Original Message:
Re: Marriott Vacation Club "Destinations" - What I Like and What I've Done (by Walter W.):
We're Marriott owners too (right now staying in Maui at the Marriott Ocean Beach Club - fantastic place...we own here and at Lake Tahoe Timbercove too), but we live in Sonoma Co. just over the hill from Napa Co. We're in the heart of California's winecountry, Santa Rosa is largest city in county about 50 miles north of Golden Gate Bridge. The suggestion you received to drive to Monterey is good but it takes about 3 to 4 hours one way to get there, San Simeno would be 6+ hours one way. California is a very large place and the distances shown on a map look close but are usually far away. San Francisco has a wonderful variety of things to do, I suggest you go to the Museum of Natural History, the De Young Museum, Golden Gate Bridge, take a tour to Alcatraz, eat in some wonderful restaurants there, take a ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito or Larkspur, great theatre but you'll need tickets in advance, etc. Take a drive through Napa Co to St. Helena, Calistoga then through the Alexander Valley into Sonoma Co. We have a beautiful coast line on the Pacific, drive thru Guerneville, to Jenner, make a left and drive down the coast to Bodega Bay then into Marin Co. to Tomales, then inland to Petaluma - a most beautiful drive. The redwood trees can be seen in Guerneville in Armstrong Grove or down in Marin Muir Woods. We have travelled all over the world yet every time we fly into the Bay Area we say how lucky we are to live in such a diverse/beautiful country. Hope that you have a wonderful time when you come here. OH, if you like wine you couldn't come to a better place than Napa/Sonoma Counties. Great traveling!