STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

blubirde · Chanel

San Fran/Coastal Areas - *sigh* trying to be cheery about this vaca - long

Kitty · Hermes

Santa Cruz?

NCshopper · Hermes

What about the Monterey aquarium? I can't remember how far Monterey is from SF, but it's pretty cool.

I do have to say though, if you've never been to that part of the CA coast, it is really beautiful. Carmel is cool too--it's not a super big happening city like SF, but it's a cool, laid back beach town with lots of neat little shops. It kind of reminds me of La Jolla (in San Diego) if you've ever been there.

Is there any way you could venture from the group for a day or so and stay in SF while they go and do their thing? I would just frame it as "This is my only vacation for the year, and you all know I'm not a big outdoorsy person. I'd really love to hang out for a day more in the city, even if that means you all still want to do your thing. Would anyone's feelings be hurt if I skipped out on the group for a day to sightsee in the city?" If you were my IRL friend, I totally wouldn't mind and I'd understand. Hell, maybe there's someone else in the group that would rather do the same!

shopgirl82 · Chanel

when i go on vacation, once i get somewhere, i like to be there, and not in the car driving to a ton of other places. i can probably put up with an hour in the car tops. anyway, i went to san fran this year for a couple of days and my bf and i did the wineries all day one day and i love love loved it. i wish we had gone all day one day, stay the night there, and then all day/half a day the next day. that would have been the perfect amount of time for me at the wineries. one day driving there and coming back wasn't really enough for me, but then again i love wineries.

as far as small towns, we went to sausilito for half a day and that was perfect. it's not far (ideal for someone who doesn't like the car) and it had some cute little shops/art shops. i wouldn't spend more than a couple of hours there, but it was nice for a half day trip that wasn't too far at all. i think it's about 20 minutes away but i could be wrong.

that's about all i can recommend.

Metric · Gucci

Is it absolutely necessary to stick together the whole time? Could you take a day to yourself to explore the city while your friends go and do their thing?

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

I don't think you're being whiny at all. Can you just split off from the group for the days they're like touring a forest? (That would be a big, "Eh" for me too...) When I go on a trip with a friend I assume that at least a couple of our activities are going to be separate. Or wait, am I slow and that's what you're asking... Either way, I say let them go to Carmel and meet up afterward or just spend the rest of the vaca separate...

rosie_the_riveter · Gucci

Hmm....I'm originally from the Monterey Bay area. I never go to Carmel, although, it is beautiful there, the people are snooty, rich bastards. The views in Monterey and Carmel are absolutely beautiful though. There's not much shopping in Carmel as it is small. They have a shopping center named, The Barnyard, I've never been though. I think they also have an Antrho somewhere. In Monterey, there's a mall, The Del Monte Shopping Center. Nothing special there just a regular mall (open air). I guess the best things in Monterey besides the beach are the aquarium (if you're into looking at oversized fish tanks) and the fisherman's wharf (it's stinky though). Monterey is about 2 - 2.5 hours from S.F.

I'd definitely recommend Santa Cruz though. There are a lot of cool little shops there. I can't remember the street name though. They also have the Capitola mall. You could hang out at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The admission is free but to get on the roller coasters and other rides you have to buy tickets or an all day pass.

Hey, you could go shopping at the Gilroy Premium outlets on HWY 101. They have tons of stores. Coach, Banana Republic, Gap, and all kinds of others. I know people come froom all around to go to the Gilroy stores.

ETA: it's Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz

-- Edited by rosie_the_riveter at 21:52, 2007-03-05

Kitty · Hermes

rosie_the_riveter wrote:

ETA: it's Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruz

-- Edited by rosie_the_riveter at 21:52, 2007-03-05

Yup, that's what I would recommend if you go there. I love santa cruz (went to college there) and there's a lot of cool shops, places to eat, bars, etc.

kittenheels · Coach

Hmmm. I stayed in Carmel for a wedding a few years ago. It was really pretty, but there wasn't much to do - all the shops seemed like art galleries. The aquarium in Monterey is really neat (DH's grandmother is still a volunteer there). Those sea otters are the cutest little things ever!

I also recommend the Gilroy outlets - they are awesome!

