The London Lounge

Mrs Charles and I are due to go out to California in June next year to meet my daughter and her boyfriend at the end of their round the world trip .We do not in any way share her adventurous nature. We plan a week in San Francisco together then ( and here's the question) a couple of 2-3 night stays in other places after we've hired a car for a week and can travel ( though nothing heroic ..100-150 miles a day max) . Asking friends usually ends with exortations to visit Yosemite etc. This is not on. We want smallish nice towns with places to eat and shops. This is what we do.
Monterey looks nice and Carmel also...any ideas ??

Youreally need the Golden State contingent to chip in, here, but you might consider San Luis Obispo.

The Napa and Sonoma wine-growing regions are all within one hour's drive north of San Francisco. Napa wining & dining: suggest looking into Yountville, Napa, and St. Helena. In Sonoma, consider Healdsburg, Sebastopol and the coastal communities. Safe travels.

I will be there in 3 weeks and was also looking for some info. The Nappa region comes highly recommended of course, alongside Yosemite . I will be renting a car and driving down to Vegas through Yosemite and Death Valley. Looking forward to it!

I still don't know a lot about California, but if I were scooting out of San Francisco, I'd at least do a day trip north through wine country-- an errand to Petaluma a few years back was unexpectedly pleasant-- and then go south toward LA on the coastal route.

Last spring, I drove from Pasadena to Palo Alto, and while I missed the very prime coastal route south of Pebble Beach, even the farmland just inland of the mountains was quite nice. If I should find myself with more than one day to make the same trip, I'd take Route 1 all the way up-- Big Sur, etc.

With your parameters--the "shops" especially--I'd try a stay at the Sonoma Mission Inn in Sonoma, and also a stay in Carmel, maybe at the La Playa Hotel. Both Sonoma and Carmel have some nice little boutiques and plenty of places to browse. If you like historic hotels, I might also add the Claremont Hotel and Spa in the Oakland Hills / Berkeley area. There are some nice home shops there especially if you like the arts and crafts style. Within San Francisco itself, the Huntington Hotel and Spa, together with its "Big 4" Restaurant, is one of my favorites.

You're on the right track with Monterey and Carmel. Once there, drive the Pacific Coast Highway as much as time allows and enjoy the breathtaking views of the Pacific.

When in SF, Berkley and Sausalito are right there and pleasant. Shops and restaurants abound. Head over to nearby Point Reyes,too, for the lovely scenery.

Lake Tahoe and environs aren't too far away and more than worth the effort. On the way, Truckee offers restaurants and shops as do North and South Tahoe.

Enjoy