Some hints for finding just the right
Northern California locale for your vacation –
Nature lovers:
Explore Yosemite National Park– hiking, camping, wildlife viewing,
photography, rockclimbing and much more. #1 most popular park in
Northern California
Explore Tahoe – high alpine forests surround a huge stunningly clear
blue lake. In winter, skiers and snowboarders travel here from
all over the world.
Birdwatchers should try Gray Lodge Wildlife Area near Gridley (Highway
99) for seasonal viewing of sandhill cranes (winter) and more than 230
other species. Or, other Northern California birdwatching
hotspots include the Bolinas Lagoon (on the coast north of San
Francisco) or, keep going a bit further north to the wetlands of Point
Reyes National Seashore.
Nightlife seekers:
San Francisco and Oakland each have a Yoshi’s Jazz Club for top names in a cozy venue.
Head to South Lake Tahoe and travel across the state line to the Nevada side casinos and resorts.
Hikers:
Check out the trails around the Mammoth Lakes area (near 395, east of
Yosemite) for a summer vacation (skiers fill the condos and resorts in
the winter).
History buffs:
Drive Highway 49 to see remnants of the Old West in towns like Sutter Creek and Angles Camp.
Take the tour of Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay
Gourmands:
San Francisco has endless restaurants of merit – many with unusual themes or ethnic twists.
Head to wine country towns like Yountville, Healdsburg and Napa for top-notch restaurants in quaint settings.
Beach lovers:
Carmel Beach on the Monterey Peninsula.
Stinson Beach near San Francisco or Ocean Beach in San Francisco
Natural Bridges State Beach near Santa Cruz
Families:
Paramount’s Great America theme park (north of San Jose)
Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco
Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey
Shasta Lake (houseboating mecca of California)
Wine enthusiasts:
Everyone knows about the 200+ wineries throughout Napa and Sonoma
counties north of San Francisco. Stay a day, a weekend or a week and
enjoy the ambiance.
Explore the wineries in Mendocino county, along Hwy 101 near the towns of Hopland and Ukiah.
Go west to the Sierra foothills to the towns of Murphys and Plymouth – nearby wineries welcome visitors.
