San Francisco to the Wild North Coast

An arrival at SFO gives you no-sweat access to San Francisco, the glittering city made up of 50 hills. Park your car and explore on foot, by rideshare, or by cable car, and know that every neighborhood offers a unique experience. Chinatown‘s red lanterns, pagoda-style architecture, and dim sum restaurants are must-sees. The Yerba Buena district offers the greatest concentration of museums west of New York, including the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. In Haight-Ashbury, the Summer of Love lives on in vintage record stores and clothing boutiques. Bayside Fisherman’s Wharf offers crab shacks, knick-knack shops, and iconic San Francisco experiences like drinking Irish coffee at the Buena Vista. Golden Gate Park is one of the world’s largest urban green spaces and home to outstanding museums like the California Academy of Sciences. No matter how much time you have, it’s never enough, but before you go, nab a classic Golden Gate Bridge selfie at Fort Point National Historic Site, tucked beneath the bridge’s southern foot.

The triangular peninsula of Point Reyes National Seashore preserves nearly 90 miles of shoreline pounded by breakers and cooled by ocean breezes, plus a densely wooded interior. Stop in to Point Reyes' main visitor center at Bear Valley to get the latest updates on road and trail conditions before you head out, then pick an outdoor activity that matches your interest: Beach walkers head to dog-friendly Kehoe Beach, 10-mile-long Point Reyes Beach, or more intimate McClures Beach. Families ride bikes along the gentle Bear Valley Trail to Divide Meadow. Hikers climb to the park’s highest point at 1,407-foot Mount Wittenberg, or skirt the edge of a Scottish moor-like estuary on Estero Trail. History lovers walk the 308 steps down to (and then back up from) the 1870s Point Reyes Lighthouse, perched at the foggiest point on the Pacific coast.

This bayside hamlet is nestled on the edge of Tomales Bay, where tranquil waters sustain California’s largest oyster-producing region. More than half of the state’s shellfish growers lease acreage on the shallow bay’s floor. Taste the fruits of their labors in Marshall, where oysters are prepared every which way: raw, barbecued, smoked, smothered in bacon, and slathered in cheese and breadcrumbs. Get yours at The Marshall Store or Hog Island Oyster Company, then extend your time in Marshall with a stay at Nick’s Cove, a collection of 1930s-era bayside bungalows. Rent a boat at Blue Waters Kayaking and paddle the bay, stopping at tiny beaches wherever you please, or go for an easy stroll at Millerton Point for sweeping vistas of the bay and grassy pastures.

Bring your appetite to this seafaring town. In Bodega Bay, The Birds Café serves crispy fish and chips—beer-battered with a local IPA—barbecued oysters, and artichoke fritters. Fishetarian Fish Market makes delicious fresh fish tacos. Clam chowder fans find their bliss at Spud Point Crab Company or Ginochio’s Kitchen. Eat till you can eat no more, then paddle away the calories in a rental kayak, or walk them off at Sonoma Coast State Park. Starting from the north end of town, a 13-mile string of rocky beaches and grassy headlands extends north to Jenner and the Russian River, and a series of trails skirt along the bluff edges.

Tune out the world in Gualala, a small but sophisticated dot along the windswept Sonoma Coast. Walk the blufftop trails at Gualala Point Regional Park. Paddle the lazy Gualala River in a kayak or canoe. Follow the Bonham Trail through a forest of Bishop pines to a wave-whipped pocket cove at Cooks Beach. View the work of coastal artists at Gualala Arts Center and the Russian ceremonial posts (serges) made by wood carvers at Gualala Regional Park. Sample the ginger scones or a tuna melt at Trinks, and sleep in the cozy, woodsy cottages at St. Orres, where the architecture is a tribute to this region’s Russian fur-trading past.

