Near San Francisco

[Jeremy Roussak]

Any suggestions for interesting locations within a shortish drive of San Francisco? I'll be there for a few days just before Easter (second week of April).

Jeremy

[Jeremy Roussak]

Anyone? I'm not asking for tripod holes, you understand: just some pointers.

Jeremy

[Paul Sumi]

What is "a shortish drive?"  How far you are willing to travel opens up more options, like Big Sur.

Here's a couple of popular destinations close to the city.

Marin Headlands

http://www.parksconservancy.org/visit/park-sites/marin-headlands.html

Muir Woods

http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm

[Jeremy Roussak]

How far is "a shortish drive?"  How far you are willing to travel opens up more options, like Big Sur.

Thanks. Muir woods was certainly on my list.

I'm staying in SF for three nights before driving in a fairly leisurely fashion down to Beverly Hills, where my brother lives, so I'll detour to see interesting places to the south then. "shortish" means perhaps an hour or two.

If I'm luck enough to get a fog around the bridge, where's a good place for an overview?

Jeremy

[aduke]

A little further up the coast, Point Reyes National Seashore. If the weather is not good for photography, the mussels out of Tomales Bay are great.

Alan

[NancyP]

Muir Woods.
Even if the photographic conditions are not ideal, it will be a memorable and awe-inspiring hike. It is dark under tho canopy.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

My choices have already been mentioned: In order (from SF), Muir Woods, Marin Headlands, Point Reyes. Any two will keep you busy.

Eric

[Michael West]

The Pt. Reyes Peninsula is a spot of great interest. Dairy Farms...with Elk. A waterfall that empties into the Pacific Ocean. for starters

The Nicasio "Resivoir" at sunset..many acres of rolling hills broken up by what appear to be several streams but  are in fact a county reservoir

Muir Woods for the several thousand year old redwoods

[Michael West]

theres part of an old fort just north of the GG Bridge..which is high above the bridge.

The first exit on north  side of the bridge

[Isaac]

Anyone? I'm not asking for tripod holes, you understand: just some pointers.

Maybe ask (search) in Landscape Photography Locations and be more specific about the kind-of thing you'd like to see and how far you're willing to move from your car.

Try browsing:

-- Insider Guides from Sunset Magazine.

-- Fodor's Travel The Bay Area Travel Guide

[dspeed]

Closer in, you have the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park, The Palace of Fine Art, Fort Union at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge.  I like Muir Beach as well.

[Jeremy Roussak]

Thanks, all; that's very helpful. Three weeks to go!

Jeremy

[Rajan Parrikar]

Another possible excursion - consider the drive to Lick Observatory on Mt Hamilton -

http://www.ucolick.org

[Jim Kasson]

I'm staying in SF for three nights before driving in a fairly leisurely fashion down to Beverly Hills, where my brother lives, so I'll detour to see interesting places to the south then. "shortish" means perhaps an hour or two.

On your way down south, take Skyline Boulevard (Hwy 35), then Hwy 84 or 9 to Hwy 1. Drive down the coast on Hwy 1, stopping as you wish at Moss Landing, Pt. Lobos (find Edward Weston's tripod holes), Garrapata Beach (Find Morley Baer's tripod holes), Pfeiffer Big Sur, Cambria, etc. Join 101 at San Luis Obispo and take that to the 405. South on that to Mulholland (if you want to go in to BH the back way), or Sunset.

Jim

[David Eckels]

On your way down south, take Skyline Boulevard (Hwy 35), then Hwy 84 or 9 to Hwy 1. Drive down the coast on Hwy 1, stopping as you wish at Moss Landing, Pt. Lobos (find Edward Weston's tripod holes), Garrapata Beach (Find Morley Baer's tripod holes), Pfeiffer Big Sur, Cambria, etc. Join 101 at San Luis Obispo and take that to the 405. South on that to Mulholland (if you want to go in to BH the back way), or Sunset.

Jim

+1 !!!

[Isaac]

On your way down south, take Skyline Boulevard (Hwy 35), then Hwy 84 or 9 to Hwy 1. Drive down the coast on Hwy 1...

Given that route, it makes less sense to visit Muir Woods; and Point Reyes is more like a day-trip.

For coastal redwoods detour off Hwy 9 on Hwy 236 to Big Basin State Park -- you'll escape the crowds and the biggest redwoods are on a very convenient, half-mile loop trail.

Along Skyline Boulevard (Hwy 35) there are many "vista points", mostly looking across SF Bay towards Mt Diablo, but with a short walk (Borel Hill pdf) also looking across to the pacific.

In retrospect even the out-of-date 1994 Michelin Green Guide to California is packed with excellent visitor information; and when you're in SF, visit one of the CSAA offices and give them $5 for a "Coast and Valley: Bay Area to Southern California" printed map.