Suzanna

Do you have any recommendations for the West Coast for October? My husband and I will be traveling in early October or late September. We would like to be able to swim in the water also.

Any reccomendations for warm weather?

Also romantic places to stay & visit?

speedo

A lot of possibilites for response, but here are some personal favorites:
Cambria, CA. - romantic, B&Bs, sea-side
Napa & Sonoma Valleys - romantic, B&Bs, wine tasting & festivals

I've not found anywhere north of Mexico along the Pacific, where I would classify the water as "warm", but generally, the further south the warmer. If you and yours are willing, romance can find you pretty much anywhere on the west coast. And in addition to my two suggestions above, some other places where romance tends to show up more often is Twin peaks in SF, (incredible panoramic view) Point Reyes and Muir woods north of SF, can offer charming urban respites; while route #1 into Mendocino county is slower paced and more rural and rustic. Warm weather areas can be found in the inland valleys and foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Depending on your time, you might look into a "gold rush" trip on hwy #49, with a side trip to Tahoe.
Hope you enjoy your trip!

x

most adults find the ocean rather chilly to swim in without a wet suit most years. good for cooling off while enjoying the beach but haven't "swam" in it for years. most nice hotels will have outdoor pools in southern california.
san diego/coronado if you want a city. sept/oct are the best months to be there. if you are driving your own car you could take a trip down the coast of mexico. nice hotel outside of porta neuevo (sp?) about 1 hour south of the border.
laguna beach -artsy, beautiful beach town. close to both l.a. and san diego if you want a bit of city life.
monterey/carmel and drive down to santa barbara.