Visit the bay that almost wasn’t: San Francisco Bay.

The San Francisco Bay and Delta is the West Coast’s largest estuary. The Bay covers 1,600 square miles, and is at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and the Golden Gate Channel opening to the Pacific Ocean. In 1846, explorer John C. Fremont chose the name for the channel as Golden Gate because he foresaw the day when riches from Asia would flow through the channel. He didn’t foresee that the discovery of gold would give the gate new meaning in just a couple of short years.

The bay’s shoreline was once fringed with marshes, creeks, and coves that supported abundant shellfish, wildlife, and Ohlone Indian villages. Today, the piers, roads, and small parks along today’s waterfront are all built on landfill. By 1961, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers had plans to develop and fill in the bay to the point it would become a small river. However, in 1962, three women (Catherine Kerr, Sylvia McLaughling, and Esther Gulick) turned the course of history with their “Save San Francisco Bay Association,” and it is thanks to them that the Bay remains as it is today.

The Port of San Francisco was a bustling industrial and shipbuilding harbor by the late 1800's, with hundreds of piers and various activities lining the waterfront. One of those piers is Fisherman’s Wharf, established in 1900 by Genoese Italians at the foot of Taylor Street. This became both a docking and loading pier and a marketplace, where fisherman hawked the day’s fresh catch, creating a fascinating local attraction that continues to this day.

Spectacular bridges span the bay, including the Oakland Bay Bridge which connects the cities of San Francisco and Oakland in a total length of 8.25 miles, east to west. Opening six months before the Golden Gate dedication, the structure of the Bay Bridge is taller than the largest pyramid in Egypt, and contains more concrete than the Empire State Building. The Golden Gate Bridge, icon of the West Coast and of San Francisco in particular, is a significant engineering accomplishment, designed and engineered by Joseph Strauss and utilizing more than 25,000 manhours. In its two main cables there is enough wire to wrap around the earth three times (over 80,000 miles). The total distance of the bridge including approaches is 7 miles, and the actual bridge span across the Golden Gate Channel is 1.8 miles.

Famous islands also dot the waters of San Francisco Bay. Yerba Buena Island is most noted as the connection point and tunnel for the Oakland Bay Bridge. Treasure Island is a 400-acre manmade island built from 20 million cubic feet of sand and mud dredged from the bottom of the bay. The most famous of the islands is Alcatraz. Spanish settlers used the 12-acre island as a fort, its first lighthouse was built in 1884, and the prison was built in 1907. From 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz was the home address to the worst federal criminals in America, including Al Capone, George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, and Robert ‘Birdman of Alcatraz’ Stroud. From 1969 to '71, Native Americans claimed they had aboriginal rights to the unmanned government property and occupied it for a period of time. Today, Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate Recreational Area and claims more visitors then any other National Park in the United States.

Enjoy the scenic vistas and cultural pleasures of San Francisco.

The city of San Francisco is a beautiful, vibrant, exciting city, steeped in unique cultural, artistic, and natural history. This West Coast mecca is located halfway down the California coast, along the same longitude as Seattle, and in the same latitude as Yosemite Valley. Over six million people enjoy life in the Bay Area, making it the fifth-largest metropolitan region in the United States.

The Ohlone First Peoples once lived in villages on the protected shores of the hills along the Bay region, thriving on the abundance of marine life, vegetation, and animals until approximately 1835, when Spanish explorers arrived, calling their original settlement Yerba Buena, which is Spanish for “good herb.” (This “good herb” was a naturally occurring mint that grew in the sand dunes of the area, used as an Ohlone herbal remedy for such things as stomach aches.)

Forts were established to protect this natural shipping port and harbor, and in 1848, a year after the city was officially renamed after Saint Francis, James Marshall found gold in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the ’49er Gold Rush began. Within a year, immigrants came west climbing over the Rockies, and north through the swamps of Panama or around Cape Horn in ships. San Francisco’s population swelled from 900 to over 25,000 with immigrants from Mexico, Australia, and China. When the news of gold spread to Asia, an estimated 320,000 Chinese came to California. Those arriving in San Francisco settled in Chinatown around the Stockton Street area, distinguishing San Francisco as home of the world’s largest settlement of Chinese outside of Asia.

Located in a geographically dynamic region, San Francisco has suffered its share of adversities such as the world-famous1906 Earthquake. The initial shake lasted 48 seconds, rupturing gas lines, downing electric wires, breaking chimneys, and overturning stoves, which caused fires that roared through the city. A ruptured main water source deprived firemen of a means to quell the fires, and for three days and nights the city burned, destroying over 28,000 original city structures. Much was lost, but survivors were determined to rebuild, maintaining that nothing was too difficult to accomplish after surviving this quake and resulting fire. That spirit continues to thrive in the Bay Area today.

The city has hosted many historic events such as the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which celebrated the first ship to steam from New York to San Francisco via the Panama Canal. This accomplishment shortened the distance from the two oceans by 7,873 miles, and allowed ships to avoid the treacherous voyage around Cape Horn.

The unrivaled views, ambience, icons, and history of San Francisco remain unmatched, with frequent glimpses of early fortresses, piers, the Golden Gate Bridge, the fluted art deco column of Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, the more recent pyramid spire of the Transamerica Building, and the natural beauty of the Bay.

Explore the grape diversity of Napa Valley.

