Norcal Winter Weather?

X2 on tahoe!!

 

Go to Tahoe! The city is nice but I think you would have a better time in Tahoe. I love it there!

 

make sure you swing thru the Monterey Bay... on your way up, big sur is beautiful and the rest of the county is nice, plus wine tasting in Carmel Valley is the best

 

You hadnt really mentioned what kind of stuff you like, outdoors or city stuff or whatever. Sounds like you might want outdoors stuff, if so then Yosemite is awesome, Tahoe is cool, near SF is Muir woods with some big redwoods, point reyes is nice.

The last few years have been odd, but January is usually Norcals rainiest month. As an X-roofer I am keenly aware of that.

Do you snowboard, ski, hike, club, bowl, it all depends on what you want. I grew up in San Diego and then moved up here, there is just as much stuff to do up here just less people and more variety.

 

come up near tahoe

 

thank you for the offer man, very generous of you! When I decide to head out for such a trip Ill hit you up man, Im saving this thread

Well everyone....I booked a week in Tahoe for Mid-January. FUCK I AM SOOOO STOKED! HEAVENLY, SQUAW, NORTHSTAR!! Should be lots of fun. Ill be out there for 7 days and hope to ride 5 days. Should be alot of fun!

 

So i can take the 101 up to Tahoe?

 

101 is a coastal highway.

 

yea I know that. Someone mentioned taking the 101 up either way and I was thinking it was a waste of time since Im going around. I guess I could go up the 101 towards SF then take the 50 and cut across towards Tahoe, Im still thats still gonna add an extra 1-2 hours to our trip though.

 

101 North to SF is a nice drive. I'd probably cut over to Hwy 1 around Hearst Castle/San Luis Obispo area though as 101 from their North is kind of boring.

You've got your list of stuff to do in the City. But on the way, you could see Hearst Castle maybe the water fall near Julia Pfiffer Burns State Park or Ragged Point for the seals. Farther North, there's Carmel. Lots of stuff on the way up.

If you want to hit Mammoth, you'll have to go over Hwy or 50 or 80 for the most reliable route over the Sierra in winter. Then hit 395 South to get to Mammoth. Lots of cool stuff on the way South. Bodie, Mono Lake and so on.

Have a great trip and enjoy the ride!

 

Manny, I think the quickest and best route would to just take 5 all the way north until you get to 80 and then take 80 east.

 

Today it hit 80 degrees in San Rafael. Weather is jacked up this year.

 

We're getting an Indian Summer do-over

 

Gah....I want it to cool off!

 

Go to Alcatraz, my bro works there its hella legit. And then if you want delicious food get to Mona Lisa in north beach, SF. Also check out the Marin Headlands and GG bridge. Nor Cal is awesome, your gonna love it

 

san fran is alright, but if youve never been there then its something you gotta do because its an experience going over the GG and the piers n stuff, but tahoe i would say is much better

 

yup ..... last couple of times ive driven to so cal or arizona ive been to the grapevine in 5 - 6 hrs

 

Ghiradeli

 

SF kicks butt. some of the best food in the world can be found here. any type of food. not all of it is expensive.

budget for parking tickets.

the drive up to tahoe is very nice. we should be getting snow soon. i think a few ski places have even opened up. mid jan, we will be going full swing!!

 

Ok I'm a newbie to TW but a fifth gen City kid, i cruzed through most of the threads here and i think i can help.

First, to get here 101 is a coastal highway around SB and again around Crescent City (way north), highway 1 at hearst castle/ cambria is pretty but it is NOT a speed run, i drove up 1 from the ventura county line once and it took FOREVER!!! i drove 101 from santa barbara once and it took longer than i had hoped, Speed run is up and over the Grapevine to Bakersfield then cut west to pick up highway 5, from there is about 300 miles to the bay area (5 to 580 west to either 92 west to the dumbarton bridge, north on 101 to the City or 237 to 880 to 80 west over the bay bridge into the City). word to the wise, 880 is a HAIRY freeway, especially in Oakland, sudden stops TONS of big trucks and freak things happen on a regular basis.
Places to see in no particular order:
GG bridge, first drive over the bridge but for a real treat, park at either end and walk the bridge (january it's gonna be cold), over a thousand people have jumped to their deaths off of this bridge! Next i would continue north and take the exit for the Marin Headlands (just north of the bridge), bring camera as you go up into the headlands you will recognize views of the bridge. watch for tourists and those pesky bicyclists, stop along the way up if you like but definitely follow it out to where Hawk Hill is, there are old army fortifications all over the headlands, take your time and explore, hike up the trails to the top and around Hawk Hill, at the entrance to the trail goin up to Hawk Hill, u will notice a one way road the keeps going towards land"s end, TAKE THAT ROAD, keep going, check out Pt Bonita lighthouse and the beach just north of land,s end. word to the wise, where the signs say "don't hike on the cliffs" don't, every year or so some nimrod dies out there.
Other spots:
Half-moon bay, hwy 92 at hwy 1, little shopping district some pretty good resteraunts, check out Cameron's pub for good pub fare. (if u drive south out of SF down 101 to 280 and take the pacifica exit to hwy 1, it's a scenic run to half-moon bay. ther are lots of cool beaches up and down that part of the coast, san gregario is one (10 miles south of half moon bay), i could tell you of some even cooler spots but i would have to kill you, they're known only to the locals. oh yeah for all of you Socal folks(read warm water), do us a favor, don't bitch about how could the water is, it just makes you look silly to the locals.
Mt. Tamalpias (known as Mt. Tam) that whole area is pretty cool, stinson beach, bolinas, pt reyes, you could blow a couple of days up in that area. North hwy 101 over the GG bridge take exit for hwy 1/stinsion beach.
Peir 39 is ok i guess, the locals dont go there but i would definitely go to Alcatraz for sure (ferry sails from pier 39)
Aquatic park/hyde street pier/the cannery, ghiardelli square,(west of pier 39) i'd rather go there than pier 39.
Columbus street/north beach, strip clubs at the former 9if you're into that sort of thing!), north beach is the Italian neighborhood.
if you like museums, ur in the right town fer sure.
my taco is 20 feet long and a bitch to drive in the city and an even bigger bitch for find free parking for so take ur time, lot's of one-way streets. I wouldn't even want to try to drive a taco with a clutch there!
Sublime:
Union Square area for dinner, Blues show at Biscuits and Blues followed by a nightcap at Harry Denton's The Starlight Room (iffy areas though on the streets around there the closer u get to the lower fillmore)
Unique to the City:
Musee de' Mechanique (it's french and i know i misspelled it), east of Hyde street pier there's a WWII submarine and a Liberty Ship, right in that area is a little museum with turn of the century arcade games, personal faves are the "french execution" and "laughing Sal" Sal has messed up A LOT of little kid's heads (mine included!)
Notable:
Cliff House at lands end after hiking around Sutro Baths.
Fort Mason right under the GG bridge.
And if you really love your wife:
book a dinner cruise at night on one of the boats that tour the bay at nite, beautiful really>
Good luck
PM me and I'll give you more suggestions