How to Spend 72 Hours in California

Leave the airport and waste no time getting to where you want to be.

I barely had one weekend to explore NoCal while visiting my friend Steph in San Francisco—I landed on Friday morning and left on Sunday night, so we made every minute count.

In 72 hours, we went out to San Francisco, drove to Monterey and explored Big Sur, then went to Napa Valley.

Getting into San Francisco Airport

It’s worth nothing that I booked this trip two weeks in advance. I was shocked to find a $445 flight with Delta Airlines.

The 5:30 AM EST flight from JFK to SFO was virtually painless since I packed everything I needed in a carry-on. There was a brief layover in Cincinnati, but the plane still arrived in time at 11:30 AM PST.

I waited for Steph on the curb of Terminal 1 while she picked up the rental car…
Steph was also waiting for me in the rental car circling Terminal 1…

After 20 minutes of confusion, it turns out that I was upstairs and she was downstairs. So, if you’re having someone pick you up, make sure you cite the number of the door you’re at and a parking attendant will be able to tell you if you’re at Arrivals or Departures…

Delta terminal at JFK airport in New York

What to See & Do in California

Drive-By the Tech Campuses in Silicon Valley

We were heading south to Monterey anyway, so we drove by Facebook and Google. It’s cool to see these powerful social networks and search engines in a tangible form besides seeing them as names of apps on your smartphone.

Silicon Valley may as well be called The Cradle of Life for the Modern World.

Facebook, 1 Hacker Way, in Silicon Valley, California

Break Your Diet and Order the In-N-Out Burger

I had In-N-Out Burger for the first time and kept it simple with a cheeseburger and fries. My arterial paths have been forever altered.

I couldn’t take a picture, because I couldn’t have eaten it fast enough.

Put the iPhone Away and Look Up

It’s hard to ignore the amazing landscape driving through California.

For the record, the depiction of the Sunshine State’s golden aura in books, movies, and video games is fairly accurate. The rolling hills, the farms, the blue skies, the fog…It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where the gold-colored lens comes from when there are so many details that compose the picture.

After a 90-minute drive, we made it to Monterey and headed to Big Sur…

Explore Big Sur and Highway 1

It’s hard to capture the surreal feeling of seeing the golden, jagged coastline along Highway 1 for the first time—you’re not sure if you should be paying attention to the steep, sprawling hills or the infinite ocean.

Then, when you think you’re awed enough by nature, you see fantastic manmade structures like the Bixby Bridge or private multi-million dollar glass homes in the cliffs emerge from the landscape and your mind is blown.
California central coast | big sur

Explore Monterey for the day (and night)

After hitting up Big Sur, we made our way back to Monterey for the night.

We ate dinner at The Crown and Anchor, a perfect spot for casual pub style dining. The smaller fish and chips portion—paired with a few one pomegranate Pimms cocktails—was the perfect meal to preface an evening followed by live music, late-night games of pool…

And no sleep.

My body made the executive decision to stay very awake and aware, no matter how hard I closed my eyes and tried to chase foggy dreams. While everyone else was sleeping at 5:30 AM, I was able to out of the house early to explore downtown Monterey in daylight…

And when I say daylight, I actually mean fog.
HOW TO SPEND 72 HOURS IN CALIFORNIA | PART 2

Visit the famous Painted Ladies in downtown San Francisco

The Painted Ladies historical buildings in San Francisco, California

Explore Chinatown in San Francisco, the oldest in the United States

Spend a night out in North Beach, San Francisco

Start off at Black Magic Voodoo Lounge on Lombard Street. Ask for their specialty shot…

Keep walking down the street.

And keep walking.

A little further.

Then go to Maggie McGarry’s for live music–hopefully there will be a high-energy 90s cover band for you to sing your heart out. Have a beer or two.

Once your voice is almost shot, leave, but stay on Grant Avenue.

Go to the next bar that has a long line outside.

…

Skip the long line and head to the bar next door (Tupelo?). Get a quick drink.

Find the bar with the killer basement (KELLS). Dance your face off. Have no shame.

…

Keep dancing in the killer basement. Get lost in the crowd.

…

Re-group with everyone and find late-night food before heading back to the apartment.

End the night at Sam’s Pizza, one of Anthony Bourdain’s favorites in San Francisco. Bring cash.

And always remember that if you and your friends can’t drive… get an Uber.
a night out in north beach, san francisco

Black Magic Voodoo Lounge in San Francisco, California

Go to Napa Valley for a wine tasting and lunch

Once Steph and I left the foggy San Francisco Bay area, the California sunshine followed us to Napa, the final leg of our weekend trip.

We took a few back roads away from the bumper-to-bumper traffic to enjoy the scenery, since everyone else in the state of California decided to head to Napa…

I chose to go to Domaine Chandon in Yountsville—Moet & Chandon’s California sister—for our only wine tasting. As much as I wanted to check out other vineyards, we had to spend our time (and money) wisely. Walking into Domaine Chandon’s Tasting Room perfectly fit our schedule.

Enjoying our Prestige Wine Tasting while leisurely strolling around the beautiful terrace couldn’t have been further from a hardship…
HOW TO SPEND 72 HOURS IN CALIFORNIA | PART 4