3-Day Garden Center Road Trip from Oxnard, CA

Day 1: Exploring East Bay & San Francisco Gardens

Morning: Start your drive from Oxnard heading to Alameda with a visit to 2057 Encinal Ave. Continue on to Berkeley with stops at 1310 McGee Ave, 2332 San Pablo Ave, and 1272 Gilman St to see a diverse range of garden centers featuring native plants and succulents.

Afternoon: Journey south to Concord and Danville with visits at 1555 Kirker Pass Road, 800 Camino Ramon, and 828 Diablo Road. Enjoy lunch nearby then stop by Dublin at 7360 San Ramon Road before heading to Fremont’s 4268 Decto Road.

Evening: Finish your day in Martinez with a visit to 6740 Alhambra Ave and Pleasant Hill at 2895 Contra Costa Blvd. Relax and enjoy dinner nearby to recharge for day two.

Day 2: North Bay Garden Centers & San Francisco Exploration

Morning: Head to Pleasanton’s 2756 Vineland Ave, then Richmond’s 740 Market Avenue. Continue to San Leandro for a visit at 350 San Leandro Blvd and Sunol at 9950 Calaveras Rd. Explore the unique plant selections typical to the North Bay area.

Afternoon: In the afternoon, make your way to American Canyon (3635 Broadway) then north to Marin County with stops at 700 Sir Frances Drake Blvd in Kentfield and 657 Blithedale Ave and 401 Miller Ave in Mill Valley. These centers have extensive collections of garden ornamentals and fencing materials.

Evening: Conclude day two with a visit to Napa’s 1805 Pueblo Ave, then head to Novato to explore 275 Olive Avenue, 2000 Novato Blvd, and 1430 Novato Blvd. Enjoy dinner in Novato before resting for the final day.

Day 3: Peninsula & South Bay Garden Discoveries

Morning: Begin your day heading to San Rafael’s 1938 5th Ave and Tiburon’s 1520 Tiburon Blvd. Then drive south to Belmont and stop at 2029 Ralston Ave and continue to Campbell with a visit at 2460 S Winchester Blvd.

Afternoon: Focus on Silicon Valley garden centers with stops at Cupertino’s 1491 De Anza Blvd and 1361 S De Anza Blvd, and Palo Alto’s 725 San Antonio. Then visit Portola Valley at 3130 Alpine Road #308 and Redwood City with 332 Woodside Road and 492 Woodside Road.

Evening: Wrap up your trip with visits to multiple San Jose centers: 15800 Almaden Expressway, 1670 McKinley, and 2984 Monterey Road. Optionally stop at San Mateo with 1122 2nd Ave and 408 9th Ave, and finish near San Francisco’s garden centers located on 1921 Clement Street, 327 3rd Ave, 2700 Sloat Blvd, and 3237 Pierce Street.

Time and Cost Estimates

• 2057 Encinal Ave, Alameda: 1 hr, $10
• Berkeley garden centers (3 locations): 3 hrs, $30
• Concord & Danville centers (3 locations): 3 hrs, $30
• Dublin & Fremont centers (2 locations): 2 hrs, $20
• Martinez & Pleasant Hill (2 locations): 2 hrs, $20
• Pleasanton, Richmond & San Leandro (3 locations): 3 hrs, $30
• Sunol & American Canyon (2 locations): 2 hrs, $20
• Marin County centers (3 locations): 3 hrs, $30
• Napa & Novato (4 locations): 4 hrs, $40
• San Rafael, Tiburon & Belmont (3 locations): 3 hrs, $30
• Campbell & Cupertino (3 locations): 3 hrs, $30
• Palo Alto & Portola Valley (2 locations): 2 hrs, $20
• Redwood City (2 locations): 2 hrs, $20
• San Jose centers (3 locations): 3 hrs, $30
• San Mateo centers (2 locations): 2 hrs, $20
• San Francisco centers (4 locations): 4 hrs, $40

Total Estimated Cost: $420

Tips

If you want to extend your trip, consider adding extra days to explore local parks and botanical gardens in each city for a more immersive experience. Alternatively, to shorten the trip, focus only on clusters within the East Bay or the Peninsula area to reduce driving time and see gardens in concentrated locations without rushing.