We know many of you are coming from afar and planning additional time to explore Northern California. Please feel free to reach out directly with any questions or for suggestions.

Following are some highlights to consider:

1. Point Reyes Area - Great hiking trails of all distances in Point Reyes National Seashore (Tomales Point, Estero Trail, Sky/Woodward Valley Trail, Kehoe Beach, and Abbot's Lagoon are favorites), BBQ oysters and other goodies at Marshall Store or Tony's seafood, Fruit tonic floats and grilled cheeses at the Culture Shop in Point Reyes, cheese tasting at Point Reyes Cheese's dairy farm (book 3 weeks ahead), amazing sandwiches to take on hikes from Inverness Park Market, renting kayaks through Blue Water kayaks on Tomales Bay, having a beer at the Western, live music at Rancho Nicasio, and wine/olive oil tasting at McEvoy Ranch are all highly recommended.

2. Marin County - The broader County that we live in has many outdoor options to explore including hiking on Mt. Tam, giant redwoods at Muir Woods (be sure to reserve parking spot there at least two weeks ahead), walking and swimming on Stinson Beach, eating on the wharf at FISH in Sausalito (perhaps after a bike ride across Golden Gate Bridge and then taking ferry back), and hiking in the Marin headlands are all less than an hour away.

3. San Francisco - Too many options to name - North Beach (Tony's pizza, Vesuvio's bar, City Lights bookstore), Chinatown (fortune cookie factory), Golden Gate Park (so many museums, activities, and gardens - great to bike around), Haight Ashbury (thrift stores and hippie paraphernalia), Twin Peaks (views), Mission (Balmy alley for murals, La Taqueria for burritos, Urban Putt for SF themed mini golf in a former morturary), Yerba Buena (museums and galleries), Presidio (walks, views, Andrew Goldsworthy sculptures, and food trucks), Lands End for the best view of the Golden Gate, Alcatraz (book ahead), Ocean Beach for a bonfire, Baker Beach (just might be warm enough to dip your feet in), and pretty much everywhere you turn views, staircase walks, bookstores, restaurants, and interesting people.

4. Oakland/Berkeley

Views/Walks: Grizzly Peak for the best drive up for sunset or Inspiration Point for the best sunset hike, Mountain View Cemetary (walking or driving), Redwood Regional Park (park here), Claremont Canyon (park here and walk up), take a lap around Lake Merritt, or find some inner peace in the labyrinths at Sibley.

Food: Market Hall for delicious prepared picnic foods to take on any of the above walks, Viks Chaat house for awesome Indian food, Burma Superstar (Tea Leaf Salad is a must order, head to The Avenue across the street or the Kingfish nearby for a drink after), Jo's Modern Thai , great Mexican food isn't hard to find check out Cactus for a no frills burrito or Doña for more upscale fare, Cafe Colucci for great Ethiopean food, grab some wood fire pizza and a glass of beer at Drake's Dealership, head to Chinatown for some hand pulled noodles at Shan Dong, stuff your face with the best Mac & Cheese ever at Homeroom, and finish it all off with the biggest ice cream sundae of your life at Fenton's.

Activities: You HAVE to go to Fairyland if you're traveling with little ones, if you have a non-wedding occupied Friday night head to Fridays at the Oakland Museum of California, catch a movie at the historic Grand Lake Theater or trade a traditional movie theater seat for a couch at The New Parkway, wander around the UC Berkeley campus, or rent a paddle boat on Lake Merritt.

5. Wine Country - Napa, Sonoma, Russian River are all within two hours of us. Favorite wineries to visit include Gloria Ferrer, Gundlau-Bunschu, Iron Horse, Medlock-Ames, St. Supery, and Unti. Most require advance reservation, and we find we can enjoy up to three in one day. El Molino Central in Sonoma makes incredible Oaxacan food served on picnic tables when you want a tasting break and Glen Ellen Star is a favorite dinner stop. Exploring Jack London State Park, climbing Mt. St. Helena, and biking on the Napa bike trail are good outdoors options, and Calistoga is famous for its hot springs and mud baths (Indian Springs is a great place to stay there).

Farther afield (3-4 hours away) are Lake Tahoe, Anderson Wine Valley, Mendocino Coast, Santa Cruz, Monterey & Big Sur, Yosemite, and much more.