Weekend getaways from San Francisco

America's most famous wine region, an hour-plus north: 200+ wineries along Highway 29 and the Silverado Trail, Michelin-starred Yountville, hot air balloons at dawn and the Oxbow Public Market food hall.

Best time: September to October

One of the world's great aquariums on Cannery Row, sea lions at Fisherman's Wharf, then storybook Carmel-by-the-Sea next door: Ocean Avenue galleries, a white-sand sunset beach and the 1771 Carmel Mission.

Best time: Year-round

The iconic Highway 1 drive: Bixby Bridge, McWay Falls dropping 80 feet to the sand, purple-sand Pfeiffer Beach and redwood hikes, with cliff-top lunches at Nepenthe. Check Caltrans for road conditions before you go.

Best time: April to October

A huge alpine lake on the Sierra crest: world-class skiing in winter, beaches, kayaking and the Heavenly gondola in summer, plus Emerald Bay's postcard cove. Leave early - weekend I-80/US-50 traffic adds time.

Best time: Year-round

A 30-minute ferry across the bay to Sausalito's waterfront restaurants, galleries and houseboats, paired with the old-growth redwoods of Muir Woods just up the hill. The easiest overnight escape there is.

Best time: Year-round

California beach-town classic: the historic Beach Boardwalk's wooden coaster, surfers at Steamer Lane, redwoods in the hills behind and a laid-back downtown. An easy drive over the hill or down coastal Highway 1.

Best time: May to September

Wild beaches, tule elk and a lighthouse at the foggy edge of the continent, with oysters on Tomales Bay and the little food town of Point Reyes Station. Gray whales pass offshore from mid-January through May.

Best time: Year-round

El Capitan, Half Dome and waterfalls that thunder in late spring, all ringing one glacier-carved valley. A four-hour drive each way, so make it a full two-nighter and book park reservations and lodging well ahead.

Best time: May to October

A rugged surf town 40 minutes down coastal Highway 1: wide beaches, coastside trails, cozy B&Bs and famous pumpkin patches each October. Big-wave surfers chase the Mavericks break just offshore in winter.

Best time: Year-round

A Victorian village on dramatic headland bluffs, three-plus hours up the coast: art galleries, quiet inns, sea-glass beaches at nearby Fort Bragg and some of Northern California's most romantic ocean views.

Best time: Year-round