Places to visit in the San Jose – San Francisco Bay Area.
August 31, 2022
by Lance
For travel distances, all locations are centered on Saratoga, CA. For those of you familiar with the Bay Area, you know that distances are less important than travel time, which can be quite nonlinear. For estimating driving times, Google Maps is your friend.
My perspective on the best of the best
♦ Recommended
♦♦ Highly recommended
Wine
The Bay Area is known for its fantastic wine.
- ♦ Napa Valley (105 miles)
- ♦ Sonoma (135 miles)
- Carmel Valley (85 miles)
- Pasa Robles (160 miles)
- and many other great wineries that are somewhat closer, e.g.,
- Thomas Fogarty (20 miles)
- K&L wine merchants
Art
- Art galleries in Carmel by the Sea (70 to 80 miles)
- Gallery 24 in Los Gatos (5 miles)
- Stanford (17 miles)
- DeYoung Museum
For Kids
- Mystery Spot (25 miles)
- Exploratorium (50 miles)
- California Academy of Science (50 miles)
- Winchester Mystery House
San Francisco
- Cable cars and cable car museum (50 miles)
- DeYoung Museum
- Golden Gate Bridge and H. Dana Bowers Vista Point (55 miles)
- North Beech
- Fisherman’s wharf, Pier 39, etc.
- Coit Tower
- Alcatraz
- Lombard Street
Museums
- Legion of Honor Museum ( miles)
- The Contemporary Jewish Museum (50 miles)
- ♦ Alcatraz (50 miles)
- ♦♦ Monterey Aquarium (75 miles)
- DeYoung Museum ( miles)
- Cable Car Museum ( miles)
- ♦♦ Computer History Museum (12 miles)
- Intel Museum (15 miles)
- Winchester Mystery House (7 miles)
Walks and Hikes
California is justly famous for its natural wonders
- Point Reyes (90 miles)
- Mission Peak (25 miles)
- ♦ Kayak rental at Elkhorn Slough (50 miles)
- ♦ Hakone Japanese Gardens (3 miles) You might also be able to arrange to see a Tea Ceremony
- ♦ Año Nuevo State Park when the Elephant Seals are in (around January, February)
- See also Redwoods
Redwoods
These days, most National and State Parks require reservations long in advance
- ♦♦ Muir Woods (62 miles). Must arrange parking spot in advance.
- ♦♦ Yosemite (180 miles)
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Partially open after fires
- Humboldt Redwoods State Park
- Bear Creek Redwoods (windy roads!)
