Highlights of a 9 Day Northern California Trip with Globus Tours

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One thing I love about being a travel blogger is that I get to relive adventures long after they have finished.

I’ve experienced a lot of joy writing about my recent “California Dreaming: Northern California by Design” group tour with Globus Journeys.

I love travel experiences that create memories that bring smiles for months, if not years after.

omsted point tioga pass road yosemite
Happy tour experience | Photo Lina from Divergent Travelers

In my last post, I shared with you 7 reasons why I loved this Globus Choice Touring option and the group travel experience from the perspective of a very busy mother who is collapsing under the strain of managing and implementing family travel.

In this post, I will share with you some of the highlights of the destinations we visited on the 9 day tour of Northern California tour, which took us from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park passing through Sonoma, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe and Mammoth Lakes where we enjoyed popular attractions as well as more lessor known experiences.

For the rest of this week, I will publish content on Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve, Bodie State Historical Park, Sacramento and Yosemite National Park!

But first,

About Choice Touring by Globus Tours

Tenaya Lake tioga pass yosemite California
Tenaya Lake, Yosemite

I joined the Globus Tour on a paid partnership project with iambassador and Globus Journeys.

We worked with them to help share the experience of this new tour form introduced by Globus earlier this year: Choice Touring.

Choice Touring by Globus allows for more flexibility and independence within the group travel experience.

On these tours, travelers are provided with guided sightseeing at the must-see sights (like Yosemite National Park) as well as having the option of choosing from a selection of curated experiences called YourChoice Excursions.

These excursions are in the key attractions and off-the-beaten-path destinations, allowing travelers the freedom and flexibility to pursue their own interests and curiosities, within a group tour format.

Choice Touring by Globus is offering travelers 13 NEW itineraries in Europe and North America. (Psst. Scotland tour with Outlander tour options, I have my eye on you!)

Globus is one of the biggest tour companies in the world, helping travel lovers experience global destinations in a way that best suits their style.

From budget to luxury, small groups to large, and even more independent style with local guides and local favorites, Globus, along with their sister companies  Avalon Waterways, Cosmos, and Monograms, have a wide range of tour options to suit any style.

Day 1: San Francisco

San FRancisco views from Coit Tower
Views from Coit Tower

Our tour started and ended in San Francisco.

There is nothing planned specifically with the Globus tour itself in San Francisco so use this opportunity to plan a few extra days on either end of the tour to explore what is one of my favorite cities in the USA.

This is a great way to bring in more independent style travel into your tour group experience. I used this solo trip as an opportunity to wander slowly around San Francisco for a more local feel.

I took in the stunning views of Coit Tower (how did I not know about this before?) and bought Jack Kerouac’s On the Road from the beatnik bookstore City of Limits and then walked next door to Vesuvius Café where Jack and many other poets, writers and singers would gather. I enjoyed reading a few chapters of his book – a rarity in my typical family travel world.

Here is my post about my day in San Francisco before the tour started.

Tour Hotel: San Francisco Marriott Marquis

Marriott Marquis San Francisco is the first hotel on your Globus Northern California tour, which includes their buffet breakfast.

The Marquis is a fantastic hotel centrally located in the SoMa district not far from Union Square. You will love the surprisingly large rooms, and San Francisco views.

Do not miss cocktails from The View lounge – the views are sensational.

Your Globus tour will start in the evening with a welcome drink orientation with your fellow travelers.

Day 2: Sausalito and, Sonoma, and Sacramento

Enjoy the drive out of San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge.

Fingers crossed the typical marine layer is not fogging you in, as you’ll stop at one of the most famous viewpoints: Golden Gate Bridge View Vista Point

Hello Fog!! It’s beautiful even if it’s rolling in!

Golden Gate Bridge View Vista Point san francisco
Golden Gate Bridge View Vista Point

Sausalito

Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge is Sausalito, one of my favorite areas of San Francisco, especially on a sunny day. We stopped here for an hour.

As I’ve been here a few times before, I decided to walk along the bay just north of the main shopping area for a local’s favorite coffee at Sausalito Equator.

