Congrats Andy.
If it were me I'd spend the whole time around the Bay Area or maybe just the Bay and Vegas.
The Bay Area has so much. There's San Francisco (Height/Ashbury, Chinatown, Goldengate), Muir Woods, Point Reyes, Sonoma (wine country), Monterrey Bay (Carmel, Monterrey Bay Aquarium, and Point Lobos) Big Sur.
Don't get me wrong, I love L.A. It's a great city to make a living and enjoy great weather year round but just not a vacation spot in my opinion. San Diego is nice.
A few of must do's.
1. Driving the beautiful hills of Sonoma County planning on stops at some wineries for some wine tasting and maybe a nice dinner in Napa.$$ By the way Sears Point Raceway is in Sonoma.
2.Driving down the coast to Monterrey Bay and Big Sur. Plan on a stop at Point Lobos State Reserve. It is the most beautiful piece of coastline that I have ever seen. Breathtaking. Ansel Adams photograghed there.
3.Dinner in Chinatown (House of Nanking for lunch. It's a hole in the wall but the food is awesome)
P.S. Hearst Castle may be a big deal to us Yanks since we don't have any "real" castles but I can imagine anyone from Europe being very impressed, except for the fact that it's made from concrete.
