat everything. We were in town mainly to attend a family wedding in Monterey, CA, and we were staying at our nephews place in Oakland. This area of the country in NEVER warm enough for us. We are from Florida. This time is was cold and dismal in the “Frisco” area.

We rented a car (which was costly), BUT we were able save our trip by sightseeing north and south of the city. First we went north to visit the famous wine country of Napa and Sonoma. It was nice and warm there and the ride was just beautiful. We highly recommend bringing your own or renting a GPS system.

The next day we went north again to visit the coastal redwood trees in Muir Woods. You REALLY need a GPS for this trip. We returned to Oakland and left the next day for the wedding in Monterey. The following day, we said our farewell to our nephew and went to visit San Jose. CA. Our destination was the Winchester Mystery Mansion. This is wonderful day trip and very much worth the drive. Now we can answer the question from the song: “Do you know the way to San Jose?” It was nice and warm in San Jose, so us Floridians were happy. I do want to warn those visiting Monterey. It is a beautiful town, but most food and lodging is quite pricey. Take one of the free brochures offered in most rest stops and use the coupons. Also, it is chilly in Monterey all year long due to the prevailing winds. So, for us, this trip was a success.