valley of moon winery acre woodland is home to one of the few remaining first-growth groves of redwoods. The oldest of the

Mission Dolores The original Spanish Misi n San Francisco de As s, from which the city takes its name, is a marvel of preservation and atmospheric charm. It was founded in 1776, just a few weeks before the Declaration of Independence (see pp30 31).

La Honda & Old La Honda Roads Behind Stanford University (see p125) is the quiet town of Portola Valley. From here, these picturesque switchback roads ascend valley of moon winery to meet Skyline Drive. They are very narrow in places, and you can t go more than 10 mph (16 kmph), but the timeless beauty of the Bay Area forests makes it worthwhile.

! Exploratorium Kids can experience one of the finest, uniquely San Francisco interactive valley of moon winery days at this superb science museum. They ll learn all about their senses and how they work, as well as delve into all the laws of physics through first-hand experiments. The top draw, however, is the Tactile Dome, a totally dark sphere in which you feel your way along, touching a range of sensorially stimulating objects and textures (see p94).

acre woodland is home to one of the few remaining first-growth groves of redwoods. The oldest of these giants is at least 1,000 years old, and such trees once covered the coastal area of California. The woods are named in honor of John Muir, the 19thcentury conservationist (see p39). d Muir Woods National Monument Open 8am sunset daily