Life is a journey. Here to
help you escape the bumps and enjoy the ride through Northern California is the thoroughly revised 8th edition of WEEKEND ADVENTURES IN SAN FRANCISCO & NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Award-winning author Carole Terwilliger Meyers, who published the first edition of her book in 1977, invites you to visit the vast array of vacation
wonders in Northern California. You can spend the night in a coastal lighthouse, play chess on one of the two largest chessboards in the United States, and pan for gold during the day and
spend the night in an
authentic 49er miner's cabin. WEEKEND ADVENTURES has something for everyone--from weekend warriors anxious to test their mettle to
world-weary slugabeds who want breakfast brought to them on a tray.
Weighing in at almost 1 1/2 pounds, WEEKEND ADVENTURES is packed with interesting places to visit: the Santa Cruz mountains,
the coast south to Morro Bay and north to Eureka, the Wine Country, the Russian River area, Sacramento and the Delta, Highway 101 north and south, the national parks, the Gold Rush Country, Lake Tahoe, and
the Mt. Shasta area. San Francisco and the Bay Area--including the East Bay, Marin, and the Peninsula--are also detailed. Former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown says, "Ms. Meyers' love for the City and her
familiarity with its abundant charms are evident in each entry."
Each destination includes information on what to do, where to stay, and where to eat. Helpful extras include the
most direct driving route and interesting stops along the way. Details on family amenities are provided with each listing, and the text is filled with intriguing historical tidbits and unusual
facts. Additional chapters are devoted to ski areas, family camps, houseboats, river and pack trips, and assorted other adventures.
What People are saying about this book
"This lady is organized . . . well-researched guide."
--San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
" . . .easy-to-follow format."
--Booklist
"Carole's guide is to Northern California as my tour is to NYC. Almost. Not
that there's anything wrong with that!"
--Kenny Kramer, the real Kramer and director of Kramer's Reality Tour
"We had a great time on our California vacation. Weekend Adventures
was essential both during planning and execution. Thank you for a wonderful guide!"
--Joleen Chambers, parent, Annapolis, MD
"Carole is the doyenne-empress-goddess of family travel in the Bay Area. She invented it."
--Peter Beren, Publisher, co-author of The Writer's Legal Companion
"When I'm scouting set locations in Northern California, I call Mom. She's da bomb!"
--Dave Meyers, music video director
". . . businesses have come and gone . . . What's unchanged is her attention to detail and enthusiasm for this lovely chunk of California. . .
. valuable resource."
--Mike Cleary, The Food and Travel Enthusiast, Hills Newspapers
"This guidebook is a gem. It has it all . . .well-known and unusual activities are presented in an organized manner. Buy this
book, enjoy Meyers' insights, and plan for a memorable vacation in Northern California."
The San Francisco Ballet has been presenting the Nutcracker
since 1944, when it blazed the path for all subsequent U.S. Nutcrackers by dancing the first full-length production. It has always been an extravagant interpretation, with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of scenery and handmade costumes. Each performance features a cast of more than 175 dancers that includes the company's dancers plus children from the Ballet School.
Sugar Plum Parties
follow some matinee performances. They are held in the downstairs cafe, where guests are served sugary goodies (cookies, candy, soda) and the costumed cast members are available for autographs. Purchase party tickets at the same time as purchasing
Nutcracker tickets.
Historical Sites
Fort Point National Historic Site
Located directly under the south anchorage of the Golden Gate Bridge, at end of
Marine Dr., in the Presidio; take Lincoln Blvd. to Long Ave., turn left, at bottom follow road along water to fort; (415) 556-1693, fax (415) 561-4390;
Built in 1861, this is the only Civil War-era fort on the West Coast. Its four tiers were once home to 126 cannons; several 10,000 pound-plus originals and replicas are displayed. It is perhaps even
more famous as the site in Hitchcock's Vertigo where Kim Novak's character jumped into the bay. Each winter Candlelight Fort Tours(Nov-Feb; 6:30-8pm. Must be 15 or older. Reservations
required.)
are scheduled. Participants see the fort from the viewpoint of a Civil War soldier. What was it like in the 1860s to live in drafty quarters heated by fireplaces and lighted by candles? What kind of food did the soldiers eat and how was it prepared? A walk through the 1870 gun emplacements located south of the fort concludes each tour.
