I was just in the Bay Area early last year, mostly the west half of San Francisco and a few points north of the Golden Gate Bridge (FWIW I stayed at a Days Inn by the zoo, with free parking, for a reasonable price). General rule on the bridges is if you're going into SF, you pay. If you're leaving, you don't. Not sure about the various bridges that don't connect with SF.
Cheaper fares may be available through the San Jose airport. It would put you closer to Santa Cruz and Palo Alto. The Stanford campus is pretty nice. I'm guessing you'll be with car for some of this, since you say Bay Area rather than San Francisco. If you're spending a day or two in the city, checking out the public transit might be worth the time to avoid rush hour hassle with finding a spot. I found the traffic to be manageable, but something to keep in mind during the morning and evening. You must think about it if doing any rush hour travel on the interstates or U.S. 101. If you like a nice drive, heading south along the west edge of town can be really nice. It's called the Great Highway, which shifts to Skyline before joining up with the PCH. If you're going to visit Santa Cruz, or really commit and drive down to Monterey, that's certainly the scenic way to do it. There's good hiking in the Muir Woods, which is just a little bit north of the city on the Marin Peninsula (past the Golden Gate Recreation Area). You can also walk a good part of the northwest corner of the city (starting at Sutro Heights/Lincoln Park), allowing for great views of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge. You'd pass through The Presidio, and you could bike or walk across the bridge if you feel so compelled. If you're going to wine country and run into bad weather, diverting to Santa Rosa (northwest of Sonoma and Napa) would work. There's three separate Peanuts/Charles Schulz facilities there, and if you like the Food Network's Guy Fieri (host of that new NBC game show), he has two restaurants in Santa Rosa. Of course, Peanuts or Fieri may motivate you to take the trip. The Haight was pretty shoppy/touristy, IMO. YMMV. It is conveniently near the east end of Golden Gate Park, which has a few museums amidst the trees and thoroughfares. I've not been to Central Park, but I'd imagine it to be a larger version of Golden Gate, without so many New Yorkers. In-N-Out Burger is in the Bay Area, find the 'secret' menu beforehand if you plan to visit (it's probably in this list's archives. While I didn't sample every style of cuisine available, you can find Lebanese, most all varieties of Asian food, Mexican, sushi of various stripes, and Russian. I'm probably forgetting a few. Well, that was rambling and badly organized. Hope it's useful. David ________________________________ From: Doug Eastick <[email protected]> I'm considering going to The Bay Area for a long-weekend in April or May. The main purpose is just as a place to get away with my wife. Anyone got suggestions on things to do or see? Any ideas are appreciated. Everyone on the list has always been helpful with suggestions whenever I have requested such tips. I don't think my wife (non-tech) is up for a tour of the google or yahoo campus, so I'll have to go with middle-of-the-road suggestions. and if you are actually in the bay area, let me know that too. thanks, doug -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
