Day 3 (February 17, 2018): Getting out of Dodge
After tromping all over the city yesterday, we had planned for Saturday to be a "get out of Dodge" day. What we hadn't factored into the equation is that this is the Presidents' Day Weekend here in the US of A. So everyone else was getting out of Dodge, too! And to boot, they had all decided to do exactly the same trip as us. I mean, really!
We left the hotel at 8AM and headed back to Mel's Diner for another 1950s-style breakfast. Then it was a short walk to find our car rental location. The staff was super friendly and fast and as we were about to pull away, he asked where we were headed. When I told him Muir Woods, he said, "They just implemented a parking reservation system, so if you don't have a rez, you won't get near the place." We immediately went online to get a parking rez -- imagine needing a parking rez to visit a National Park?! - and the earliest available was late afternoon. We simply flipped around our trip to wine country and back-ended the Muir Woods, and then set out.
Taking the Bay Bridge to Oakland was quite the experience. It makes our own Halifax bridges seem like tinker toys. Traffic on the I-580 north was brutal. But after an hour, we rolled into Sonoma County, where there are over 40 wineries. (Nearby Napa, which is even more famed, has over 100 and described as the Disney of the wine industry. Hence, we decided against that sort of experience.)
Lonely Planet recommended a wonderful winery, so we headed there and did a wine tasting. They produce a couple dozen wines, and the gal who took us through the tasting really knew her stuff.
Next, it was on to the town of Sonoma, where we enjoyed lunch at the Red Grape, and meandered around the historical town centre, which was packed with families enjoying the warm sunny holiday weekend. The centre has some wonderful historical buildings dating back to the early 1800s, and we learned a lot about the 21 missions that were set up from San Diego to Sonoma between 1769 and 1835. (Sonoma's mission was the last of the 21.)
From there, we did the drive to Muir Woods, which is the closest redwood stand to San Francisco. Wow... the trees! Wow... the hoards of people! Now I understand why they needed to implement a parking rez system. The photos don't really communicate the height and girth of these trees, which can up to 1000 years old. The tallest in the grove is 258 feet tall.
From there, we faced the end-of-day traffic clog back to SanFran over the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a dinner rez at a SanFran institution - Sears Fine Foods - on Powell Street. We were a wee bit late, but they accommodated us. Neat to eat in a place that goes back to 1938.
Manouvering SanFran's one-way streets in the downtown core is B R U T A L. So it took us an hour to return the rental car. But all in all, a wonderful day, despite the traffic.
Vineyard in Sonoma County.
Vineyard in Sonoma County.
Vineyard and cherry blossoms in Sonoma County.
We watched a flock of sheep for a good while and laughed and laughed at them.
Baaaaaa! Pam and I had a baaaa-ing competition. I think we've perfected it!
Entrance to Cline Cellars, where we did our wine tasting.
1850s farmhouse at the heart of Cline Cellars. People reserve picnic tables at vineyards here like it's going out of style! Can be difficult to book a table.
Cline Cellars fish pond
Eeee-awwww!
Cline Cellars vineyard. The vines are dormant for the winter still.
City Hall in Sonoma's historic town centre. All four sides of the building are identical, as all businesses in the square demanded that City Hall face their establishment!
The mission in Sonoma was the last of the 21 built between 1769 and 1835 from San Diego to northern California.
The historic buildings in Sonoma.
Muir Woods National Monument.
The giant redwoods at Muir Woods: up to 1000 years old and the tallest stands at 285 feet!
The giant redwoods at Muir Woods.
The giant redwoods at Muir Woods.
The giant redwoods at Muir Woods.
As we were about to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, these two VW vans passed by. Somehow, nothing speaks to the hippy happy-go-lucky California existence like a VW van does!
Sears Fine Food, a SanFran institution since 1938, provided a great meal to end the day.
We left the hotel at 8AM and headed back to Mel's Diner for another 1950s-style breakfast. Then it was a short walk to find our car rental location. The staff was super friendly and fast and as we were about to pull away, he asked where we were headed. When I told him Muir Woods, he said, "They just implemented a parking reservation system, so if you don't have a rez, you won't get near the place." We immediately went online to get a parking rez -- imagine needing a parking rez to visit a National Park?! - and the earliest available was late afternoon. We simply flipped around our trip to wine country and back-ended the Muir Woods, and then set out.
Taking the Bay Bridge to Oakland was quite the experience. It makes our own Halifax bridges seem like tinker toys. Traffic on the I-580 north was brutal. But after an hour, we rolled into Sonoma County, where there are over 40 wineries. (Nearby Napa, which is even more famed, has over 100 and described as the Disney of the wine industry. Hence, we decided against that sort of experience.)
Lonely Planet recommended a wonderful winery, so we headed there and did a wine tasting. They produce a couple dozen wines, and the gal who took us through the tasting really knew her stuff.
Next, it was on to the town of Sonoma, where we enjoyed lunch at the Red Grape, and meandered around the historical town centre, which was packed with families enjoying the warm sunny holiday weekend. The centre has some wonderful historical buildings dating back to the early 1800s, and we learned a lot about the 21 missions that were set up from San Diego to Sonoma between 1769 and 1835. (Sonoma's mission was the last of the 21.)
From there, we did the drive to Muir Woods, which is the closest redwood stand to San Francisco. Wow... the trees! Wow... the hoards of people! Now I understand why they needed to implement a parking rez system. The photos don't really communicate the height and girth of these trees, which can up to 1000 years old. The tallest in the grove is 258 feet tall.
From there, we faced the end-of-day traffic clog back to SanFran over the Golden Gate Bridge. We had a dinner rez at a SanFran institution - Sears Fine Foods - on Powell Street. We were a wee bit late, but they accommodated us. Neat to eat in a place that goes back to 1938.
Manouvering SanFran's one-way streets in the downtown core is B R U T A L. So it took us an hour to return the rental car. But all in all, a wonderful day, despite the traffic.
The old-fashioned in-booth jukeboxes at Mel's Diner.
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