THERE ARE SO MANY AWESOME THINGS TO DO HERE.

ABOVE THE BRIDGE, MARIN AND BEYOND

TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE THROUGH THE HEADLANDS. If you are driving to one of our events, just plan an extra 20-25 minutes and do it. Trust us. If you're driving north from SF, take U.S. 101 north over the Golden Gate Bridge to Exit 442 for Alexander Avenue. Take that exit and drive under the highway and curve south to Conzelman Road, signed "Marin Headlands Coastal Route." Turn right (west) on Conzelman. You can take Conzelman Road directly to our ceremony/reception venue (the Headlands Center for the Arts) or drive past the venue and take the tunnel to get to the Welcome Dinner (Travis Marina, right by Cavallo Point Lodge). When you are in the headlands you won't have cell reception so look up directions before-hand!

- Wine Tasting: Our fav winery is Scribe in Sonoma. They are a no-checmical vineyard (so california) and they have normal tasting options where you can get the wine and sit on picnic blankets very casually and wonderfully, but they also a really nice snack pairing from rotating awesome chefs from the city who do little dishes with each wine. SO, if anyone is feeling particularly fancy we'd definitely recommend that. And if you are going in the Sonoma direction for wine tasting, we'd recommend stopping at Fremont Diner for awesome BBQ to soak up some of that wine :) (and you can grab beers on their patio area if there is a wait for the table/ if you are tired of wine?)

- Oysters by the marshes: Lots of kayaking options either on the bay (right next to the hotel) or in the marshes in Marin and Tomales Bay (closer to the oysters). And a great post kayak treat could be to get fresh oysters at either the Marshall Store (our fav, a little shack right by the water) or Hog Isand Oyster Co. (the Marin classic). 

- Beach bonfires. Most CA beaches don't allow bonfires, but you are allowed to build one at either Muir Beach (in Marin) if you wanted to end your day in Marin here or Ocean Beach (in SF, definitely more of a scene but also wonderful and a nice way to end an SF day). There are also some great hikes from Mt. Tamalpais down to the beach if the reverse is your preference.

-Point Bonita lighthouse: This is super close to the wedding venue and only open on Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays. Super gorgeous lighthouse off a cliff, and right near some cool old batteries and forts from World War one (for the history buffs in our family). 

- Mill Valley Beer Works: For a quiet and lovely beer/bite, this is an awesome spot, and you can take a little stroll through the mini redwood park nearby to burn off some of your snacking.  

-Equator Coffee: Two locations in Marin, highly recommend the caramel shakerato. 

- Point Reyes is a cute seaside town and has an awesome creamery called cowgirl that you can go to for various cheese tasting activities. 

-Redwoods: Samuel P. Taylor has some awesome second growth redwoods if you don't feel like taking the slightly longer drive to Muir Woods (both are awesome though, and Muir is def worth the drive if you have time). 

BELOW THE BRIDGE, SF

Classic SF (on every SF bucket list)

- Scenic transportation: Take an historic street car for a scenic ride through SF’s older neighborhoods (California Street has some epic hills) or rent a bike and ride across the Golden Gate Bridge, then take the ferry back. Speaking of ferries, you can also get your ferry on the bay fix by going to Alcatraz or Angel Island

- Picnics: Have a picnic at Crissy Field to enjoy the sun and great views of the Golden Gate Bridge or head to Dolores Park with pastries from Tartine Bakery, and snacks/ice cream from Bi-Rite

- Classic noshing: Check out Mel's diner across the city for the quintessential American diner experience or check out the food stalls/trucks at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market on Tuesday or Thursday. For more food trucks check out Off The Grid food trucks in the Upper Haight Thursday evening, 08/10

- More views: Almost every hill in SF rewards you with an awesome view. A traditional viewpoint is Coit Tower for a panorama of SF’s skyline and the bay or you can grab a bite to eat at Bistro at the Cliff House overlooking the Pacific, just north of Ocean Beach.

Our Favs (what we love doing)

- Snacks in the Mission: So many awesome taco places. We love Taqueria Vallarta in the Mission, followed by some local ice cream around the corner at Humphrey Slocombe (C loves the secret breakfast flavor).

- Toast: To investigate SF’s silly but delish fad of fancy toast, try The Mill in Hayes Valley or Trouble Coffee in Outer Sunset (super close to Ocean Beach!)

- Fancy drinking: For some SF coffee, try one of the many locations of Sightglass, Four Barrel, or Blue Bottle. For fancy cocktails check out ABV or Trick Dog. For craft beer and a cool semi-outdoor setting try Southern Pacific Brewing. 

- More food: For brunch with lines, try Plow (plug for our neighborhood) or Tartine Manufactory (super cute space in the mission). Head out to Outer Sunset for dumplings or Chinese. Or grab our fav waffles and wings at Hot Sauce and Panko in Nob Hill. 

- Perusing: For cool SF bookstores, try Dog Eared Books or Borderlands (sci-fi nerd heaven).