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When you name a city with the word pleasant, well it better be pleasant!  Luckily, this city lives up to it’s name!  We found ourselves participating in a soccer tournament for a weekend over the summer and it was indeed very pleasant! Not only was it pleasant in Pleasanton, but the whole area around was pleasant, like Livermore and the city by the bay!

 

 

Pleasanton

 

 

The City of Pleasanton was incorporated in 1894 and is located in Alameda County in Northern California. It’s a wonderful suburb town about 40 miles from San Francisco and just 25 miles east of Oakland. Over 70,000 people reside in this pleasant city.

 

 

While some wouldn’t think of visiting a San Francisco suburb, let me tell you, it’s a nice break from California’s touristy spots. Besides, Pleasanton has a real nice community feel and a great downtown with wonderful restaurants, shops and a beer garden!

 

 

However, we didn’t know Downtown Pleasanton is a foodie’s heaven!   There are wonderful Mexican restaurants, Italian fare, yummy sushi and fantastic Mediterranean at Lokanta where we ate at. It was a lovely warm night, so we dined outside in the front patio and enjoyed people watching. We strolled to McKay’s Taphouse afterwards & had a beer in their festive beer garden, fun!

 

 

 

Pleasanton is also known for their beautiful parks and sports complexes. The city hosts many sporting events, from swim meets to soccer tournaments. Athletes and their families flock to Pleasanton to compete year round.

 

 

 

Livermore

 

 

If you need a break from athletics, shopping and dining in Pleasanton, well then how about some wine tasting? All around Pleasanton you’ll find some of the best wineries in California, especially in the town of Livermore!

 

 

 

Livermore is less than 15 minutes away from Pleasanton.  It’s a more rustic town with a fun downtown, too.  This city is known for their many wineries in Livermore Valley and our long time favorite is Wente Vineyards. So off we went!

 

 

 

Wente Vineyards was founded in 1883 and is owned by fourth and fifth generation members of the Wente Family. Wente Vineyards is the oldest continuously operated family owned winery in the country. Amazing!

 

 

 

Our favorite from Wente Vineyards are their white wines, like their Sauvignon Blancs and Chardonnays.  However, they have delicious reds which includes Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots and Pinot Noirs!

 

 

The grounds at the Winery are quite expansive, perfect for picnicking and they even hold outdoor concerts in the summer.  Dogs are welcomed on the lawn, too!  It was a warm day, but there was plenty of shade and water everywhere.  So incredible!

 

 

 

San Francisco

 

 

Not too worry, if you really need to visit San Fransisco, it’s just an hour drive away or a quicker Bart Ride away. Of course, we really needed to go see the beautiful city by the bay, too!

 

 

While Pleasanton and Livermore is super hot at 90 degrees in the summer, San Francisco was only in the low 60’s when we visited.  It was a nice change, even though we couldn’t see the Golden Gate Bridge because of the fog.  Oh well, next time!

 

 

 

What we did get to do is have a wonderful lunch at Fisherman’s wharf and  have an Irish coffee at The Buena Vista.  Both are a must do when visiting San Francisco!  We were perfectly happy with our quick visit to the city!

 

 

 

One thing we loved about our trip to Northern California was how dog friendly the area is. Even taking our dog to San Francisco was manageable, even though the city is quite crowded. Being able to take our dog on our trips is very important to us, so this trip was a thumbs up for my California traveling family!

 

 

 

Lokanta Restaurant at 443 Main St., Pleasanton 925-223-8074. McKay’s Taphouse & Beer Garden at 252 Man St., Pleasanton,  925-425-0217,  Wente Vineyards Winery at 5050 Arroyo Rd., Livermore, 925-456-3405.  The Buena Vista at 2765 Hyde St., San Francisco, 415-474-5044. Cheers!