Take the Ferry / or bike to Sausalito and other San Francisco, CA Off The Beaten Path Tips

"Sausalito is located just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, on the south-eastern tip of Marin County. Sausalito was incorporated in 1893, and named by 18th century Spanish explorers for the "little willow" trees (Saucelito) which were found, in abundance, on the banks of its streams. Sausalito covers a mere two and one half miles; a small town of only 7,500 residents boasting spectacular waterfront views." - from City of Sausalito homepage - http://www.ci.sausalito.ca.us/vis-info/index.htm

Sausalito is easily accessible by ferry from San Francisco. It is a perfect getaway for a day - or maybe half a day. You can stroll along the shore, check out the art shops or have a nice lunch/dinner at one of the restaurants. If you can catch the artfestival (see link below) all the better!

Biking across the Golden Gate and catching the ferry back is also an interesting option... There are a lot of bike shops that will provide you with the rentals and maps around Pier 39.

http://www.goldengateferry.org/schedules/
http://www.transitinfo.org/Sched/GF/SAUS/
http://www.sausalitoartfestival.org/home.html

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Tiburon is a real nice small town just accross SF. If you can rent a sailboat, going to Tiburon is a delight. Otherwise just hop on the ferry and to go check out Tiburon. This is especially a good idea on days when SF is chilly and foggy. Tiburon will be sunny for sure! Good places to hang out at Tiburon is Guaymas, the Mexican restaurant, and Sams, another open bar / restaurant type of place where you can get good food or just hang out sipping Margaritas.

Check out their website for ferry schedules and other useful info.

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Website: http://www.tiburon.org/

I'd rather visit Tiburon than Pier 39...

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Angel island is just a short ferry ride from Tiburon and it's a really nice place to go for a picnic or a hike if you have some extra time in SF. Once you are on the island you can either rent a bike or just hike your way up to the top. There is a vista point halfway up with gorgeous views of SF. If you make it to the top, you'll get an awesome 360 view!

http://www.transitinfo.org/AngelTiburon/
http://www.angelislandferry.com/index.html

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There are tons of places to go on motorbike tours in and around SF. Probably some of the nicest rides in the US are around SF.This is the website you must check out if you want to go for a ride:

http://www.pashnit.com/motoroads.htm

There is nothing more enjoyable thatn going for a ride with friends on a sunny day... More pics on the travelogues.

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Napa and Sonoma are perfect destinations for a weekend getaway. They are also close enough (about an hour to SF) so that you can just get out of the city for a day... The weather is almost always nice so you'll most probably have a great time in any of these locations. Some good wine definitely helps too! I prefer Sonoma over Napa because it's not so crowded, less touristy and therefore wineries don't even charge for wine tasting. I would suggest buying some groceries at Oakville or Sonoma town and then sitting down at one of the winery's picnic area. Which winery to go to? Just get a map from the visitor's bureau and check out the wineries at random. There are some famous ones that everyone go to, but I can assure you you'll come across some very nice wineries and really good wine if you just check them out at random.
but if you definitely need some names, I would suggest Domaine Chandon in Napa and Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma. Especially Chateau St. Jean has a nice picnic area. If you are curious about wine making, Mondavi winery in Napa has a really good tour.
By the way, start your day early, most of the wineries close by 5 pm...

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Website: http://www.napavalley.com/wineries/featured.html
Other Contact: http://www.chateaustjean.com/

Ok I know this is a long shot but one of the best ways to experience the wine county and the vicinity is to fly over it. I am lucky enough to have a friend who is a pilot so I can tell you firsthand that this is a great thing to do! You can rent a small plane from the Petaluma airport (which is about an hour north of SF) and fly over Napa, Sonoma, Point Reyes etc... Check out more pics in the travelogue.

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Other Contact: Petaluma airport

Marin Headlands are about half an hour north of the city across the Golden Gate Bridge. It's a great place to go for a hike or a bike ride. You can get some of the most amazing views of the city and the Pacific from the Marin. Make sure to check the weather forecast though, you don't want to waste your time on a foggy day!

More information, maps and directions can be found at the website below.

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Website: http://www.nps.gov/goga/mahe/

take a photo of San Francisco, especially at night. It is the first exit off of the Bay Bridge (highway 80) - there really is nothing to see in the island and it is a totally residential place, but the entrance has a great view of San Francisco. The only reason that this place is not one of the highest priced land around SF is the fact that it has been closed to the public for around 60 years - it was a Military Base, so all the houses on it are pretty crappy (sorry residents)So if you have any interest in photography, this is the place
to take a pic from!

The site below is commercial and I am not advertising it, but it has some nice pics to give you a better idea than my poor quality photo.

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Website: http://www.inetours.com/Pages/SFNbrhds/Treasure_Island.html