Have you asked her? This sounds like that old Henny Youngman joke, "take my wife...please".

Bad jokes aside, there are so many possibilities you must gives us some hints, what you both like to do, city or country, museums, shopping, beach, wine, main sights or off the grid?

She said she doesn't care, just wants to see the west coast.

Fly into San Francisco, spend a couple of days, then either head north and visit Muir Woods, and Point Reyes NP, or head south and do the coast hwy through Big Sur to with stops in Monterey, and maybe at Hurst Castle, then back to SF through wine country.

Heading south from SF to Carmel/Monterrey and on through Big Sur if you get the gist of driving on the "other" side - would be my vote. You can also take day trips from
SF to Napa - combined with a ferry ride across the bay. Just google away.

I'm a native Californian...
I like the suggestion of flying into San Francisco, experience the Cable Car ride, Shop Union Square, Nieman Marcus, Macy's, IMagnin or just have lunch there, walk around Fisherman's Wharf in the evening and eat at Scoma's, or Fisherman's Grotto No.9. Next day drive across the Golden Gate, walk around Muir Woods, have lunch in Sausalito, then circle around through Napa Valley going in from Calistoga to Napa. Stop and taste at a winery or two. Then head to Santa Cruz, enjoy the surfing... then on to Monterey wharf. Taste Clam chowders and enjoy a dinner there. Follow the coast rd from Monterey, through Pacific Grove and take the 17 mile drive to Carmel, stopping as you wish. This is part of Calif best coastline. Overnight in Carmel a couple nights and visit the beach and views... take time to walk the streets, enjoy the galleries and shops. Relax and have tea or coffee. If it was me, I'be spend a few days in this area. If you take your time and do all of that, you will take a whole week.
If you wanted to add another week, drive on down to Santa Barbara and enjoy the south. It's more beaches and palm trees, but more congestion with Los Angeles. My favorite places to visit are Carmel/Monterey and Santa Barbara/Ventura.

When was the last time you were in Union Square? I Magnin's closed down in 1994.

Didn't Macy's take over the I. Magnin space?

RamonaH: Do you happen to be related to tomsd?? (Inside joke )

irishbelle: You tagged this for all three coastal states and we need to narrow things down a bit. Even saying she doesn't really care, does your mom have any preferences at all?

Beaches, art, fine dining, wineries, historic sites, shopping, scenery, etc?

Janisj - twins

Good one, Janisj

Ditto what bbqboy said.

All she said is she wants to see the Pacific Ocean, thecrestbis up to me. I am interested in scenery.

OK - that helps (a little )

A San Francisco, Monterey/Carmel/Big Sur would make a great 1-week trip.

Are you flying in long distance? I'd maybe spend the first 3 or 4 days in San Francisco and then the last 3 days in the Carmel vicinity. You could fly into SFO and out of San Jose (or any combination of these two airports.)

From a base in Carmel you can visit beaches, tide pools, a mission, Big Sur, redwoods, Monterey/Cannery Row, wineries, great restaurants - just a lovely area. W/ an extra day you could also visit San Simeon.

What sort of hotel budget are we talking?

You'd need a car for the Carmel/Monterey/Big Sur bits but not in San Francisco.

I like the idea of SF for 3 days, then Monterey or Carmel or Pacific Grove (they are very close together) then down to Cambria for maybe wine tasting or Hearst Castle then take 101 back to SF.

I may not be of much help but I took my parents last summer to see the West Coast. It was my Dad's dream to put his feet in the Pacific Ocean and he did. We flew into SFO, picked up our rental car and headed to Yosemite for a few days. We then came back to SF where we kept the car rental for another day and took a day trip to Muir Woods and then up to Pt. Reyes. For me, Pt. Reyes was my favorite part of the trip. It was just so beautiful and the drive was amazing. We would like to go back someday and continue more north or go down south. I found this link if you decide to go south http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/road-trips/california-pacific-coast-road-trip/

Thanks for all the advice, but are there places outside of California that are worthwhile to visit?

Yes, there are plenty of places in Oregon you should see if you have the time. From SF or Napa, head up I-5 though Medford to get to Crater Lake. From Crater Lake head west to Reedsport via 138-I5-138-38. About 5 miles before Reesport on Rt. 38 you will pass the Deans Creek Elk viewing area. From Reedsport head south to Crescent City CA through the Redwood NP.

sure... you can fly to Portland, stay there for two or three days and then head over to the coast and spend three or four days in Cannon Beach (or Seaside or Astoria or Manzanita).
or, you can fly to Seattle, spend two or three days in the city and then take three or four days to drive the Olympic National Park loop or go to the San Juan Islands.
or, you can fly to LA and spend a week driving to Seattle with multiple stops along the way and fly out of Seattle.