I just got back from a trip with two good friends. We spent 8 days in Paris, and often would do someting separate for part of or a whole day. It's really nice, because then you still get the fun parts of travel, but also get some time to yourself. I'm sure they would understand if you wanted to take an extra day or so to yourself.

Have a wonderful trip!

alagirl · Kenneth Cole

I went to Monterey/Carmel/SF about a year ago. I spent about 2/3 of a day in Carmel just browsing the shops, taking a time out for coffee, etc. I enjoyed it because it was totally unlike anything we have here in Alabama. Carmel had an open air mall type place too- I think it's called Carmel Plaza. They had Louis Vitton, Anthro, BR, Tiffany, and some other cool stores.
The Del Monte Center in Monterey is really not anything grand - but it is OK.
The area really is beautiful. My husband and I also did the drive around Pebble Beach and had a lovely dinner at Roy's. We were there right before sundown and the views were incredible and there were guys playing bagpipes outside.
With all that being said, I don't think it would be selfish to hang out in SF one day while the rest of the group did something else.

blubirde · Chanel

Thanks for the suggestions. Santa Cruz sounds much more like something I'd like. If the others don't go for it, I think I'll suggest they go to Carmel and I'll stay in SF. They were thinking about spending the night though... Maybe I can talk them out of that bit.

Now they've added a baseball game to the itinerary. I love baseball and think it's very cool to see a game but, again, it's limiting our already limited time in the city. I'm now thinking the best case scenario is for them to go to Carmel, hang out for a day, and then come back to SF and meet up with me. I can find my way around pretty easily, I'm sure. It's not too tricky, or at least it wasn't the last time I was there.

zeitgeist4 · Gucci

blubirde wrote:

Now they've added a baseball game to the itinerary. I love baseball and think it's very cool to see a game but, again, it's limiting our already limited time in the city. I'm now thinking the best case scenario is for them to go to Carmel, hang out for a day, and then come back to SF and meet up with me. I can find my way around pretty easily, I'm sure. It's not too tricky, or at least it wasn't the last time I was there.

If they go watch a ball game you could hang around in the area instead. SBC Park is on the bag where the piers are, so you could walk along Embarcadero and sightsee and go the farmer's market in the ferry building, and Union Square isn't far.

blubirde · Chanel

Yes! Problem temporarily solved. I told them I was going to skip out on Carmel and do my own thing that day. Apparently they didn't like me doing my own thing (bad) but decided instead to compromise and cut out the woods and beach day bit (good). So now the only days we'll be out of the city is one to Napa (no complaints) and one to Carmel/Monterey (eh). If there's only one "eh" on this trip, I'm happy. (I'm still working on changing the Carmel/Monterey bit to a Santa Cruz bit so we'll see on that one...)

Thanks for letting me bitch and whine. It helped having someone to talk to that's not involved in the trip in anyway (and people who didn't make me feel like I was uber-selfish).

Thanks so much!

countrysongstress · Nine West

Okay, this is my first post, so here goes...
I am from monterey (as is calichic), and although it is definately not the most exciting place in the world it is absolutely beautiful!
If you havent been, you should go, just for the scenery. You're from austin right?

Anyway, my suggestion is this, if you have to spend a day outside of the city
(i understand how you feel) skip Carmel and drive a little farther to Big Sur & go to Nepenthe Resturant, (the views cant be beat & you can enjoy them from inside if the weather is bad...) for french fries & a great wine list!!!

Im going home in July, and this will be the FIRST thing i do.

HTH!!!

blubirde · Chanel

countrysongstress wrote:

Okay, this is my first post, so here goes...
I am from monterey (as is calichic), and although it is definately not the most exciting place in the world it is absolutely beautiful!
If you havent been, you should go, just for the scenery. You're from austin right?

Anyway, my suggestion is this, if you have to spend a day outside of the city
(i understand how you feel) skip Carmel and drive a little farther to Big Sur & go to Nepenthe Resturant, (the views cant be beat & you can enjoy them from inside if the weather is bad...) for french fries & a great wine list!!!

Im going home in July, and this will be the FIRST thing i do.

HTH!!!

Thanks for the tip! I'll definitely suggest it.

Â