Optional: Monterey-Carmel or Muir Woods-Sausalito Free day to explore the city further. Those who want, can take part in the optional excursion we recommend to two very charming cities: Monterey and Carmel. We pass out of Silicon Valley and San Jose. We arrive at historic Monterey, the old capital of Alta California. Monterey was the "sardine capital" of the Western Hemisphere when the first packing plant was established there in 1900. Today, the old sardine factories have been transformed into quaint restaurants, small souvenir shops, galleries, cafes and boutiques. This area is called "Cannery Row" and was made famous by the author John Steinbeck. The Monterey Fairgrounds hosted the "Monterey Pop Festival", the first major outdoor festival in the history of rock music (16-18/06/1967), which became the model for the famous Woodstock Festival two years later (Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Animals, etc.). Then, by special permit, via the private 17-Mile Drive (between Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove), admiring the beautiful drive with its lush vegetation, ocean views, golf courses and ultra-luxurious mansions reminiscent of Hollywood productions, we will arrive at the picturesque Carmel, a small town of artists, teachers and retirees, who choose to maintain the provincial atmosphere and enjoy their involvement in the arts. Carmel is a cosmopolitan seaside resort full of expensive, luxurious restaurants, galleries, stone-built villas and cobblestone paths, all carefully and tastefully decorated down to the last detail. Alternatively, we also recommend visiting the popular Muir Woods National Park to walk through the impressive wooded landscape, its deeply shaded paths and among the giant Sequoia/Redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens) often shrouded in mist from the coast . continue to cosmopolitan seaside Sausalito, From the Sausalito waterfront, you can see Alcatraz, the Bay Bridge, the San Francisco skyline, and the waterfront. At night San Francisco sparkles as we will see in the city across the bay. The view of San Francisco is amazing, Sausalito has its own magic, a small town of only 7,500 inhabitants, whose houses cling to a steep, wooded hillside above the tidal levels. It is filled with restaurants, art galleries, and picturesque pedestrian crossings. It is a quiet, beautiful town reminiscent of mountainous Mediterranean villages. This art filled city offers a break from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco and gives visitors a chance to escape the San Francisco haze and soak up the sun in a slightly warmer climate, just across the bridge