Where to Stay
The Westin St. Francis
335 Powell St./Geary St., on Union Square, (800) WESTIN 1, (415) 397-7000, fax (415) 774-0124;
www.westinstfrancis.com. 32
stories; 1,195 rooms; $$-$$$+. Children under 18 free. Fitness room; health spa. 3 restaurants; room service. Small dogs ok. Valet parking $39-$45.
Built in 1904, this
classy landmark hotel has a superb location opening right onto Union Square. Every president since William Howard Taft has walked through its lobby, as have Ernest Hemingway and Queen Elizabeth II, and Jennifer
Lopez lived here during the filming of The Wedding Planner. The hotel consists of both a 12-story historical section and a newer 32-story tower with five outside glass elevators that go non-stop from the
lobby to the 32nd
floor in less than 30 seconds. All rooms are equipped with the chain's famous fluffy Heavenly Beds, which feel like sleeping in a cloud and which can be ordered for home delivery. Upon check-in, children 12 and under get a free Westin Kids Club packet filled with an assortment of age-appropriate amenities. Westin Heavenly Cribs, strollers, highchairs, bottle warmers, potty seats, and step stools can be placed in the room at no additional charge. And dogs get their own oval-shaped Heavenly Pet Bed, too. Souvenir silver and gold charms, including a cable car, are sold in a lobby boutique and make great souvenirs.
Where to Eat
Citizen Cake
399 Grove St./Gough St., Hayes Valley/Civic Center, (415) 861-2228, fax (415) 861-0565;
www.citizencake.com
. B-L Tu-F, D Tu-Sat, Sat-SunBr; $$-$$$. Reservations advised.
Though the dining room is small and waits can be long, the counter usually turns over quickly. Another
option is to just give up and order take-out, though it is
nice being seated in the sleek, modern, industrial-style interior with its soothing view out tall windows. Most items are housemade, and everything is delicious. Lunch choices might include a Cuban marinated pork-Havarti cheese sandwich on scrumptious housemade bread, or a puffy Molinari pepperoni pizza. A French-style coffee bowl of hot chocolate prepared with Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate and topped with a fabulous housemade marshmallow makes a great dessert, but something from the celebrated pastry kitchen is not to be missed--maybe a vanilla cupcake with white chocolate frosting or a sticky toffee pudding or a blood orange cremesicle parfait. And don't forget a bag of mixed cookies to take home. When leaving, do view the glassed-in demonstration pastry kitchen and then stop in at the art gallery next door.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory & Soda Fountain
900 North Point, in Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, (415) 771-4903;
www.ghirardelli.com. Sun-Thur 10am-11pm, F-Sat to 12; $. Highchairs, boosters. No reservations.
A small working chocolate factory using original equipment from the early 1900s still operates for show in the back of this classic ice cream parlor. All of the chocolate sauces and syrups
are made on site, as is the fudge sold in the shop. After reading the mouth-watering menu, which can be kept as a souvenir, each ice cream-lover takes a seat and awaits the fulfillment of their ice cream
fantasy. Special concoctions include The Alcatraz Rock (rocky road and vanilla ice cream covered with a shell of chocolate, chopped almonds, whipped cream, and a whole cherry) and The Earthquake Sundae, which
serves four or more people (eight flavors of ice cream with eight different toppings accented with bananas, whipped cream, chopped almonds, and cherries). Hot fudge sundaes, sodas, and milkshakes are also
available. Ghirardelli chocolate goodies, including a 5-pound chocolate bar, are sold in an adjoining shop.
Chapter Headings:
San Francisco
Coast South
Coast North
101 South
101 North
I-80 North
The High Sierra
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Delta
Wine Country
Lake Tahoe
Winter Snow Fun
I-880 South
Miscellaneous Adventures
I-5 North
Hwy 49-Gold Rush Country
See current E-Letter, containing descriptions of places the author has visited recently.
