central/northern california in November
 

Planning a honeymoon to California mid-November. Considering relocation in near future, so we want to check it out. I really want to see San Diego, and San Francisco is a must. I have read a lot about the Monterey Peninsula and related places to see. The real question is: Fiance wants also to go further north...humboldt county. Heard about Arcata and wants to see it. What would a good itinerary be, and what will be not so great in mid-November?
P.S. Love beautiful scenery (hwy 1), but don't care much about visiting any of the parks. Prefer arts, culture, etc...

You are aware that San Diego is the southernmost city in California, right? If you truly want to travel from SD up to Humboldt County, you'll need a good two to three weeks to make it worth your while, so you're not grimly speeding from point to point. Let us know.

Yeah, I know. We have 2 weeks at most. Would it be a good idea to do San Diego to San Francisco? (skip north of San Francisco) And if so, Is there anything worth seeing between San Diego and, say Big Sur? Maybe we should stay in San Diego for a couple of days, then fly from there to San Francisco for a few more days, then drive south through the Monterey peninsula.

Nope - absolutely nothing to see between SD and Big Sur. Just kidding. There is TONS to see there. Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Morro Bay/San Luis Obispo/Cambria. You could easily spend a week enroute.

If you are considering relocating, then it might be helpful to spend some time in the areas you are considering.

thanks!!! one thing I forgot...not interested in L.A!!!!!

Another thing to consider is the jobs which you will be seeking, which might send you to areas with concentrations of specific career centers (i.e. Silicon Valley) or to more diversified economic areas (San Francisco, LA Metro-- which is so much more than "LA"!--, San Diego). What kind of careers will you two be pursuing?

I'm not an LA gal myself, maybe you want to substitute a shorter stop in Santa Barbara on you're way north.

Given that San Diego, San Francisco and Humboldt are the concentration areas I would combine SF & Humboldt and fly between SF and San Diego. Outside of SF proper you will need a car for the entire trip. Fly into any bay area airport, stay in SF. I suggest Union Square, SOMA, then Financial district for hotel locations. I don't care much for staying at the wharf or outlying areas.

Pick up a car and start your drive towards Humboldt. Along the way make time for Fort Braqg and the Skunk Railroad, Mendocino, Ferndale, Samoa, Eureka, Avenue of the Giants then on into Arcata/Humboldt; this route is mostly coastal. You could return via Arcata to Redding/Whiskeytown and Lake Shasta down through Sacramento and back into Bay Area for airport departure. This route is an inland taste of "the valley".

I would skip wine country and Monterey Peninsula in the interest of time. They are lovely places, but very expensive relocations, so perhaps you could save that for weekend trips if you actually move here.

You do realize that if you relocate here you will ridiculed and type-cast as a "nut" by every idiot with a forum. Your next governor, who will run the 6th largest economy in the world, may be a hummer driving, cigar chomping filthy rich sexist puppet who is too egocentric to know he is an idiot whose total management experience consists of allowing only yes Ahnold responses by lemming employees. The press loves this man, so finding out if he has a college degree, what university he attended or what his grades were is virtually impossible, probably for obvious reasons. Other than that you can't beat this place.

Don't hold back, Parrothead! Tell us what you REALLY think about Ahnuld!! :)

I agree with you, BTW. In any case, your suggested itinerary is very good.

Fact is, the whole coastal part of the state is an Expensive Relocation. You want cheap, you end up in Riverside County or Central Valley....

Amen, Parrothead!

There are MANY MANY recent posts on your proposed itinerary; do a search and you'll find lots of ideas and opinions.
Pick northern California or Southern and concentrate on the area. Don't dismiss L.A. too summarily; there are many things to do there that are worthwhile. Those of you who enjoy Humboldt County, don't read the following sentence: Arcata is a dump; I used to live there and hated it. If you like to camp or fish or smell hippies, then by all means go there, but you don't need more than two days to see the area. Of course, I don't know where you're coming from or what kind of person you are, so the area might be interesting to you for the scenery. (I'm more of an urban girl myself, hence some of my dislike for the place. To each his own.) It will be raining or at least drizzly there by the way and it never gets super warm. San Diego and Arcata are at opposite extremes of the state and you will spend much time driving from one end to the other; you might not be able to enjoy all the stops if you feel the need to get from one place to the next within your time frame.
If you are truly considering relocation to California, you should probably concentrate on the area in which you might live and save the sightseeing for after you've moved. Just the humble opinions of a native California girl...

