Frommer'sFrommer's

    Day Itinerary

    8 Activities
    Map preview

    Day 1

    151 mi

    Oysters, Beaches, Cedar Baths, and a Moody Lighthouse

    In terms of potential sights and activities, the stretch between San Francisco and Bodega Bay is one of the most jam-packed in California. We recommend an unusual spa treatment, an oyster tour, some easy hikes, and beachcombing, but all of the destinations we'll mention reward deeper exploration, so don't be shy about lingering at the ones that interest you most. It's hard to go wrong, though the FOMO will be strong. Please note that you'll need advance reservations for Muir Woods, the oyster tour, and Osmosis Day Spa.
    Photo: Pauline Frommer
    07:005 min

    San Francisco

    City Centre
    Open Details
    16.7 mi40 min
    Muir Woods
    08:0045 min

    Muir Woods

    Forest
    Open Details
    Muir Woods is tiny compared to the Redwood National Forest farther along our drive, so if you only want to stop once on this drive for redwoods, you can skip this one. But if you don't have time to go all the way to Redwood National Forest, this stop at Muir Woods will give you a pretty good idea of what it must have been like when these giant trees dominated the entire coastal region. The coast redwood, or Sequoia sempervirens, is one of the tallest living things known to man; specimens can be more than 350 feet tall. What is truly amazing is that they exist a mere 6 miles (as the crow flies) from San Francisco, so this park gets quite busy. You can avoid the masses by coming right when it opens and hiking up the Ocean View Trail, turning left on the Lost Trail, and returning on the Fern Creek Trail. The moderately challenging hike shows off the woods’ best sides and leaves the lazy-bones behind. Please note that advance reservations are now required to enter the park.
    7.8 mi25 min
    Stinson Beach
    09:151 hr

    Stinson Beach

    Beach
    Open Details
    Stinson Beach is the name of both a small town, one that has a distinctively arty feel, and one of the finest stretches of sand in Northern California. The 3-mile beach is the only one on this tour that's swimmable: the water is warmed by the shoals of Bolinas Bay, and those shoals also keep the big waves in check, so it's safer to swim. Fishing here is also very good, and there are numerous nearby hikes on Mount Tamalpais.
    36.5 mi1 hr 10 min
    Point Reyes Lighthouse
    11:3030 min

    Point Reyes Lighthouse

    Sights
    Open Details
    Point Reyes is a 100-square-mile peninsula of dark forests, wind-sculpted dunes, endless beaches, and plunging sea cliffs. Aside from its beautiful scenery, it boasts man-made historical treasures that offer a window into California's coastal past, including lighthouses, turn-of-the-20th-century dairies and ranches, and the site of Sir Francis Drake's 1579 landing, plus a complete replica of a Coast Miwok Indian village. If you can only see one, we recommend the Point Reyes lighthouse, though it requires a bit of a steep climb down, and then up, to visit it. Visitors learn about the arduous lives of the lighthouse keepers and see one of the handsomest Fresnel lenses in existence. This lighthouse light was created for a commercial exposition in Paris in the 1860s; consequently, it is far more ornate than usual and has glass panels at its base, allowing visitors to see the gears that make it work. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1975 after 95 years in service. Be sure to bring a sweater; the microclimate here can get quite chilly. One more thing to think about while you're here: The often idyllic scene at this National Park is a sharp contrast to the seismic turmoil below. The infamous San Andreas Fault separates Point Reyes, the northernmost landmass on the Pacific Plate, from the rest of California, which rests on the North American Plate. Point Reyes is making its way toward Alaska at a rate of about 2 inches per year, but at times it has moved much faster. In 1906, Point Reyes jumped north almost 20 feet in an instant, leveling San Francisco and jolting the rest of the state. The 0.6-mile Earthquake Trail, near the Bear Valley Visitor Center, illustrates this geological drama with a loop through an area torn by the fault.
    20.3 mi50 min
    Side Street Kitchen
    13:0045 min

    Side Street Kitchen

    Restaurant
    Open Details
    This updated, upscaled roadside diner is a crowd-pleaser. Its array of farm-fresh, California-grown salads and veggies delights those on plant-based diets, and carnivores like its chicken and tri-tip beef cooked to perfection in a rotisserie oven. Note that its half-chicken dish, which comes with a wide variety of sauces, costs as much as a sandwich here, but it can easily feed 2 to 3 people. Seating is available both indoors and out.
    28.2 mi50 min
    Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary
    14:451 hr 30 min

    Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary

    Spa
    Open Details
    We have two options for your afternoon's activity. If you're a fan of unusual spa treatments, then Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary will be your pick for its cedar bath. This Japanese treatment immerses spa-goers in a large pile of cedar shavings and rice bran. The resulting mulch ferments, creating heat that, in turn, causes the bather to sweat out toxins. While that treatment is going on, an attendant makes sure you're comfortable, offering sips of cold water and a cooling wet towel to the forehead. It's a very relaxing experience. This is the only cedar bath in North America, and one of the very few that exist outside of Japan.
    19.9 mi40 min
    Tony's Seafood
    17:001 hr 30 min

    Tony's Seafood

    Seafood Restaurant
    Open Details
    Croatian fisherman Tony Konatich opened this restaurant in 1948, and although the Hog Island Oyster company became the owner in 2017, Konatich's grandchildren were retained on staff to make sure to maintain traditions. That means you still get exceptionally fresh seafood here, from raw or barbecued oysters to the signature cioppino (a seafood stew) to clam chowder. The decor is still homey, but when the weather is good, there aren't many better places on the coastline to sit than on its outdoor patio, overlooking the undeveloped and stunningly beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore across the bay.
    How do oysters get from the ocean to your plate? That matter, and many more, including the growth cycle of the bivalve, types of oysters, and how to know whether they're fresh, are answered during the wonderfully informative tour at Hog Island Oyster Farm. Visitors also will get to see oysters being processed at the small on-site factory. The best reason to take this tour? At the end, each guest gets 6 oysters and is taught how to easily open them. And then you feast!
    Please note that these tours are held only on Mondays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. and require advanced reservations. So if you want to participate, you will need to shuffle the schedule and visit the farm first thing in the morning.
    22.3 mi40 min
    20:1510 hrs 30 min

    The Lodge at Bodega Bay

    Lodging
    Open Details
    Every room at this swanky lodge has its own wood-burning fireplace, high-end bedding, and, most importantly, a terrace with sweeping views from the bluff of the crashing waves far below. The Lodge features a pampering spa, a swimming pool, expansive grounds, and two very nice restaurants, but it's the vistas that make this place such an unforgettable California hotel.
    Day 2
    Map preview
    Frommer's

    Timescenery Ltd, C/O Redfern Legal Llp, 7 Henrietta Street,
    Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8PS, United Kingdom.

    © 2024 Timescenery Ltd. All rights reserved.