SFO to yosemite

[Taymour]

We are flying into san francisco airport, picking up our car and heading to yosemite. We don't want to drive into san fran so are saving it till the end of our roadtrip. Is there anywhere nice we can stay on the way from SFO to yosemite? I know it's a short drive but we didn't want to tackle it immediately on arrival. Are there any pretty towns along the way? I'd be very grateful for any help!

I don't know how far you want to travel on that first day. Pleasanton (40 miles from SFO) and Livermore (50 miles from SFO) both are on 580 as you head out of the San Francisco Bay Area. They both are in the foothills and have quaint old downtown first streets, have nice modern motels just off the interstate and lots of resturants.

If you decide to go farther you will end up in the valley which really don't have any pretty towns. You would want to go at least to Oakdale (100 miles from SFO) or Groveland (140 miles from SFO). I don't know what these cities have in the way of lodgings.

Utahtea

[Mark Sedenquist]

Just to be clear, it is nearly impossible to drive to Yosemite from SFO without driving through San Francisco.

The <a href = "http://www.roadtripamerica.com/drives/ca49.htm">Gold Country<a/> has a number of very cute towns. Most convenient to Yosemite is Mariposa. Oakdale has a nice Best Western -- (having just been there last night).

Mark

Why can't he take 101 south to the San Mateo Bridge (Hwy 92) to I-580. Wouldn't that avoid San Francisco?

Utahtea

[Mark Sedenquist]

Um, yep that route is possible, maybe even a better route since it is certainly shorter than US-101 and then over the Bay Bridge and then over to US-580 and points eastward. But... in terms of driving ease and views, I would still suggest using the Bay Bridge route.

... Just don't read Marc Reisner's "A Dangerous Place" before you do it. There isn't alot of hardware holding the bridge deck to the top of the columns as one nears Oakland.

He can use the Bay Bridge route on his return to SF.

Utahtea

[Taymour]

Thanks for the help guys!