But without more information on interests, budgets, time of year etc it is hard to give you guidance as to one trip over another. Most people love SF and Carmel so it is a good all around choice. It hits many highlights - museums, scenery, wine and food, outdoor activities, shopping, architecture, history. Then again, so do the other suggestions. But each have a slightly different emphasis - ONC is a little more rugged nature with national park lodges and hikes, long rocky beaches with driftwood; the Islands can give you a different adventure perspective whale watching and kayaking, wine tasting and dining; Carmel is a little more upscale with great shopping and fine dining, with a cool Aquarium and main street area in Monterey; the Oregon coast can be rugged sand dunes and windswept vistas or art galleries and artisanal dining or both depending on where you stay; and the road trip is obviously more driving and overnight stays, but covering more ground and changing scenery. But, these are gross over generalizations. With a little more research you can see what calls out to you and your mom.

just saw that you said August...all of the above mentioned places will be great in August. Lodging will be at a premium so it might depend on where you want to stay and whether you can get reservations. There will likely be two night minimums at some beach and island inns or B&Bs so factor that into your consideration. It might be a bit cooler the further north you go and at the coasts but then again "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

I agree with the general plan of 3-4 days in city, 3-4 in nature.
In California, I'd spend three in San Francisco, then go north to Point Reyes and on to the Sonoma Coast and or Napa. I don't like traveling one night at a time, so I would stay in 3 places max. SF and Monterey are also an alternative. We like the Best Western Monterey Beach hotel--right on ocean, can walk a 3 mile beach, 10 minute drive to Point Lobos, 10 minutes in the other direction to Point Lobos. You could make a day trip to Big Sur.

In Seattle, I would divide the city with Bainbridge Island and Olympic National Park with its spectacular rain forest.

Don't miss Muir Woods but go EARLY or very LATE>

>>but are there places outside of California that are worthwhile to visit?<<

Absolutely. But you only have a week. So you'll really have to choose one. You didn't really give us much to work w/ except the Pacific.

There are (literally) 100's of places you could go but SF/the mid-coast; SF/north coast/Redwoods; Portland/Oregon coast; Seattle/Washington coast . . . Or southern CA.

W/ one week you'll want to pick one of those.

I'd personally choose either SF/Carmel, or SF/Mendocino/Redwoods but any would be fine. It REALLY would help if you or you mom could narrow things down a bit.

Go in September after 3/4 of the kids are back in school. Accomodations will be a little less expensive and there will be better availability, especially weeknights. Is budget a consideration? Where are you flying from, are you looking for somewhere to go that is a nonstop flight?

Flying from JFK in ny and not really a budget consideration. September does seem like a better time to me as well due to less traffic since I will most likely be doing the driving.

If you want to avoid big cities/traffics/freeways, consider taking JetBlue's nonstop evening flight from JFK into Sacramento California. You'll arrive late and want a hotel nearby for the night, but this gives you a head start on your travels in the morning. You could head for Mendocino CA on the coast,about 4.5 hrs, you'll be driving through some of beautiful Wine Country and can find a nice spot to stop for lunch, then settle in for a couple of nights some place like this:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g32400-d81400-i21567166-Ocean_View_Lodge-Fort_Bragg_California.html


Next drive up the coast maybe to Gold Beach Oregon for a couple relaxing nights, then finish off the trip visiting Portland Oregon or Vancouver, with your flight home to JFK from Portand.

The only hitch is that a one-way car rental from California to Oregon is probably pricey, Avis looks like about $600 per week.

Here's another place to stay near Mendocino with a video that gives you an idea of the area:

www.stanfordinn.com/video/

For accommodations in the Ft Bragg/Mendocino area - another one I highly recommend is the Little River Inn

Rooms at several price points most w/ balconies/verandas

http://www.littleriverinn.com/lodging/

Since your mom want to see the Pacific Ocean, I would go to Hawaii

I now always fly Jet Blue from JFK to SF--conconfortable, reasonable, nice people, a whole different ballpark from the unfriendly skies of United . Treat you and your mother to extra leg room for $65 more each way; the 5 more inches are well worth the price and have lots of other perks that come with them. I second the idea of Little River Inn or renting a small house at Sea Ranch. Remember that our August is very different than yours--cool and foggy.

By the way, these are win-win choices. Start first with deciding between SF and Seattle (I too would choose SF). The northern redwoods are very special, but if your mom can't walk/hike for at least an hour, I would content myself with Muir Woods. To avoid hordes, get there at 8 am. It still feels sacred then. It's just an hour from the City, you could then drive to the coast, lunch at Stinson Beach and loop back to SF through Point Reyes. Spend another day or so in the City, then head north to Sonoma Coast. I LOVE Point Lobos and the Monterey Acquarium, but in August you will share them with every school child in California. If this does not deter you, try the Best Western Plus Monterey Beach Resort. It's summer prices are high, but pleasant decor, refridgerator in room, RIGHT on ocean with 3 mile beach, OK fine restaurant, 5 minute drive from Point Lobos, another 5 minute drive from acquarium, maybe 1 1/2 hour to spectacular Big Sur where you could stay at Big sur Lodge.

Bon voyage!

If Sept. is an option, I would opt for it. Most kids are back in school and the weather is better!

I really enjoy the Mendocino/Fort Bragg area. Every time my mother comes to visit me out here (SF) we spend a weekend up there in a nice vacation rental home right on the water we book through Zaranga.com. The town has a lot of nice art shops and there are many very interesting attractions and beaches, like the sea glass beach!

We really need more information to target our suggestions to your interests and not keep shooting in the dark trying to give you ideas of what to do.

You must at least have some interests. Museums? Fine dining? Trees? We've got lots of big trees that people are interested in. Tidepools? Warm weather? Cooler weather? Winetasting? Waterfalls? Please give us some information to work with.

I'd fly into San Francisco ... stay there few days (you can also take day trips to wine country etc.) ... rent a car and drive down the coast on Hwy #1 to Santa Monica (stopping at Hearst Castle, Monterey, Carmel etc)... definitely stop in Santa Barbara. I've done this trip several times with overseas visitors ... and it never gets old ... some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

I live in the Monterey Bay Area, August can be very foggy along the CA coast, September the weather is much better.
San Francisco and Carmel sell more sweatshirts in July/August than in January.

OP has not posted in about two weeks.