We just got a STD for a wedding Labor Day weekend in Palo Alto. I know flights will be expensive because of the holiday but what about hotels? Would you spend the rest of the weekend in SF (we have never been) or Napa?
Palo Alto is close to an hour outside SF; e.g., I would NOT stay in a hotel in SF and expect to just pop down for the wedding. You'll end up doing a lot of driving. Napa is about another hour from SF, in the opposite direction.
Palo Alto is close to an hour outside SF; e.g., I would NOT stay in a hotel in SF and expect to just pop down for the wedding. You'll end up doing a lot of driving. Napa is about another hour from SF, in the opposite direction.
Are you only going to stay in town for 2 days?
The wedding is on Sunday night so we would try to get in Friday morning and leave Monday morning. If DH has started a new job we may need to go Friday night/Saturday morning.
They were good friends in college, came to our wedding 7 years ago (1 year after college) but we haven't seen or spoken to them much since then. I would love to go but not if the wedding is the only thing we can do while we are there since it will be $$$.
Palo Alto is close to an hour outside SF; e.g., I would NOT stay in a hotel in SF and expect to just pop down for the wedding. You'll end up doing a lot of driving. Napa is about another hour from SF, in the opposite direction.
Are you only going to stay in town for 2 days?
The wedding is on Sunday night so we would try to get in Friday morning and leave Monday morning. If DH has started a new job we may need to go Friday night/Saturday morning.
They were good friends in college, came to our wedding 7 years ago (1 year after college) but we haven't seen or spoken to them much since then. I would love to go but not if the wedding is the only thing we can do while we are there since it will be $$$.
Hrm, yeah. That schedule makes it even trickier. There really isn't a lot of stuff to do in PA, save for walking around the cute downtown and/or Stanford, lol.
I mean, you could do SF or Napa Fri and Sat, drive 1-2 hours to Palo Alto on Sunday, and then do... I dunno what on Monday. The Computer History Museum in Mountain View? LOL
Post by mrs.jacinthe on Feb 21, 2017 20:31:22 GMT -5
Personally, I'd fly in Friday morning if you can. Spend Fri in SF, Saturday in Napa. I'd probably get a hotel in SF and use one of the car/limo services for the Napa tour. Sunday AM, you can do whatever (sleep in, eat leisurely brunch, whatever) then take CalTrain to Palo Alto (about 45 minutes) and Lyft to the wedding venue. Get a hotel in PA or near the venue, then Lyft and/or CalTrain and/or Super Shuttle to SFO Monday morning.
I think a whirlwind SF/Napa tour is entirely possible.
We got married on Sunday of Labor Day Weekend. It was sort of a 'destination' for most, too. Wedding was in Colorado where live, but most people had to fly in. We had about 55-60% attendance of the invites we sent out, which was exactly in line with our expectations. In other words, we knew it would be inconvenient for some and that they wouldn't be able to make it work. I really think they'll be ok/understand if you don't go.
My SIL lives in Palo Alto. We are staying in San Francisco for DH's conference, then going to Muir Woods (day trip), then staying in San Jose.
Our plans in San Jose mostly include visiting SIL and other friends that live in the bay area but we're going to tour the Winchester Mystery House while we are there. I'm pumped, I love touring weird stuff.
ETA: I would plan on staying near the site of the wedding and just visiting San Francisco one of the days you are there. It wouldn't make sense to do the opposite.
Personally, I'd fly in Friday morning if you can. Spend Fri in SF, Saturday in Napa. I'd probably get a hotel in SF and use one of the car/limo services for the Napa tour. Sunday AM, you can do whatever (sleep in, eat leisurely brunch, whatever) then take CalTrain to Palo Alto (about 45 minutes) and Lyft to the wedding venue. Get a hotel in PA or near the venue, then Lyft and/or CalTrain and/or Super Shuttle to SFO Monday morning.
I think a whirlwind SF/Napa tour is entirely possible.
This doesn't sound fun to me at all, lol. But that may just be me.
If I DID do a whirlwind, I'd probably fly into Sacramento, hit Napa first, then SF, then wedding, then fly out of SFO.
Personally, I'd fly in Friday morning if you can. Spend Fri in SF, Saturday in Napa. I'd probably get a hotel in SF and use one of the car/limo services for the Napa tour. Sunday AM, you can do whatever (sleep in, eat leisurely brunch, whatever) then take CalTrain to Palo Alto (about 45 minutes) and Lyft to the wedding venue. Get a hotel in PA or near the venue, then Lyft and/or CalTrain and/or Super Shuttle to SFO Monday morning.
