Things to See & Eat
Must See in San Francisco
Fisherman's Wharf Twin Peaks Coit Tower The Haight/Golden Gate Park Baker Beach The Castro Alcatraz - MUST book months in advance Palace of Fine Arts Dolores Park
Must Eat in San Francisco
Oysters at Hog Island in the Ferry Building Irish Coffee at The Buena Vista Burrito from the Mission (my faves are El Farolito, La Taqueria, Taqueria Cancun) Tartine Bakery (they are famous for their sourdough and have amazing french pastries) Clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl from Boudin Dim sum in Chinatown
Napa Valley
The town of Napa anchors the southern end of Napa Valley, offering a large community with diverse dining options. Heading north, Yountville is known for its elite restaurants, including The French Laundry. Farther along, St. Helena features a charming downtown perfect for walking and shopping. At the northern end, Calistoga is a quaint town with a smaller shopping district. For the widest range of wineries, Yountville and St. Helena offer the greatest density. Most wineries require reservations, though some accept walk-ins. There is a wine train that hits multiple wineries if you want a quick way to explore Napa! Tips: Napa Valley wineries cannot serve food—plan meals separately. Summer temperatures are much hotter than the Bay Area, often reaching the 90s–100s°F.
Redwoods
The famous redwood forest is Humboldt Redwoods State Park which is 4-5 hours from the Bay Area. Here are two that are much closer: 1. Muir Woods It is ~45 min from San Francisco and ~1h 15 min from Palo Alto, it has gotten VERY popular so you will likely need a reservation. 2. Big Basin The closest to where we will be staying for the wedding. It is much larger with more trails than Muir woods. It is in the Santa Cruz mountains and much less busy than the others. This area is beautiful and you can then visit or hike around Santa Cruz or any beach towns. 3. Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park Slightly farther than Big Basin but still within an hour from Palo Alto. It has a protected grove of older trees. It is very close to Big Basin so the same applies.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite is less than 4 hours from the Bay Area. It is incredible and highly recommend if you have a few days to explore. You need a permit to enter the park and they generally do not release those until ~6 months before to see how winter conditions are. You will also need separate permits for the longer hikes or areas (like Half Dome). Most of the small day hikes you do not need additional permits. There are also plenty of hotels and lodging around the park boundary if you want to spend the day exploring. This is the official info from the website regarding permits: Sixty percent of wilderness permit reservations become available by lottery 24 weeks in advance. Of these, any remaining reservations after each week's lottery become available on a first-come, first-served basis the Friday after the lottery application period closes and are available up to three days in advance. The remaining 40% of reservations become available seven days in advance (up to three days in advance).