Fly in to San Francisco on Day 1, and spend Day 2 and Day 3 enjoying the City by the Bay. On Day 1, find Market Street and catch one of the historic F-Market streetcars heading toward Pier 39 and Fisherman's Wharf. At Pier 39, greet the sea lions (follow the barking) and continue to the end of the pier for a dead-on view of Alcatraz Island. Walk to Aquatic Park to complete a tour of Fisherman's Wharf. On Bay Street, catch a 30-Stockton bus to Beach Street. The walk from the Palace of Fine Arts through the Presidio to the Golden Gate Bridge is lovely.
On Day 2, fling yourself onto a Powell-Hyde cable car for the brief ride to Lombard Street. Walk down via the staircases on either side and, heading north, find the San Francisco Art Institute. Follow Filbert Street to Washington Square Park in North Beach and stroll around or walk up Grant Avenue past Union Street and follow the signs to Coit Tower. Spend the afternoon exploring Chinatown.
Day 3 is a walk in Golden Gate Park, where you can get in some culture at the de Young and Asian art museums and some fresh air in the Strybing Arboretum. In the afternoon, take a trip downtown to the Museum of Modern Art. Then relax in Yerba Buena Gardens across the street. Dine around Union Square if you're ambitious enough to see an 8 p.m. show at ACT or another theater. Night owls can finish the evening catching the second set at the Boom Boom Room.
Itinerary #1
After spending Day 4 in San Francisco, head to the Napa Valley early on Day 5 and spend Day 5 and Day 6 getting to know the Wine Country. For the ideal introduction, plan on a late-morning or early-afternoon winery tour, perhaps one of the reservation-only tours at Schramsberg or Niebaum Coppola, or one of the terrific first-come, first-served tours offered by Robert Mondavi or St. Supéry. See two more wineries after lunch, and mix it up with a little sightseeing or shopping before resting up for a gourmet feast at one of the valley's stellar restaurants. Book ahead if you want to eat at French Laundry, often named the best restaurant in the United States. On the morning of Day 6, stop at one of the valley's gourmet markets to assemble a lunchtime picnic. Plan some additional activities to mix in with your winery-going, such as a hot-air balloon ride, a bit of bicycling, and/or a mud bath and massage.
On Day 7, head north from the Napa Valley in the afternoon for Redwood Country. Follow Highway 128 north to U.S. 101, and spend the night along the Redwood Highway, perhaps in the charming, Victorian Ferndale. On Day 8, meander down the Redwood Highway, reaching Mendocino in time for dinner. Spend Day 9 exploring Mendocino, hiking the headlands, shopping, or just enjoying the wild beauty of the misty North Coast.
On Day 10, drive back to San Francisco for your flight home.
 | You can easily trim this itinerary to eight days by cutting a day off your time in San Francisco and limiting your Redwood Country exploring to a day trip. |
Itinerary #2
Depart San Francisco the morning of Day 4 for Monterey, and spend the day playing on the boardwalk and the beach in Santa Cruz, arriving in Monterey in time for dinner. If there's just the two of you and you're looking for romance, consider Carmel as a base. If your budget is generous, go all out and spend your nights on some of the most spectacular real estate in the nation, Pebble Beach (the California destination for golfers).
| The Monterey Peninsula deserves a good chunk of time, so spend the evening of Day 4 and the following two nights here. Start Day 5 at the Monterey Aquarium. (Don't forget to buy your aquarium tickets in advance to save aggravating time in line.) In the afternoon, rent bikes and follow Monterey's gorgeous bayfront bike path (suitable for all riders) for some spectacular views. |
Spend Day 6 exploring the rest of the peninsula by car, including the justifiably famous 17-Mile Drive (explorable on that rented bike if you have the energy). Spend the afternoon strolling through charming Carmel; even if the weather is chilly, bundle up for a walk along cypress-lined Carmel Beach, one of the world's most beautiful stretches of sand.
On Day 7, drive through gorgeous Big Sur to San Simeon and Hearst Castle. Arrive at your base in San Simeon or nearby Cambria in time to see the elephant seals basking in the sun just north of San Simeon, and do a little exploring in cute Cambria before a leisurely dinner. Dedicate Day 8 to Hearst Castle.
Day 9 is for exploring awesome Big Sur. In fact, spend the night along the Big Sur Coast so that you'll have plenty of hiking and/or contemplation time. Fly home on Day 10.
Itinerary #3
Depart San Francisco on Day 4 for Yosemite National Park. Spend this night and the following two at (or just outside) the park to allow two full days for exploring. On Day 7, exit the park on the east side via the Tioga Pass and head north on U.S. 395 to Lake Tahoe. You can only do this drive between mid- or late June and the first snowfall, usually in November. Call  209-372-0200 to check road conditions if you're traveling near the fringes of this time frame. If you're driving in winter, you'll need to reserve most of the day for traveling out the west entrance of the park and following Highway 49 north to U.S. 50 and South Lake Tahoe. Be sure to check the weather along this route, too.
Spend Day 8 and Day 9 enjoying Lake Tahoe, California's favorite outdoor playground. Let the season dictate your activities: summer and fall are great for hiking, jet-skiing, horseback riding, and the like, while winter is ski season. Lady Luck works the casinos year-round, of course.
Day 10 is the day to fly home. Consider flying out of Reno to avoid the four-hour drive back to the Bay Area airports. (Sacramento, halfway between Tahoe and San Francisco, is another good bet for saving on drive time.)
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