You do not need to go to the traveler hellscape that is Muir Woods to invest a day in the redwoods. The seaside giants still rule in the Santa Cruz Mountains (with simply a portion of the mayhem of the northern groves) together with a charming, old-school ambiance that the majority of the Bay Area lost years earlier.
It’s just about a 40 minute drive from San Francisco to the junction of Highway 35 inSan Mateo From there, it’s pristine forest, beautiful views, subtle wineries, and home cooking all the method toBoulder Creek
Hit the very best of what the location needs to provide on this day journey through the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Hike at Castle Rock State Park
The view from the Saratoga Gap Trail in Castle Rock State Park.
(Courtesy of @castlerock_sp)
Start the day with among the Santa Cruz Mountain’s most lovely walkings. The 5.6-mile Saratoga Gap and Ridge Trail Loop in Castle Rock State Park sweeps you out over craggy cliffs to expose forest ridges that roll all the method to thePacific The course starts at the park’s generous car park and travels through redwood groves on its method to the grand (in the winter season, a minimum of)Castle Rock Falls From there, take the path clockwise. If you’re pushed for time, take Saratoga Gap just as far as the Interconnector Trail rather of finishing the complete loop.
// 15451 CA-35 (Los Gatos), parks.ca.gov
Lunch at the Sawmill
The Sawmill Restaurant and Alehouse in Boulder Creek.
(Courtesy of @thesawmillbc)
Head a couple of miles back to the junction of highways 35 and 9, then head south towards Boulder Creek and lunch. About 10 miles down, you’ll strike the Sawmill Restaurant & & Alehouse, whose name nods to the logging origins of the forest hamlet. On good days, their beer garden is a warm location to go into massive craftsmen hamburgers, overstuffed covers, and towers of onion rings. If it’s foggy, they’ll have the heat lights pumping.
// 15520 CA-9 (Boulder Creek), thesawmillbc.com
Shop Local or Tour Hakone Gardens
Hakone Gardens in Saratoga.
(Courtesy of @hakonegardens)
After lunch, select your own experience.
Hunters of antique and classic products, head a couple miles south to Boulder Creek’s little downtown where a handful of little, in your area owned stores are open for organization. Swag( 13026 Hwy 9) and Boulder Creek Antiques & Art( 13164 Hwy 9) offer whatever from vinyl records and fairy lights to retro furnishings and garden accouterments. You’ll discover plants, tea, and other sustainably sourced products at Manipura Apothecary & Marketplace( 125 Forest St.), and hand-blown glass vases, meals, and precious jewelry at Viscosity Art Glass( 13158 Hwy 9)
Garden geeks, drive back up Highway 9 and continue nearly all the method to downtownSaratoga There you’ll discover Hakone Gardens( 21000 Big Basin Way), among the earliest Japanese estates in the western hemisphere. Stroll amongst Hakone’s swimming pools, waterfalls, cherry trees, and maples, each located exactly to stimulate aspects of the natural and spiritual world.
Santa Cruz Mountain Wine Tasting
Thomas Fogarty Winery
( by means of weddingwire.com)
If you have actually timed your day right, you need to have simply sufficient time to pick up a tasting at a Santa Cruz Mountain winery. If you’re originating from Boulder Creek, return up Highway 9 to Highway 35 and pull into Thomas Fogarty Winery( 19501 Skyline Blvd., Woodside) where the grapes for their chardonnay and pinot noirs are grown on the estate’s 350 acres. Advance appointments are needed.
You can stop at Fogarty if you’re originating from Hakone too, however if you have additional time on your hands or you simply can’t wait to get that sweet, sweet nectar, come by Savannah Chanelle Vineyards( 23600 Congress Springs Rd., Saratoga) en route back to Highway 35. The adorably rustic winery, that makes pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and taxi franc, is first-come, first-served and typically has live music on the weekends.
Windy Hill + Dinner at Alice’s Restaurant
Alice’s Restaurant in Woodside.
(Courtesy of @aliceswoodside)
For 60 years, Alice’s Restaurant( 17288 Skyline Blvd., Woodside) has actually been a Santa Cruz Mountain component for everybody from cyclists and hikers to regional households and going to travelers. Snag a seat on their patio area and order up some Texas- design barbecue or a prosciutto, arugula and burrata pizza to nosh under the setting sun. Before you do however, make a fast stop at the Windy Hill Open Space Preserve( 555 Portola Rd., Portola Valley) for knock-out views of the wholeBay Area The top is simply a 10-minute walk from the roadway however you can get an excellent appearance from the car park if your legs have actually currently clocked out for the day.