There are plenty of good views along the bay in Sausalito and boutique stores to peruse.

Sausalito Books By the Bay is a cute independent community bookstore on the water worth visiting.

As you continue heading out of San Francisco the fog will drop and the temperature will rise as you make your way to the next stop on the Globus tour, Sonoma.

Gloria Ferrer Winery, Sonoma

Gloria Ferrer Winery sonoma
Gloria Ferrer Winery views

Sonoma is known as the more laid-back wine region compared to famous and glitzy Napa Valley. My first (and limited) impression is that Sonoma is more my rustic, down-to-earth style and I want to come back.

First stop was Gloria Ferrer Winery, the first sparkling winery in the Carneros wine region of California, which has an ideal climate for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Jose and Gloria Ferrer bought their generations of Spanish-sparkling-winegrowing wisdom to this region, planting 50 acres of vines in 1984 and opening the winery two years alter. In 2016, Gloria Ferrer received the official sustainable certification from the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance.

I loved learning this and more on a private wine tasting experience on the Vista Terrace with beautiful views and a flight of four award-winning sparkling and still wines. They were paired with delicious local cheeses, pickled capers, house spiced almonds, and charcuterie.

My favorite wines were the Blanc de Blanc made from white 100% chardonnay and the pinot noir was sensational! I wish I bought a souvenir bottle!

Sonoma Plaza

Sonoma Plaza
Welcome to Sonoma

I absolutely loved the vibe of this historical town centered around Sonoma Plaza in the heart of Sonoma Valley..

With its artistic vibe and historical Spanish architecture surrounding the square, it reminded me of a cross between Jackson, Wyoming and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

It invites you to slowly wander and soak up the old adobe storefronts, wander down alleyways and through courtyards, stopping for a bit of shopping or a drink or meal at the plethora of restaurants and bars on the plaza’s edge.

For a little history, explore the Sonoma City Hall, the Sonoma Barracks in the old Mexican military outpost, and the Spanish San Francisco Solano Mission village. I loved the pomegranate tree out the front of the mission, which inspired me to get a pomegranate margarita at Maya Restaurant.

Day 3: Sacramento Tour: Midtown & Old Town Sacramento

the tower bridge sacramento
Gorgeous Tower Bridge

Before joining this Globus tour, Sacramento was never on my list of places to visit in California.

I barely even knew it was the capital of California and assumed it would be a bland, capital city.

I love it when my travels show me I know nothing. As our number one on our travel manifesto says. “always travel with an open mind!”

Now I want to go back and explore more of this vibrant city (currently one of the fastest growing in California for affordability and lifestyle!)

.As 80% of the food in the US is produced from the Central Valley region where Sacramento is located, you can expect to find a flourishing Farm to Fork foodie scene in the city.

State Capitol Building Sacramento California
State Capitol Building

Derek, our Globus Tour Director took us on a short driving tour of Sacramento to learn the history of Sutter’s Fort, where Sacramento started in 1839, and the beautiful State Capitol Building and grounds where Sacramento was established as the capital after the Gold Rush in 1854.

My favorite stop was the 15-stories high Johnny Cash Mural, created by the same artist how did the 2008 Obama Hope poster to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his Folsom Prison Blues album.

Johnny Cash mural Sacramento
The Man in Black

If you’re a Johnny Cash fan, you’ll be elated to know one of the Globus Choice excursions is a tour of the Folsom Prison Museum to learn more about Cash’s work for Prison reform and his performance of Prison Blues in 1968 at the prison. Sadly, it was not running due to COVID restrictions.

Midtown Sacramento

murals of midtown sacramento
Midtown murals

We continued our theme of mural appreciating on our cultural walking tour of Midtown Sacramento.

Midtown is the hip and trendy region of Sacramento located mostly along It’s It is a mostly residential community with old homes and tree-lined streets, which reminded me a lot of Raleigh.

It is also the center of Sacramento’s art, music, and cultural scene where you’ll find more of a diverse cultural story, breweries, hip cafes, upscale dining and clubs, artisans and vibrant murals. The kind of local experience we look for when we travel.

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