California - San Francisco

We love spending the day in San Francisco, especially if it's a sunny day.  Walking around near Fisherman's Wharf, and Ghirardelli Square is always fun.

Ocean Pizza -Great pizza! We have been going here since 1980.  The crust is a perfect combination of crunch on the outside , and soft, light bread on the inside.  Not too thick, and not too thin.  Just the right amount of sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Our favorites are the Ocean special, ham and pineapple, and pepperoni.  
1443 Ocean Ave.

 

Hunan Home - wonderful Chinese food, went there with Milt's Uncles, Al and Jr. Favorite stop in Chinatown. Always fresh, and delicious.
622 Jackson St.

Golden Gate Fortune Cookies - oh so yummy!  We usually eat the whole bag of fortune cookies before we get home.
56 Ross Alley (off of Jackson)

Fort Point - The kids always want to go to this place, especially the boys.  Great view.  It's fun to watch the surfers here, too.
Marine Drive, at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge.

California

These are a few of our favorite stops north of San Francisco.


Uniquely Chic Florist and Home (formerly Country Daisy)
http://www.uniquelychicflandhm.com/

Our favorite photographer
Heather Vega Photography - Capture Life

:http://heathervega.com/index2.php


The Bird's Nest Antiques - A cute little shop that is full of delightful things. Home decor, books, trinkets,etc.
740 Village Court
Santa Rosa, CA 95405

Yogurt Farms - yogurt, smoothies, shave ice, and more.  Wonderful Farm decor, and kid-friendly.
1224 Mendocino Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Carlos' Country Kitchen - Great place for breakfast with the family, if they are hungry teenage boys. 
90 West College Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

El Capitan Taqueria - Mexican food. We love everything we've had here.  Quiet, and the kids' favorite.  
544 Mendocino Ave
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Taqueria El Favorito - More Mexican food.  Great strawberry drinks, delicious food. 
  565 Sebastopol Rd
Santa Rosa, CA 95407

Ka Restaurant - Chinese food.  Fresh, good food.  
594 Larkfield Ctr
Santa Rosa, CA 95403

Gott's Roadside - We tried this place for the first time this week.  The hamburgers were delicious.  The buns tasted like they were homemade.
933 Main Street, St. Helena

Italian Delite Submarine Sandwiches -  I had my first Philly Cheesesteak here , and loved it.  The bun and the meat practically melted in my mouth.
971 Front St, Novato, CA

Our Last Big Roadtrip May-June 2008

Our son-in-law, who was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, was heading out on his 2nd deployment, but we were on a different adventure.  Hoping to help our daughter keep her mind off of the fact that she wouldn't see her husband for a number of months, we invited her to travel with us as well as her youngest siblings across the U.S.A..  We had a great time!  I'll try to start posting our favorite stops along the way next.

                                                           This RV has served us well.

                          

Our First Big Road Trip - Summer 2000

"Really?..are you kidding?... You're braver than I am".   This was often the reaction we got when family and friends heard about our plans for Summer 2000.  I guess that spending 50 days in a 38 foot RV with two teenagers (16 and 14), a 12 1/2 year old, a 9 year old, a 5 year old, and a 1 year old, even if they are your beloved children, isn't everyone's idea of a good time.  We set out with high hopes, always aware of the back-up plan.  We could send one, or a few, of the little darlings home to Granny and Grandpa if it was just too much.  God is good, and that day never came.  In fact, as I look back, that Summer will always stand out as one of the best times in my life.  Sonicflood was our theme CD, and it was played for many, many hours across the U.S.A.  Our oldest kids became such close friends, really for the first time.  The younger ones looked up to them, and they all still have a deep love for eachother, that came out of the time they spent together on that trip.

Fast forward 10 years, and 2 more long RV trips later ( 2004 and 2008, more about them at another time), and we want to hit the road with our younger kids again.  We still have four kids at home, from 19 to 7 years old, and we want to make some more RV memories before they grow up.

I'm asking friends, family and strangers to tell us their "favorite stops along the way".  We'll share the local places we love to visit, here in Northern California, and our favorite stops across the country.  I'll try to get each of the States listed in the next week or so, in individual posts of our favorites, and hope that everyone will add their own local, or faraway, favorites in the comments.  Thank you so very much for helping us out.