question for San Franciisco area residents

I leave on the 30th to spend 3 days in San Francisco breaking up the air travel from east coast before NewZealand/Australia cruise. If anyone is in the San Francisco area can you comment on air quality? We are planning to spend time in Muir Woods and visit wineries if it is still possible.

You can also post on the West Coast Departure board for more response

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?413https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?413

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I too would post this on the West Coast Departures Board which many residents of San Francisco check out regularly.

Keith

It’s less smoky than last week when it smelled like a neighbor was having a barbecue 24x7. On deck on your cruise will be worse.

Can’t comment on the wineries. In 10 days it may be ok. I’d check directly with the wineries or tour operators.

I leave on the 30th to spend 3 days in San Francisco breaking up the air travel from east coast before NewZealand/Australia cruise. If anyone is in the San Francisco area can you comment on air quality? We are planning to spend time in Muir Woods and visit wineries if it is still possible.

We live on the north shore of SF Bay. Fires are far better controlled than last week. Maybe two dozen wineries, mostly in Napa and Sonoma, were severely impacted or destroyed. We're headed to Napa tomorrow for an overnight and then to Santa Rosa (Sonoma) on Friday. Air quality today (30 miles south of Santa Rosa) is fine. The Santa Cruz fires have not had quite the same impact as the ones north of us.

Check out Martin Ray near Santa Rosa. They're back in full operation, not too far from SF and their wines are top shelf in every way. Saw a picture of their vineyard taken yesterday- skies were blue as blue can be.

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It’s less smoky than last week when it smelled like a neighbor was having a barbecue 24x7. On deck on your cruise will be worse.

.

Huh? What does this mean- "on deck on your cruise will be worse"? Makes no sense, for a number of reasons...most importantly no one can predict what will be going on on Oct 30. Warm weather and off shore breezes will be back as soon as Saturday or Sunday, and fires could occur again.

To the OP, I would suggest staying out of Napa and Sonoma (and I live in Sonoma County) for awhile. But there are wineries in Alameda County- Livermore area- that will work just fine.

For all the latest information on the California fires and air quality, visit TripAdvisor, the California travel forums. You'll get much more information there than on Cruise Critic, as many people have had their land based Wine Country travel plans disrupted. You can browse and read topics just like on Cruise Critic, but you'll need to register on the site to ask your own specific questions:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g28926-i29-California.html

The fires and conditions in the wine country north of San Francisco have been the number one topic on the forums for the last week or so. Since the fires are now mostly under control, many of the questions have fallen off the first page of posts, but here's a thread that's basically a 'clearing house' for the Napa area fire.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g1109451-i15812-k10925786-Clearinghouse_for_NAPA_SONOMA_Wildfire_Threads-Sonoma_County_California.html

Even though the fires are now under control, in some areas there has been horrific damage - entire hotels, businesses, and neighborhoods gone. As far as I know, Muir Woods is fine, but some wineries were damaged, so you should look up specific ones you'd like to visit and see what their websites say about current conditions.

Huh? What does this mean- "on deck on your cruise will be worse"? Makes no sense, for a number of reasons...most importantly no one can predict what will be going on on Oct 30. Warm weather and off shore breezes will be back as soon as Saturday or Sunday, and fires could occur again...

Cruise ships put out as much pollution as up to one million cars. You can read studies about air quality on ships. It’s worse than we’ve had in SF.

I was talking about current air quality which is better than it will be on their cruise, without question. I wasn’t predicting what will happen in 10 days.

List of wineries damaged (subject to change): http://www.sfgate.com/wine/article/List-of-wineries-damaged-in-the-Wine-Country-fires-12267422.php

As mentioned if you want to go to a specific winery, best to check their website or make a call.

Cruise ships put out as much pollution as up to one million cars. You can read studies about air quality on ships. It’s worse than we’ve had in SF.

 

I was talking about current air quality which is better than it will be on their cruise, without question. I wasn’t predicting what will happen in 10 days.

