With summer coming up, and Memorial Day weekend upon us, we thought we’d share some of our favorite Day Trips around the area!

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1. Monterey/Pacific Grove (About 2 hours)

Monarch butterflies, beautiful coast line, and seals. It honestly doesn’t get much better than this place. Cannery Row has great shops and restaurants, and of course the famous aquarium. Lover’s Point and Asilomar will take your breath away with their beauty. And if it’s not too chilly of a day you can head out to go whale watching.

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2. Wine Country (About 1 hour…or less)

The great thing about wine country is that you can plan how long you want to spend out there and how touristy you want to be. Napa provides all that is typical, with famous wineries and train tours, but definitely plan out your time there. It’s a popular place. If you head north to Healdsburg and Windsor you will most likely have more of a get away experience. With great wineries and small towns, but less tourist activity. Although it’s wine country…there’s always a little tourist activity.

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3. Santa Cruz (About 1 1/2 hours)

If you need some beach time, head here. Beautiful beaches, waterfront dining, and of course the boardwalk. A great place to adventure to with the kiddos or a group of friends.

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4. Sea Ranch (About 2 1/2 hours)

A little more of a hike, but a gorgeous get away. Sea ranch sits on the rugged north coast line and is home to some of the yummiest sea food.

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5. Point Reyes (About 2 hours)

If Sea Ranch is too far, but you want lighthouses and coastline and maybe some Sea Lions, then head out to point Reyes. It sits on the other side of the Golden Gate bridge and has great places to eat and visit (like Cowgirl Creamery).

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6. Angel Island/Tiburon (About 1 hour + a ferry ride)

Head over to Angel Island via the ferry for picnics, hiking, and beautiful views. You can extend the adventure by taking the ferry from Tiburon instead of Alameda and spend some time hiking or taking in the view on that side of the bay.

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7. Tomales Bay (About 1 1/2 hours)

Just north of Point Reyes lies Tomales Bay and a plethora of adventures. You can go hiking, horseback riding, wine tasting, cheese tasting at the Stauss Family Farm, beach lounging, kayaking, and a variety of other activities.

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8. Sausalito (About 45 minutes)

For me it’s all about the Marin Headlands and the water. (Am I sensing a theme here?) But, there is so much to see and do in Sausalito. Great shops and restaurants and hikes. And the views are to die for.

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9. Yosemite Valley ( About 3 1/2 hours)

Ok, I realize that this is the furthest place on this list…and that if I’m including it I should probably put Tahoe on here too. (I’m from Tahoe. I’ll do a full-fledged Tahoe guide I promise.) But, you can’t talk about places that are within reasonable driving distance and not include Yosemite. In case California isn’t beautiful enough for you, then go here. You can hike, rock climb, camp, stand in awe, see bears and wildlife, and just take in the beauty of this place. Definitely worth the curvy drive.

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10. Halfmoon Bay (About 1 1/2 hours)

Fancy hotels, a cute downtown, and some serious surfing. This is the kind of place to explore all of it’s different aspects and not feel like you have to stick to an agenda.

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11. Sacramento (About 2 hours)

If history and heat are more your cravings, take a drive to the central valley and Sacramento. The downtown area has excellent bars and restaurants and of course the capital of our beautiful state. It’s not as good for hoping to catch a glimpse of Arnold anymore…but there is definitely a lot to learn about this state’s history.

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12. Fort Ross (About 2 1/2 hours)

This is an old Russian fort that is great for exploring. Bring a picnic and some warm clothes and step back into some of California’s history.

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13. Pacifica (About 1 hour)

Pacifica is a great place to grab some Gorilla Barbecue and head down to the beach for a picnic, games, and surfing. A place for a nice relaxing beach get away that’s not too far away.

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14. Pescadero (About 1 1/2 hours)

Part of the rugged coastline below Halfmoon Bay is a beautiful place to go tidepooling, eat delicious tacos, and visit the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. You can go see Sea Lions depending on the time of year and it’s just a beautiful place to hang out.

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15. San Francisco (About 30 minutes? On a good day? :p)

I mean, if they can put Oakland on their day trip lists…we can put them on ours. There are so many great day trip adventures to have in the city and let’s be honest, the culture down here in the Bay Area is why we live here, why not take advantage of it? Whether it’s venturing to golden gate park and the Japanese Tea Gardens and the DeYoung, or wondering around the Mission with all of the hipsters, there are so many different neighborhoods and cultures to be explored in the city. My advice? Pick a neighborhood, do some research, and go adventuring! You never know what might happen.

 

Written by Lesley

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