Can anyone offer advice about a trip to Napa/Sonoma?

- The Bay Area tends to be cool in December. But cool is a relative term - San Francisco will be distinctly cooler than Napa/Sonoma. But it's far more temperate than where I live in Upstate NY. The weather in March will be warmer, but that's the 'rainy' season. The area doesn't get a lot of rain, but there is more in late Winter.

- depends on how much time you plan to spend there. My suggestion is that a day of touring wineries and tasting wines is sufficient - after that, they get repetitive. Something that we have found to be a nice excursion is the luncheon trip on the Napa Valley Wine Train. It leaves from Napa late morning (11ish) and takes about 3 1/2 hours, so it pretty much kills a second day. That said, my experience is that Sonoma is less crowded and more friendly than Napa - still lots of wineries in both areas, and while they all charge for tastings, I think the Sonoma wineries are be bit less pricey. Great restaurants in both areas. And you can easily drive from one to the other since they are less than an hour apart.

- some of the more interesting wineries are Castelo de Amoroso (for the architecture), Clos Pegase (for the art) and Chateau Monteleone (for the overall setting) - all in Napa. In Sonoma, try Gundlach Bundschu (famous for their zinfandel), Hop Kiln, and Chateau St .Jean (famous for chardonnay).

- there are a number of art galleries in both Napa and Sonoma, as well as a few historical sites. Forget shopping - you can do that at home. My suggestion is to continue north toward the Russian River and then find your way to the coast (at Bodega Bay) and then follow Route 1 back to the City, stopping at Muir Woods, Marin Headlands, and Sausalito along the way.

- for driving - if you don't have your own GPS, rent one with the car. I always take my own and have it preprogrammed with the places we want to go. Traffic in the Bay Area is pretty heavy - you don't want to be struggling with maps.

- San Francisco is expensive. You could probably save a little by staying south of the City toward Burlingame (near the airport). Since you have a car, getting into the City will be easy.

- one of the popular things to do in the City is Alcatraz. You need to book your ferry transport in advance - they will sell out! A good suggestion is to book on the first ferry of the day since that will be the least crowded and will get you to the island before the crowds.

December is a wild card - it rains in northern California a lot in winter. March is closer to the of the rainy season, but it's raining there now on April 1st (no fooling either!).

Of course all the wineries have indoor tasting rooms, and a little moisture in the air brings out the smells of the vineyards, and other subtleties.

Both Napa and Sonoma counties are beautiful. You could go from Napa to Sonoma and then head down the coast to SF and maybe even down to Monterey, if you don't mind ~ 1-1/2 hour drive.

Santa Rosa has some nice hotels, and there's some nice places out by the coast.

So many questions..... You never know what the weather will be in advance - not like Chicago or someplace where December is guaranteed snow. It could be a fine day in December, it could be a cold, drenching rain, there's no way to know, right now. March would be one of the very best times to go - it will be beautiful in every way. Also lots of other people but thats' the breaks.

You can't really do Napa and Sonoma both in ~a single day~ but if you are inclined I'd certainly say to do both in a trip. Napa is sort of like France or Italy - we were in Asti and it was very much like Napa. Sonoma is earthier and funkier but in a good way. They are very different and both good and both have good wine, in general. Napa is more expensive, overall. As we locals like to say, it's Sanapa-Noma...........

To pick up the flavor of each area and drink some wine, one day in each is good. If you like it there or you just want to explore wine - there are hundreds of wineries - you could easily stay a week. Google Napa wine country and Sonoma Valley wine country and there are several websites that will tell you about coming events.

In San Francisco the two main places to stay are Union Square or Fisherman's Wharf. I am sitting in Union Square right now, and it's always my recommendation. It's downtown, shopping, food, etc.

There are wine tours, there's a wine train still running I guess. You'd need to Google those as I'm not up to date. It might be cheaper to stay in SF and make the valleys into day trips as they are 1 1/2 - 2 hours away and the wineries open at 10 anyway. There's LOTS to do - use Google for San Francisco, Napa and Sonoma, wine tours if you want, etc. I'm not a tour guide, meaning I don't have all that at my fingertips, and there's too much to write anyway.

In my opinion, it doesnt rain enough. We are lucky if get some anytime of year. Napa and Sonoma are cool in December but dry since they are away from the bay. Part of Sonoma county goes all the way to the coast.

The town of Sonoma might be more interesting. Napa is mostly a suburban retired town. Both get rather hot in summer.

They are about 1 1/4 hrs from San Francisco. Sonoma county extends north to Mendocino and east toward Sacramento.

You can take mudbaths in Calistoga and Sonoma. There is Silverado Resort and Golf course. There is Thunder Valley casino or River Rock Casino in Geyserville.

HYPERDOG: Monterrey is 2 1/2 hrs from S.F. on 101. Even Santa Cruz takes 2 hrs.

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Can anyone offer advice about a trip to Napa/Sonoma?

For my daughter's 21st birthday, we'd like to do something memorable, that she couldn't legally do at 20. We were thinking a trip to the wine country might fit the bill. Looking for advice!

-- She can probably only get away during winter break from college. Is it miserable in...

December is traditionally the rainiest month in Sonoma County; moreso toward the coast. I have seen Decembers without one rain-free day. March can be either way..cloud-covered and dreay all day or delightful and sunny. As I write, fog is lifting out of the redwoods and rising from the Russian River. The sky is gray although I suspect that will chang by 1PM and the afternoon will be sunny and warm.

Be handled to an unforgettable San Francisco knowledge and discover why you should visit this town with hotelbye . In San Francisco you are able to look at the popular Golden Gate Bridge how was once called "the bridge that couldn't be created" and how is today one the eight miracles of the modern world. That impressive connection is San Francisco's many popular landmark. In San Francisco you can even go to the Lombard Street. Often named the “crookedest” road on the planet, this panoramic path on Russian Hill features restricted converts, fresh gardens and beautiful opinions of the bay and Alcatraz. San Francisco is definitely a city that will surprise you and where you could have the perfect holyday.

I was born in 1961. I grew up watching Walter Cronkite cover the Gemini and Apollo programs. I've been fascinated by manned spaceflight my whole life. It's been my lifelong dream to go. However, I now have a wife and two small daughters, the youngest of whom is "special". So, I'd stay here now.