OK, got your totally whacko attempt at relating the entire cruise industry, worldwide (no way one ship is equal to 1 million cars, even on an annual basis, and my background is in hazardous materials, by the way, so I understand pollution studies very well, thank you) to 5700 structures and 200,000 acres of wildland fire burning in an relatively dense area.

The air quality is definitely better than last week. Hopefully by the 30th the fires will be out. We are supposed to get some rain in the next couple days which should really help with air quality. If it’s still bad in the north bay when you get here, you might want to head to the Livermore wineries. There are a lot of them in a relatively small area.

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OK, got your totally whacko attempt at relating the entire cruise industry, worldwide (no way one ship is equal to 1 million cars, even on an annual basis, and my background is in hazardous materials, by the way, so I understand pollution studies very well, thank you) to 5700 structures and 200,000 acres of wildland fire burning in an relatively dense area.

Well, Mr expert. Here’s a recent article.

You’re on my ignore list now, so feel free to argue all you want. There are many other sources, since you’re so well informed on bunker fuel, I’m sure you’re aware of them too.

Air quality on cruise ship deck 'worse than world's most polluted cities', investigation finds

'Each day a cruise ship emits as much particulate matter as a million cars'

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/pollution-cruise-ships-po-oceana-higher-piccadilly-circus-channel-4-dispatches-a7821911.html

Many thanks for the helpful and reassuring answers.

Well, Mr expert. Here’s a recent article.

You’re on my ignore list now, so feel free to argue all you want. There are many other sources, since you’re so well informed on bunker fuel, I’m sure you’re aware of them too.

 

Air quality on cruise ship deck 'worse than world's most polluted cities', investigation finds

 

'Each day a cruise ship emits as much particulate matter as a million cars'

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/pollution-cruise-ships-po-oceana-higher-piccadilly-circus-channel-4-dispatches-a7821911.html

I can make stuff up too!

"Each day a cow emits as much flatulence as a million people".

We should get rid of that cow so those million people can pass gas without guilt.

There are now fires burning in the Livermore area, so stay away. I have been north of San Fran for a week now visiting my grandchildren and one day the air quality is not bad, the next day it is choking. My son works in Napa City and the air quality there is very poor. There are also fires in Sausalito, so why not just stay in San Fran and explore that wonderful cit Also heard there might be something burning near Monterey.

exhausted Nana

There are now fires burning in the Livermore area, so stay away. I have been north of San Fran for a week now visiting my grandchildren and one day the air quality is not bad, the next day it is choking. My son works in Napa City and the air quality there is very poor. There are also fires in Sausalito, so why not just stay in San Fran and explore that wonderful cit Also heard there might be something burning near Monterey.

 

exhausted Nana

The fires in Livermore and Sausalito were small, one day events.

There are now fires burning in the Livermore area, so stay away. I have been north of San Fran for a week now visiting my grandchildren and one day the air quality is not bad, the next day it is choking. My son works in Napa City and the air quality there is very poor. There are also fires in Sausalito, so why not just stay in San Fran and explore that wonderful cit Also heard there might be something burning near Monterey.

 

exhausted Nana

There has been a fire burning since Monday in the Santa Cruz mountains near Bear Creek. It has burned about 350 acres so far and is about 20% contained as of Thursday at noon.

I live in Sonoma. The air is clear, at least by comparison. For the last week and a half, the smoke was so awful, the few people who stayed in town were all wearing masks. Many businesses have been closed, the schools are still closed. The Post Office was actually closed for a few days.

I just talked to someone I know who runs a tasting room on the Plaza. She said they were going to re-open on Saturday. There are several tasting rooms around the Plaza and I bet they'll have the same thoughts: open as soon as possible.

I can't speak for Napa, or places further north. Santa Rosa was hit particularly hard. But, the air gets clearer every day and I'm pretty sure by the 30th we here, at least, will be back to business as usual. So, if you're in the area come on down!