Napa Valley is approximately 40 miles long and one to five miles wide. Its borders are the Mayacama Mountain range to the west and the Vaca Mountain range to its east. The rugged hills of these mountains give way to the flat valley floor, which is covered with acre after acre of world-renowned vineyards. The City of Napa is the county seat, and has a population  of approximately 70,000. Calistoga, a tiny village known for its mineral springs and mud baths, lies at the north end of the valley, and the Napa River flows through the valley from Mt. St. Helena to San Pablo Bay.

Over 200 million years ago, Napa Valley was the bottom of the ocean. A combination of various dynamic geologic activities formed different types of soil layers, such as thick marine and marsh-made clays, and sand and gravel dropped by old rivers. This complex soil base and various microclimates combine to provide for 15 very distinct growing regions or sub-appellations in this small geographic area. At least 62 major soil types are found on the Napa County soil maps, allowing over 240 unique wineries to flourish here. The French have a name for these special grape-growing regions. Strictly translated, terroir refers to the earth’s soil. In the broader sense, terroir refers to the geography of an area or all that affects the grapes grown in a particular region to create its uniqueness: The slope & orientation of the hillsides, the climate, weather, soil chemistry, and physical structure, and the history of the use of the land by the people who lived there.

The identification of certain wines with certain places has been turned into a system of appellations providing valuable information to wine drinkers. This information allows them to better identify a region where wine grapes are grown, and understand the elements that instill unique characteristics to an area’s crop and wine.

Napa’s Southern Valley, the Carneros Region, has cooler temperatures and marine air influenced by San Pablo Bay. This is where Burgundian varietials such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay flourish. Carneros’ long moderate growing season and fog intrusions cool the vineyards and boost acid levels in the grapes. The grapes mature slowly and evenly, infusing livelier and more concentrated flavors and crisp acidity. In Napa’s mid-valley, warm afternoons and cool evenings help create the Bordeaux varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillion, and Sauvignon Blanc. A winemaker is permitted to include the name of the appellation on his label only if 85 percent of the wine comes from that particular area (e.g. label bearing “Carneros District and Napa Valley”).

The Valley’s first human inhabitants, the Wappo Indians, lived off the area’s bounty of fruits, fish, and game for perhaps 4,000 years before the first European settlers arrived. George C. Yount was the first non-native settler and the first to receive a land grant from the Mexican government. In 1831, he received a grant of 12,000 acres in the heart of the valley called Rancho Caymus. Yount planted the first mission variety grapes for personal consumption. By 1855, a small town sprung up on the southern border of his property, which he named Sebastopol. Two years after Yount’s death, the town name was changed to Yountville in George’s honor.

Sample the fine vintages of the Sonoma Valley.

Sonoma Valley is 17 miles long and up to seven miles wide, nestled between the Sonoma Mountains on the west, which protect the valley from the cool Pacific winds, and the Mayacama Mountains to the east, which separate Sonoma Valley from Napa Valley. There are thousands of acres of vineyards (over 6,000), and its 150 grape growers and 35 wineries fall under the Sonoma Valley Appellation in the southeastern part of Sonoma County. Its southern city, Sonoma, is built Spanish style around a plaza. There you can visit San Francisco de Solano (the last of 21 missions built by the Spanish), Sonoma Mission Barrack, or General Mariano Vallejo’s home.

The history of Sonoma reflects California’s history. The landscape, waterways, mild climate, and rich soil have served its many residents well. The peaceful Miwok, Wappo, and Pomo Indians flourished here for thousands of years. The abundance of the land provided enough for all and the tribes lived peaceably, taking only what they needed from the sea and land. The Spanish made a general claim on California in 1521 with the conquest of Mexico. Englishman Sir Francis Drake claimed the area in 1579. However no long-term permanent settlements were made until the 19th century. The Russians, looking for provisions for Russian-held Sitka, Alaska, established Fort Ross here and bartered with the Indians, Californios, and Yankee traders. The Russians started grape growing and wine making, but both the Yankees and the Mexicans were alarmed by the Russian venture until the Russians sold out to John Sutter. Meanwhile, the Mexicans were extending their reach towards the north. Father Altimera established the last of the California Missions, Mission San Francisco Solano de Sonoma, at the end of El Camino Real. The mission grape was planted, religion spread, and the mission grew until orders for secularization arrived in 1834. This is about the time General Mariano Vallejo arrived, establishing a pueblo. Americans were considered foreigners and were prohibited from owning land. When expelled from the area (but asked to leave their weapons) the Bear Flag Revolt erupted in Sonoma, and ultimately, the United States gained control of Alta California in 1850.

With the discovery of gold, many unsuccessful 49’er immigrants of French, Italian, German, Spanish, and English heritage settled in the valley. The relative proximity of San Francisco and the ease of water travel played a role in the development of this region. In the 1850s, hay and grain were sent via barges into the valleys. Farmers also flocked to the southern border of the Carneros region to raise sheep and cattle, as well as to cultivate orchards and plant grapes.

The second half of the 19th century brought different developments such as quarries which provided paving stones for San Francisco streets, and railroads in the 1870's to move products and people. Many French, Italian, and Swiss winemakers developed Sonoma into the viticulture center of California. The temperance movement and the advent of the root louse phylloxera harmed the industry, and from 1933 to the end of the 1960's, most of the wine produced was mediocre and was sold in bulk. Andre Tchelistcheff and Louis M. Martini pioneered the rebirth of Carneros by establishing it as a cool climate viticulture region after Prohibition. In the mid 1950's, the winery revival began, and today, the valley’s acclaimed wineries include small family houses