what are the best places to visit in northern california/bay area?

i have 5-6 days to spend.

Public Comments

1. Option 1: San Francisco can fill your 5 days. Or add nearby state parks if you are tired of city things. Option 2: Monterey and Yosemite NP Option 3: (really north) try Redwood NP If it's your first time there, San Francisco should be a good choice.
2. I would definitely get to the redwoods if you are in the area. I love those old trees. And Pier 39 is the requisite tourist trap with alcatraz a close second. If you get down to Monterey I love the aquarium there and I love the old wooden roller coaster at santa cruz. SF is just a fun place to wander around... lots of very good museums in golden gate park. I would just make a list of your interests and see what's nearby. If you want to do some cheesy touristy stuff... check out the smoke shops on haight & ashbury... poke around in old shops in chinatown... I love all those things and can spend a day at any one of them. Maybe book a cruise for a day to look for whales or go to a lot of plays or the symphony.
3. Hearst Castle just for a day. Then you can check out the elephant seals... www.hearst-castle.org
4. Well, you have to go to San Francisco. Whenever I am in town I like to go to Pier 39. There is a lot of touristy stuff to do there. The aqauirum is there with tons of shops. http://www.pier39.com/ I also like to go to the legendary Haight-Ashbury street. A lot of really nice vintage stores along with some other really nice places to shop. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haight-Ashbury Also check out the Golden Gate Bridge. http://www.goldengate.org/ And Alcatraz http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz You should also travel down south to the Monterey pennisula and go to the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. I love going there. It is one of the best, no, the best, aquariums I have ever been to. http://www.mbayaq.org/ You should also go down to the famous Cannery Row. A lot of tourist shops that overlook the beach. http://www.canneryrow.com/ Also, you can take a tour on the 17 Mile Drive where the famous Lone Cyprus is. It also has some of the most beautiful beaches and houses. http://www.monterey.com/mcP/mpi/pages/activities-dining_17miledrive.html Also, check out Alvarado St. and the Monterey Wharf. They have yummy clam chowder in a bread bowl. http://www.montereywharf.com/ If you are up near Santa Cruz, check out the beach boardwalk. It was used to film some movies, one being "Lost Boys". Either way it is a really fun place. It is free to walk around but you have to pay if you want to go on the rides. They have mini-golf, laser tag, bowling, and arcades as well. http://www.beachboardwalk.com/ They also have the Roaring Camp Railroads which take you into some of the forested areas near Felton. http://www.roaringcamp.com/ In San Jose there is the Winchester Mystery House. http://www.winchestermysteryhouse.com/ And they also have the Tech Museum of Innovation which I think is doing the Body exhibit. http://www.thetech.org/ Also check out the Exploratorium. It is a pretty cool place. http://www.exploratorium.edu/