This scenic and history-packed day trip takes you to three National Park Service sites near San Francisco—from the secluded home of Nobel Prize-winning playwright Eugene O’Neill to the heart of WWII shipbuilding and importance of Rosie the Riveter and ending at the historic ranch of conservation legend John Muir.

Starting in Danville, you’ll wind through the East Bay, stopping in Richmond and Martinez, with under an hour of total drive time between locations.  You can do this loop anyway you want, but since Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site requires a tour reservation, book that first then build rest of your short road trip around that.

Stop 1: Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site (Danville, CA)

🚗 Drive time from San Francisco: ~35 minutes

Tucked away in the hills of Danville, Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site offers a glimpse into the reclusive life of America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright. Because the site is in a private gated neighborhood, the only way to visit is on a pre-booked free tour.  Email your request for a 10am or 2pm tour at least two weeks in advance. This was my first stop as I was on the 10am tour, which lasts about 2 hours, including the shuttle from downtown Danville.

O’Neill wrote over 50 plays, transforming American theater by focusing on the struggles of everyday people. His most famous works—including The Iceman Cometh and Long Day’s Journey into Night—were written here at Tao House, where he and his wife, Carlotta, sought solitude in 1937.

Arriving at Tao House feels like stepping into O’Neill’s creative retreat. The home has a peaceful Asian-inspired design, including a simple red door—a symbol of good luck. Inside are details of his life and struggles:

• The blue ceiling in the foyer and throughout first floor represents heaven, an idea from Carlotta.
• His writing study, designed like a ship cabin, reflecting his years as a merchant marine.
• A guest room on the far end of the house is where you’ll learn about his strained family relationships and the story of his daughter, Una, who famously married Charlie Chaplin when she was 18, a move O’Neill disapproved of.

After the guided tour of the home, you get a few minutes to wander the grounds.  Walk around the house to soak in phenomenal view of Mount Diablo.

Stop 2: Rosie the Riveter/WWII Home Front National Historical Park (Richmond, CA)

🚗 Drive time from Danville: ~40 minutes

Richmond, once a quiet industrial town, boomed during World War II when it became a center for shipbuilding and wartime production. Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park tells the stories of the women and men who built America’s wartime fleet, changing both the workforce and society forever.

At the visitor center and museum inside the oil building of the historic Ford Assembly Complex, you’ll learn how Richmond’s four Kaiser Shipyards produced 747 ships during the war—faster than any shipyard in history. At their peak, these shipyards employed over 90,000 workers, including thousands of Rosie the Riveters and Wendy the Welders.

Some highlights of the visit:

• Snap a selfie with Rosie’s iconic “We Can Do It!” image, which became a rallying cry for women in the workforce.
• Try a rivet machine (with a volunteer or ranger).
• Walk or do the short drive to the Rosie the Riveter Memorial, a moving tribute designed to resemble the keel of a ship, aligned with the Golden Gate Bridge.

The transformation of Richmond during WWII also shaped modern California, making it the most populous and economically powerful state in the U.S.  During your self-guided tour, you’ll also learn how the post-war period brought mass layoffs, especially for women and minorities, as returning soldiers took priority for jobs.

Stop 3: John Muir National Historic Site (Martinez, CA)

🚗 Drive time from Richmond: ~20 minutes

I made my last stop at John Muir National Historic Site, where you can walk in the footsteps of the man who shaped America’s National Parks.

John Muir lived in Martinez for the last 24 years of his life, writing passionately about wilderness preservation and advocating for the creation of Yosemite, Sequoia, and many other national parks. His Victorian ranch home, originally built in 1849 by Vicente Martinez, was later passed down through Muir’s wife’s family, and it became a working fruit ranch.

Inside, don’t miss:

• Muir’s “Scribble Room”, where he penned many of his famous essays—his desk is still covered in pinecones and a microscope.
• The bell tower, which might have been used to call Muir back from his hikes on Mount Wanda.
• The third-floor attic, which houses an old cistern that collected rainwater, a vital part of the ranch’s sustainability.

Strolling the 2300-acre ranch, you’ll see remnants of orchards and rolling hills that inspired Muir’s lifelong fight for conservation.

This easy road trip through the East Bay takes you through three incredible National Park Service sites, each offering a unique perspective on American history, culture, and conservation. Whether you’re drawn to literary legends, wartime heroes, or nature pioneers, this trip has something for everyone.  I had hoped to visit Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial on this trip.  Because this site is on an active military site, you must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance, which I did.  However, the U.S. Army is training, which restricts tours.  I’ll visit on a return trip to the San Francisco Bay Area!