Bay Area Trip

Dave, Phil, Karen, and I went on a road trip to Sacramento, Napa, and the Bay Area from June 28-July 3. The first day was our travel day down to Sacramento. We ate dinner at Crawdad's on the Sacramento River - an old stomping ground of Dave's when he used to travel to that town. Each of us had a day to plan the following days' events.

Tuesday, June 29 - Dave wanted to visit the beautiful Napa Valley area. We toured the Silverado Winery - a winery owned by Walt Disney's daughter Diane Miller and her husband Ron. We thought there would be a quaint little downtown area in Napa, but there wasn't, surprisingly. Maybe in Sonoma?

Wednesday, June 30 - This was our 1st day in San Francisco. We checked into the gorgeous Fairmont Hotel (through a Disney Vacation Club exchange) and our socks were knocked off when we entered the room and saw the view from the window! It swept from the Golden Gate Bridge to the left over to the Bay Bridge on the right. Alcatraz and Coit Tower were right in front of us and the Transamerica Building was to our right. In the evenings, I enjoyed reading and staring out the window! Phil was our planner today and he chose the Wharf. We took a cable car ride down steep Powell Street, hanging off the edge of the car! I had my first In-n-Out burger at Fisherman's Wharf and have to say I don't quite understand the hype! We walked along the waterfront and piers and took in beautiful Ghiradelli Square (enjoying a hot fudge sundae, of course!) Dave and Phil headed back to the hotel to relax while Karen and I continued on with a Duck tour. It was a fun city tour that ended with the Duck going into San Francisco Bay and touring along the water. We ate dinner at the Tonga Room at the Fairmont - fun atmosphere!

Thursday, July 1 - The day I was waiting for! My choice was the Walt Disney Family Museum at the Presidio. Walt Disney's daughter Diane and other family members put this museum together. There were 9 rooms filled with all kinds of history, pictures, drawings, film clips, vintage memorabilia, etc. To top it off, they had a gift shop with unique merchandise. It was a dream! Dave, Karen, and I spent 4+ hours there. Afterwards, we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to the quaint little beach town of Sausalito. Our lunch was at a waterfront restaurant called Horizons, followed by visiting the little shops along the main street.

Friday, July 2 - Karen's pick was heading down the coast to the towns of Monterey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach - in that order. Monterey is a former cannery town made famous by John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row" book. We walked along the waterfront, then headed south a tiny bit to Carmel. Carmel is an upscale town where they don't even have addresses on the houses! I felt out of place in the shops - especially when I saw the prices - but the town, architecture, and gardens were beautiful! We ended the day with the Pebble Beach 17 mile drive, which was very enjoyable.

Saturday, July 3 - The long journey from San Francisco to Portland took 11 hours, but with four drivers it made it more bearable! Dave and I spent the night at the Buckleys' before heading home. The 3 hour drive from Portland to Port Orchard seemed downright speedy in comparison! A fun trip!!