Countries down 40|153 to go
San Francisco
As I have previously mentioned, I was fortunate enough to travel with my family from a very young age. To this day my siblings and parents are my favorite travel buddies. I visited the West Coast and we drove throughout all of California and the Pacific Coast Highway along with many other stops. I remember visiting San Francisco and Napa Valley as a child and falling in love with the sights and the atmosphere. I want to come back here when I can actually drink and enjoy it ( Hey I never said I was a saint).
For my 28th birthday my best friend Aileen and I decided to visit San Francisco and Napa Valley because what’s better than drinking all day with your bestie on your birthday? When you come up with a better plan, please let me know ;) We had the most magical time in San Francisco.
The best time to go to Napa Valley is from September - November. This is considered to be peak season. When the weather is just perfect and the vines are full of grapes ready to be picked. However, I enjoy visiting places during their "off" season because it tends to be less packed, and everything seems to be cheaper. I went in February and it was a great time to go. The wineries weren't as full so we had them to ourselves and for this tropical gal the temperature was at a constant 50 degrees which was just perfect for me.
Fisherman’s Warf
We went on to take the cable car all the way to the famous Fisherman’s Warf and make several stops along the way. We spent the day strolling through Fisherman’s Warf having a steaming bowl of clam chowder soup and took a cruise to Alcatraz at night and got spectacular views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the beautiful city from the Bay.
Alcatraz Island
I decided to finally visit Alcatraz Island. Whoa! It was definitely worth the wait. We spent the day in Muir woods and Sacramento, around 5:00 p.m. we headed to Alcatraz Island and it was such a perfect tour. I’ve done several tours while traveling but this one had the best set up in my opinion. It was self-guided however you didn’t feel as if you were missing out on anything and you were able to go at your pace, which is always a plus. Throughout the tour you are able to get such great views of the city from the island. We then took the night cruise back to the city and it was just beautiful to watch the lights from the city appear.
Pacific coast highway
The next day we decided to take a drive up the Pacific Coast Highway. I’m a big fan of this drive because I feel that in the US nothing compares. This particular drive was from San Francisco up through Monterrey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach. These sights never get old. I eventually want to spend a week in Carmel and just soak up the views, that’s if I can ever stay still for that long.
napa valley (in a red Camaro)
Aileen and I being extra extrain Cali! #yolo
The next day our plan was to drive up to Napa Valley in a red Camaro convertible of course. Before heading to Napa though I had to cross 1 more thing off my bucket list, driving through Lombard Street. Being from Miami we don’t have many hills, San Francisco on the other hand is full of them so let’s just say these 2 girls from Miami had quite the experience during through San Francisco with those hills.
I’m really big on traveling with rewards, as you will soon be able to tell. In San Francisco I stayed at the Hilton Union Square. I usually stay at a Hilton anywhere I go because I am able to accumulate points that I can redeem at future destinations. Another advantage is when it comes to traveling there are a lot of unknowns staying with a brand hotel gives you the peace of mind of feeling comfortable in a new city. The Hilton Union Square is also extremely central to a lot of fun and trendy restaurants and only 2 city blocks away from the main cable car stop.
For more trips visit mchvacations.com
For more info about San Fransico, please feel free to contact me!
Safe travels, Michelle