Wine Tasting & Exploring History are top attractions in the region, but before we get to the wine, we start our tour along i680 at Mission San Jose, located in Fremont, CA. The mission was established in 1797 by Father Fermin Francisco de Lasuen just on the west side of the hills and Mission Peak along the "natural highway" to the Livermore and San Joaquin Valleys. The mission is open daily from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

Livermore Valley and the surrounding area are hosts to over 40 wineries that offer the public a chance to taste the outstanding wines that are grown and produced locally. Most wineries are open on weekends, with some opening on Friday afternoon. The wineries have played a historic role in the area. Wente Brothers and Concannon were both founded in 1883 with Ruby Hill following shortly thereafter in 1887. Ruby Hill also has the distinction of once being owned by Southern Pacific, which had a major impact on the development of the west and the region. Visit the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association site to create your wine tasting itinerary.

Historic Downtown Pleasanton is a great place to stay and visit. The Pleasanton Hotel on Main Street now the home of the Farmers Restaurant first opened in 1864 as a rather infamous place of entertainment. The hotel suffered a couple of fires over its history, but much of its historic charm remains. Next to the Pleasanton Hotel, which hasn't offered overnight stays since the 60's is the elegant European stlye Rose Hotel that is within walking distance to many of the areas finest restaurants. And of course Pleasanton is the home of the Alameda County Fair Grounds where each summer the fair and horse racing come to town. For more information on Pleasanton Downtown visit the Pleasanton Downtown Association site.

A little over 10 miles up i680 is Danville, which was first settled in the 1850's after the Gold Rush. The town has grown substantially the 60's but it still maintains its historic charm with lots of interesting shops and restaurants. Much of the area's can be seen at the museum, which was once the Southern Pacific Railroad station. There is also a real caboose (known in the vernacular as a "crummy") and model railroad for the kids.

Playwright Eugene O'Neil made his home in Danville and has since become a National Historic Site managed by the National Park Service. More recently Danville, which is now known nationally as the home of Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, who made a masterful emergency landing on the Hudson and became an instant hero. Continuing our history journey, we can find a couple of miles from downtown, the internationally acclaimed Blackhawk Auto Museum housing some of the most historically significant automobiles in existence. For a peek at what's on display, visit the museum's web site.

Continuing north on i680 we come to Martinez and Alhambra Valley, with historical significance dating back to 1824 with a land grant to Don Ygnacio Martinez by the Mexican government. Martinez in the late 1840's was to play an important role in the Gold Rush by providing ferry service across the Carquinez Straits. In 1851 Martinez became the county seat of Contra Costa County. For more information on Martinez, visit the Martinez Historical Society.

John Muir known as the "Father of the National Park Service" made his home in Martinez, which is now a National Historic Site also managed by the National Park Service. Visit the Park Service for more information on John Muir's home and surrounding area.