For a tiny North Coast town, Point Arena offers a surprising amount to do, see, and eat. Start with the “musts”: Tour the 115-foot-tall Point Arena Lighthouse property, visit the museum, and climb the lighthouse tower’s 145 narrow steps for eye-popping coastal views. Next, walk the level trails on the Point Arena-Stornetta lands south of the lighthouse. You’ll wander along windswept coastal bluffs past continuously evolving sea stacks, arches, sinkholes, and tunnels. Then sample Point Arena’s cuisine: At Franny's Cup & Saucer, mother and daughter bakers make luscious pastries, to-die-for cookies, and heavenly cakes. For a Japanese pub-style dinner, reserve a spot at Izakaya Gama next to the Wildflower Boutique Motel. 

Mendocino invites you to wander past tidy saltbox cottages and perfectly manicured Victorians bounded by roses and picket fences. The three-mile-square village contains more than its fair share of charm plus more than a dozen highly lauded restaurants, including Café Beaujolais and Trillium Cafe. Boutiques and galleries lure window-shoppers inside to browse one-of-a-kind artwork and gifts: Gallery Book Shop has intriguing reads, Out of This World has brainy games and toys, and Mendocino Gems has just the right bracelet or ring. Outside of town, you’ll find redwood groves, pristine rivers, wildlife-rich wetlands, and bucolic coastal headlands. Wander through a pygmy forest of miniaturized pines and cypress trees at Van Damme State Park, kayak or paddle an outrigger canoe on Big River at Mendocino Headlands State Park, lounge on the sandy beach cove at Jug Handle State Natural Reserve, or photograph the historic concrete-arch bridge at Russian Gulch State Park. You’ll want more than one day to explore, so curl up at a luxurious B&B like the 1882 MacCallum House or the hilltop Joshua Grindle Inn.

When you hear a long, mournful whistle, you know the Skunk Train is chugging along its forest-bounded rails. Since 1885, trains have carried passengers from Willits through the snaking Noyo River canyon to the coast, and you can still ride a portion of that route today. The Skunk’s cars are pulled by a vintage diesel-electric engine, and on the two-hour, 16-mile excursion, you’ll pass through a spooky-dark tunnel to reach the highest point on the line before descending into the redwood-studded river valley. After your train ride, check out downtown Willits: Go taste the pies and quiches at Kemmy’s. Shop for books at The Book Juggler and gifts at Earth’s Treasures. Visit the Mendocino County Museum to see Native American baskets, historic stagecoaches, and relics from a Mendocino Coast shipwreck.

With more than 100 miles of shoreline, California’s largest freshwater lake is surrounded by off-the-radar vineyards and tasting rooms. At Boatique Winery, you can sip Cabernet and admire the West Coast’s largest collection of antique wooden boats. At Shannon Ridge, winemakers focus on sustainably grown Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes, but you’ll focus on the lofty hilltop vistas. At Six Sigma, you can tour the vineyards in a burly, six-wheel-drive Pinzgauer. At Brassfield Estate, you’ll be wowed by the grandeur: Tuscan-style architecture, huge wine caves, and a fountain that belonged to Clark Gable (salvaged from his Malibu estate). But Clear Lake is first and foremost a watersports mecca, so don’t limit yourself to land-based activities. Head over to Lakeport’s Disney Boat Rentals and rent a kayak, stand-up paddleboard, pontoon boat, or jet ski, then go explore the lake’s bays and coves.

This charming, tree-lined town has deep agricultural roots, so it’s no surprise that Winters’ Main Street brims with farm-to-fork eateries. Plan to eat well while you’re here: Start with huevos rancheros at Putah Creek Cafe or croissants at Upper Crust Baking, then walk off the calories at Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. Return in time for cocktail hour at L’Apéro les Trois, California’s first tasting lounge and showroom dedicated solely to aperitifs. Then choose your dinner spot: At rustic-chic Preserve, grilled octopus and oven-roasted artichokes headline the menu, while at Buckhorn Steakhouse, it’s prime rib and char-roasted tri-tip. Before you head from Winters back to San Francisco Airport, load up on road-trip treats at Winters Fruit Tree. The drive is only 90 minutes, but you might get hungry.