our guide, Anthony, would be a lot of fun. He chatted to the group as we left San Francisco, talking about what our day would be like, and pointing out interesting things along the way. The group size is up to 15, but there were only 8 of us, so we also got to know each other a bit throughout the day.

We started at Muir Woods, where Anthony escorted us through the entry (included in our tour price), and pointed out suggested routes on the trail map. He even gave us tips on how to photograph such giants. We had ample time, and Muir was simply magical. Best of all, it was quiet when we arrived, only starting to get busy as we prepared to leave.

We visited our first winery next, with gorgeous scenery and a comfortable table around which we were able to chat between servings. We had about 90 minutes at Sonoma Plaza (on our own, but we joined up with another couple from our group), which was ample time for lunch and a peek at some of the shops. We at at La Casa for Mexican. Good food, large portions.

At our second, and last, winery, we got to meet the wine maker and tasted some award-winning wines, including one with a double-gold rating. Many of us chose to order another glass after the tasting was done and a few bottles for the road.

On the way back to San Francisco, we stopped at a great little spot for pictures of the city across the bay, and the Golden Gate bridge. All in all, it was a relaxing and memorable day, with a charming and entertaining guide, and I highly recommend.

described the different neighborhoods and special attractions and restaurants we might want to return to as we traveled around the city picking up others from their hotels. We arrived at Muir Woods early and practically had that entire forest to ourselves for a while – magical! The two Sonoma wineries we visited were Deerfield Ranch, which has a large and swanky wine cave, and Homewood Winery, where Dave Homewood runs practically a one-man operation. Homewood’s facility was more basic than Deerfield’s but Dave’s ability to teach us how to taste wines and answer all our questions about the process made that visit a phenomenal experience, and we ended up ordering a case of his wine shipped to our home. Don is a fantastic, safe driver (don’t know how he is able to maneuver through traffic while enthusiastically describing what you are passing) and we liked that he always identified points of interest, such as when we were passing two prisons (Alcatraz, of course, but also San Quentin) — it kept the drive time from being boring. We enjoyed this experience so much that we booked a second tour with Best Bay Area Tours.