, which has
king-sized bed, two single beds and option for a pull-out bed. Rates
from $200/night. (Two or three nights).
At Yosemite:
-
Walk around Yosemite Valley; photograph waterfalls which should be in full glory. This is a couple miles walk at most.
-
Have tea at the Ahwanhee Lodge's Grand Lodge, by fireplace. 
The Ahwahnee
-
Day
hikes of various lengths and difficulties -- any number are
possible.
- The Yosemite Association has one-day or half-day guided hikes
with naturalists that can be as much as $82 for a full-day program, but are worth it!
Drive to Muir Woods
, crossing over
Golden Gate
Bridge along the way. Fabulous old-growth redwood forest -- take
short, medium or long hike. Miriam and I did a 12-mile over-and-back
hike from Stinson Beach - see my photo collection. We Can continue on
to Point Reyes (see
below for more description). Could have dinner in SF on the way home.
(Day trip)
Drive to
Big
Sur and back, going through Monterey and Carmel. Monterey has a
great aquarium;
Carmel
is known for art galleries and interesting shopping of all sorts but
on the pricey side of things.
However it is also home to a tiny state
park, Point Lobos Natural Reserve, that is one of my favorites - we could do a one-mile walk there,
along the cliffs and in the woods - gorgeous. Big Sur is glorious.
Stop at the Henry Miller Library/Bookstore/Cafe (he lived there for decades) and
have lunch at Post Ranch Inn ($$$ but good.)
Hike optional since it's 2
1/2 hours drive each way - we might content ourselves with gazing at
the ocean and cliffs. (Day trip)
Drive over the
Santa
Cruz Mountains (3,000 ft elevation, so perhaps "hills") to the
Henry Cowell state
redwood park near Santa Cruz: Go on short, medium or long hike.
Stop
in small & quaint Boulder Creek for lunch. (One of my favorite towns.) Drive home via Highway One along
the ocean and stop in Pescadero for dinner and to visit the beach.
Come back along Highway 84 and be amazed at Old La Honda Road when we
drive down it on the way home! I'll point out where I lived for 7
years, nestled in the redwoods. Optionally stop at "Alice's
Restaurant" ("You can get anything you want in Alice's Restaurant") -
good burgers, great atmosphere. Although food in Pescadero is better. (Day trip)
Drive 20 minutes to Pichetti
Winery for picnic (not necessary to taste or buy wine) - oldest
winery - supposedly - in Califonia, dating from the 1870s. This is
right next to the
Pichetti
Open Space so optionally can go on short, medium or long hike.
(Half day)
HP garage in 1939 ...
Walk around my neighborhood
(Professorville) and Stanford
and come
back via
downtown Palo Alto and have lunch in some nice place on
University Ave. The Cardinal Hotel is one block from University and six blocks from me - maybe a place to rent a room if we want more space?
Check out the
Birge Clark
buildings on the way back home. (Half day or 2/3 day)
Walk 30 mins over to Eleanor Pardee Park where the Master
Gardener Demonstration Garden is and where one of my community garden
plots is. (Couple hours which includes time to admire gardens, sit
and relax, etc)
Sonoma
County: Drive around countryside over to the wild parts of` the
coast. (Long day trip; could stay overnight in a Bed and Breakfast up
there.)
Fort Ross: Drive couple hours to historic Fort Ross (Russians,
18th century or maybe earlier - before Americans took possession of
California) - beautiful scenery and historic buildings; interesting.
(Long day trip or could stay overnight somewhere up north.)
Point Reyes National
Seashore: Drive one hour out to Point Reyes, through Marin, have lunch
at Point Reyes, visit lighthouse, go to beach, wander in countryside.
Can be windy and chilly! Can combine with trip to Muir Woods. (Day
trip.)
San Francisco: take Caltrain to SF (no $30/day parking
necessary!); walk along waterfront from baseball stadium past Farmer's
Market to Fisherman's Wharf. Take cable car back to downtown area and
have dim sum for lunch! Walk over to Union Square for fun of walking
around that area with optional shopping (can be pricey). Have dinner
in SF or just take Caltrain to Palo Alto and make our own dinner! (Half day or day trip.)
Also in SF ... great view from the De Young Museum's tower
Party: at some point I'll have some sort of open house/buffet
from 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. some evening and invite over friends, believe me
some of them are eager to meet you all after hearing me talk about my
family lo these many years!