North of the Golden Gate Bridge, in the hilly country across the chilly waters from San Francisco, lies the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Perhaps best known as the home of Napa Valley, America's largest wine producing region, here you'll find lovely natural scenery and some very pleasant small towns in the hills and valleys of the area.

Regions

• Marin County - The portion of the North Bay directly across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, situated between the bay and the ocean and home to the most spectacular scenery of the region.
• Southern Sonoma County - Not as famous as its neighbors, but still home to a lot of rugged scenery and wine country, as well as the North Bay's largest city.
• Napa Valley - The famed wine-growing region in the northernmost reaches of the Bay Area.
• Solano County - Far more rural in nature, where the Bay Area meets the Sacramento Valley to the east.

Cities

• Healdsburg - A charming wine country town with excellent restaurants, shopping and wine tasting.
• Mill Valley - Home to the scenic redwood grove of Muir Woods, which provides a nice respite for those looking for a bit of nature.
• Petaluma - A historically agricultural community in Sonoma County.
• San Rafael - The county seat and largest city of Marin County, home to a historic Spanish mission.
• Santa Rosa - The largest city of the North Bay, home to a museum devoted to Charles Schulz and a good jumping-off point for exploring the region.
• Sausalito - A charming community perched on a hillside by the bay that's an easy ferry ride from San Francisco.
• Tiburon - A historic small town that's a popular ferry port and is the closest community to scenic Angel Island.
• Vallejo - A prominent town at the northeasternmost edge of the bay, accessible by ferry and home to a few notable attractions.
• Windsor - A large town in Sonoma County.

Other destinations

• Marin Headlands - Offers beaches, hiking, history, and spectacular views of the California coast.
• Point Reyes National Seashore - From its thunderous ocean breakers crashing against rocky headlands and expansive sand beaches through its open grasslands to its brushy hillsides and forested ridges, visitors can discover over 1000 species of plants and animals. Home to several cultures over thousands of years, Point Reyes preserves a tapestry of stories and interactions of people.

Drink

Although overshadowed by the world famous wine industry in the region (more detail on that can be found in the Napa Valley guide), there is a high concentration of microbreweries in the area, following the well known saying among beer aficionados, "It takes great beer to make great wine." The dominant style in the region is the West Coast IPA, popular for the aggressive hops brewed into the beer, but a vast array of styles are available. Popular breweries include Bear Republic Brewing Company in Healdsburg, Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, Marin Brewing Company in Larkspur, Moylan Brewery in Novato, Napa Smith Brewing Company in Napa, and Russian River Brewing Company in Santa Rosa.