I think a whirlwind SF/Napa tour is entirely possible.
Namasteak this would cost an arm and a leg and be exhausting. Wearing your wedding guest attire on Caltrain? No. Mrs. Jacinthe are you a robot? Lol.
LOL, apparently. I was thinking of a hotel switch for Sunday night, but I forgot to put that in there. I do not suggest wearing formal attire on CalTrain, namasteak.
FTR, that's totally a tour schedule I'd be ok with, but I may have different standards than most. We have been known to train out, spend 5 hours in the city, and then train home. However, since it's Labor Day Weekend, I might avoid Napa altogether - it'll be a traffic nightmare. Just spend Fri/Sat/Sun am in SF.
Post by imojoebunny on Feb 21, 2017 20:45:55 GMT -5
There are quite a few fun things to do around Stanford. My Aunt and Uncle live in Menlo Park, less than a 1/4 mile from Stanford campus, and this place is super neat www.alliedartsguild.org/
Stanford, also has several museums, that are nice, and the campus is very pretty to bike or walk through (might have a bike share in the town or through the hotel, we use aunt and uncles. Very bike friendly). There is a commuter train that you can take into San Fran for the day. That is what we have done, when we are not spending the night in downtown with my cousin. There are also places like Half Moon Bay that are not too far, and are pretty drives with lots of hikes and things to see (We are hikers, but there are cute coastal towns, shopping, food, ect). I do not see Napa as an option for a short weekend. A day trip to San Fran on Saturday, maybe, but there is plenty to do outside of that.
Palo Alto and Menlo Park are plenty fun for a weekend. Good food, enough to see and do, especially with a wedding.
There are quite a few fun things to do around Stanford. My Aunt and Uncle live in Menlo Park, less than a 1/4 mile from Stanford campus, and this place is super neat www.alliedartsguild.org/
Stanford, also has several museums, that are nice, and the campus is very pretty to bike or walk through (might have a bike share in the town or through the hotel, we use aunt and uncles. Very bike friendly). There is a commuter train that you can take into San Fran for the day. That is what we have done, when we are not spending the night in downtown with my cousin. There are also places like Half Moon Bay that are not too far, and are pretty drives with lots of hikes and things to see (We are hikers, but there are cute coastal towns, shopping, food, ect). I do not see Napa as an option for a short weekend. A day trip to San Fran on Saturday, maybe, but there is plenty to do outside of that.
Palo Alto and Menlo Park are plenty fun for a weekend. Good food, enough to see and do, especially with a wedding.
My SIL lives in Palo Alto. We are staying in San Francisco for DH's conference, then going to Muir Woods (day trip), then staying in San Jose.
Our plans in San Jose mostly include visiting SIL and other friends that live in the bay area but we're going to tour the Winchester Mystery House while we are there. I'm pumped, I love touring weird stuff.
ETA: I would plan on staying near the site of the wedding and just visiting San Francisco one of the days you are there. It wouldn't make sense to do the opposite.
Hah! You'll be in my hood. Like, literally in my neighborhood. WMH is a little hokey, but fun.
Also, don't fly into SFO. You can take a direct flight out of Hobby into OAK. SFO has terrible on time rates, no point in driving to IAH for that since you are closer to HOU anyway.
we're going to tour the Winchester Mystery House while we are there.
Go with a good sense of humor. I made DH go, after seeing a documentary, thought it would be awesome, though I was warned otherwise. Of all the places in CA, I have been, it is the last place I would choose to go again, though I can't say I am not glad to have gotten it out of my system. It is now a buzz word in our house, "Tourist suck you in spot" is a a "Winchester".
If you do stay in PA or MP, fly into San Jose. Oakland is many miles and a bridge away.
It can be worth it for a direct flight, but otherwise, I agree.
OP, I would stay in PA in an airbnb. Do two of the following: 1. Drive along hwy 1 from half Moon bay to Capitola, 2. See the redwoods in big basin or portola or castle Rock state parks + Fogarty winery, 3. Day in SF.
I'm only a couple miles south of PA should you desire a meet up.
Labor Day weekend in San Francisco is the BEST. A lot of residents are gone for Burning Man, so the city is quieter (and has a lot fewer annoying hipsters. Sorry, Burning Man fans....).
I'd skip Napa - it's going to be so crowded, and the traffic is bananas over holiday weekends.