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"San Francisco has only one drawback - it's hard to leave!" states the famous author Rudyard Kipling. Anyone who has ever visited "The City by the Bay," will well understand what Kipling meant. San Francisco has many faces. There are a hundred different neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and history; there are thousands of spectacular viewpoints, from the panoramic splendor atop Twin Peaks, beloved of high school students, tour buses, and everyone in between, to surprise glimpses of fantastic beauty, seen unexpectedly between buildings, or upon rounding a corner.
Attractions, theaters, parks, and plazas crowd together in happy profusion. And, with over 3,500 restaurants in an area just over seven square miles, this city qualifies as one of the most "cuisine-conscious" in America. San Francisco's citizens are as unique and as varied as any other aspect of the city. From soberly-suited business-people thronging through the streets of the Financial District, to colorfully clad hippies lounging on the lawns of Golden Gate Park; from wild-eyed fanatics announcing the end of the world, to elegantly dressed matrons enjoying afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton;
from market owners in crowded Chinatown, washing down their bins full of exotic vegetables, to some of the best street musicians in the world - The City has it all.
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The Napa and Sonoma Valleys are known, collectively, as "The California Wine Country." This is one of the world's most prestigious wine producing regions. Over 500 wineries make their home in these two valleys, from venerable wineries owned by old-country wine families, to innovative new facilities, owned by adventurous souls looking to try their hand at something different. The one thing that this multitude of wineries can truly be said to have in common is the outstanding, award-winning quality of their wines.
Wine, however, is by no means all that the Wine Country has to offer. The Napa and Sonoma Valleys together comprise one of world's most delightful locales. An average year-round temperature of 72 degrees ensures that you will always be comfortable. A plethora of activities, from fine dining, to al fresco picnics, from bike riding to horseback riding to gliding, from boutique shopping to factory outlet shopping, from taking in the scenery to lying in a tub full of mud following an invigorating massage and spa treatment, ensure that you will never be bored. And, of course, you can always go wine tasting!
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The historic seaport of Monterey is located in the heart of one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world. At one time, Monterey was the capital of California in Mexican Colonial days. Because one of the first things the Americans did upon taking California in 1846 was to move the capital away from Monterey, some of the old Spanish-style buildings in the town survived unchanged when it became a backwater. However, by as early as the late nineteenth century, the rest of the state had discovered the charms of this once sleepy fishing village. Today, Monterey offers world-class restaurants, a beautiful waterfront, museums, sporting activities, and of course, its most famous attraction - the renown Monterey Bay Aquarium on historic Cannery Row.
The nearby town of Carmel-by-the-Sea is known for its charming shops, beautiful white sandy beaches, and world-renowned one-time mayor (Clint Eastwood). Carmel is a picturesque little town, encompassing only one square mile, and 5,000 residents. From your first glimpse of this little village tucked into a forest above the beaches, its unique charms will enchant you.
The natural beauty of the area is unrivaled. The scenic Seventeen-Mile Drive is a private toll road, running past rocky coves, windblown cypresses and multi-million dollar seafront homes. Just south of the Monterey Peninsula, Big Sur is one of nature's masterpieces - wild and beautiful, mysterious and dangerous. Writer Henry Miller described it as "the face of the earth as the Creator intended it to look." Its redwood forests, ocean tidepools, steep cliffs and coastal mountains cast a magical spell. Viewing it, you will feel the same sense of wonder.
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