Why you wanna be in San Francisco Bay Area

Locals are certain about their city's unique vibes. It is the only one and no other city on Earth resembles San Francisco. I have to add something to it. Not the city itself but the surroundings full of wineyards, vacation castles and lakes are definitely on your must-visit list! It is not because of the location itself but people really put their hearts into making it beautiful to watch and worthy to live in. That's why the whole world flocks around.

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  Wine tasting in Napa Valley

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  Wine tasting in Napa Valley

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  Wine tasting in Napa Valley

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  Wine tasting in Napa Valley

The two most famous wineyards are located several miles northbound from Golden Gate Bridge so see you later, San Francisco! Their names are Napa and Sonoma Valley. City of Napa is the head of the Napa County, which is famous for its big wine production all around Califnia. In that district you can also visit Lake Berryessa with the Glory Hole and its pure water. Spot for a selfie. If you wanna go wine-tasting, get ready to dress glamorous cause you never know if your drinking squad takes you to a little wine shop or to a castle. You can also check their other production not only for drinking. Great souvenir from your journey. If you need to take a walk, the castle is a good place for you hence it is most of the time surrounded by a park including fountains.

In the castle I have been in, there is a space for guests, like a restaurant, offering many sorts of treats to stuff yourself while drinking your favorite wine. In more private spaces, there are special rooms for business matters, wedding receptions and so on.

Castles include a huge scenery around them. If you climb all the way up there to the entrance (it is worth it and it is good for your booty) you take a deep breath before you take those photos and think about how lucky you are to be here surrounded with fountains, living the Renaissance style. During weekends the wineyards are crowded. Looks like an American waits till Saturday to run for a sip of wine and have a chat at a table. The tour around is usually free, depends just on you where you wanna go. What you pay for is what you buy - souvenirs, wine and treats.

In these days of 32°C the wine is not the best solution. There's my tip to seek beyond the borders of Sonoma around Bay Area closer to the Bay, clean your head, breathe the fresh air and go to hide yourself into the Muir Woods or Oakland Zoo. Oakland is situated across the Bay from San Francisco. However is quite famous for Oakland's Raiders, Athletics and Warriors. From San Fran you can get there by crossing Bay Bridge which starts by passing by the skyscrapers of San Fran's financial district. I love this moment, really my favorite. Best tip: Wait for the sunset to take this moment. The journey across Bay Area bridges is an adventure already. Oakland Zoo is a large area on a hill with a view of Oakland and the bay in the background.

An amusement park is a part of the zoo. It waits for you in the end of your journey besides the parking lot uphill. To my disappointment I haven't found any animals in particular which differs from our Prague Zoo. But I have to say the elephants there are pretty amazing to watch since they like attention. Of course I don't blame the Zoo for not amusing me enough, it is just my own feeling based on my experience. In the end of your journey you should not leave till you try their train for kids which leads you through the enclosures. Just like this you can spot a kangaroo lying in a shadow just 3 meters away from you.

To sum it up, California is trying to push you into a new experience everytime possible. If you ignore the homeless people lying on (otherwise very nice) streets and begging for coins, Cali is simply the best for a trip with family which you won't ever forget.