The area between San Diego and Big Sur has so much to offer. In addition to the places J Correa listed, I would also include Los Angeles as well. In northern California Monterey is great, but expensive and tends to be cold and foggy throughout the summer. Same goes for SF as well. That is one of the main disadvatages of living on the coast in Northern California. The weather in San Diego and LA in summer will be much nicer.

Also, on your way to Monterey from SF I'd also suggest visiting the San Jose/Silicon Valley area as well. Lots of arts, culture, restaurants, shopping, etc. and other things to see and do there, and also is the major job and economic center for Northern California as well as being the most populous city there. Something to consider in terms of relocation. Again it's not a cheap place to live, but it offers a great quality of life and your only 30 miles from the Monterey Bay Area.

The problem with travelin in November is the fact that it may be quite rainy then. A suggested itinerary would be:

San Diego: 3 days
LA: 3 days
San Luis Obispo: 1 day
Cambria/Hearst Castle: 1 day
Monterey and Carmel: 2 days
San Jose: 2 days
SF: 2 days

Thanks to all of you! We are also considering Italy for our honeymoon...maybe a better idea. And to Jenneepoo, glad to hear an opinion on Arcata! My fiance saw a job listing there for Yakima is why it sparked interest. Anyway, I do NOT do the hippie thing...got over it years ago. I am sort of a mix...I would call myself a low-maintenance city girl who loves to be outdoors. I love camping, etc...not afraid of bugs or not having make-up on or anything like that! Anyway, I am totally getting off on a tangent! And to the rest of you who responded, I am a mosaic artist, and my fiance is a mechanical engineer, who just happens to be very creative a dna bit artistic (unusual for an engineer!!!) NO! NO! NO! to Silicon Valley, because I refuse to surround myself with yuppies and men who play golf all day and drive around in convertibles. Money is not happiness, and I do not want to live somewhere where making money seems to be the most important component of life. So, maybe maybe my message board has turned into..."We are thinking of relocating to California, because we are sick of living in the South, and want a new experience before we have children...any suggestions"
I'm kinda stressed, because I have 8 weeks left to plan this honeymoon, and have bed researching for about 2 weeks and can't make a decision.

Weel, eadiehale, I hope if the job opportunity for your husband is a good one and you think you're interested in small-town life, that you won't totally disregard Arcata just because *I* found it isolated, rainy, and completely depressing. The economy is lousy. There's little to do. The school brings in some cultural events but it wasn't enough for me. That's just one person's opinion. Visit it for yourself and decide if you think it might be for you. You might appreciate the slow life and it sounds like you would enjoy the natural beauty. I also think that there are many artists in the area. Don't get me wrong; I'm not changing my mind about how much I couldn't stand the place, but that doesn't mean that you wouldn't find some redeeming qualities. I would skip it, but it's your life.
Maybe you should concentrate on your honeymoon and not add the stress of making such an important decision when you should be having a great time.
If the economy in Portland, Oregon was better I'd suggest that Portland might be a good combo of the attributes that you seem interested in. While it's a major metropolitan area there are many outdoor opportunities in the area.
I hope the wedding goes well, and that your honeymoon is wonderful wherever you go. Let us know what you decide!

If you are considering Arcata/Eureka at all, you really should check it out. One of my best friends lives there so I've spent a lot of time up that way. It's very beautiful country, but Arcata is a small college town and it is often overcast or drizzly right there on the coast. I don't hate it like jenneepoo, but I don't think I would want to live there (and I do live in a rural area). It's definitely not for everyone.

You can drive from SF to Arcata in about 5-6 hours.

It seems strange that eadiehale says that she is a city girl but in turn has no interest in two of California's biggest cities and seems to instead favor Arcata, of all places. Yuck! :-o

I had to laugh at your description of Silicon Valley - I'm a mechanical engineer in San Jose. I think you might have us mixed up with LA - our golf playing yuppies drive SUVs. LOL.

Actually, there are some people here like you described, except in a few pockets like Palo Alto (the stereotyp had to come from somewhere) most people are just regular folks. Not that I am recommending you move here or anything. The job market is in the tank and I know many engineers here who are out of work and have been for quite awhile. A couple years ago I was laid off with my entire ME department. A lot of the guys I worked with have moved away in search of a better job market and cheaper housing.

Hi eadiehale

I moved to Arcata 31 years ago to go to school and still call Humboldt County home. First off Arcata is not a dump although some parts of the county are. November will be wet, foggy, cloudy. I really enjoy hiking at that time of year. But if you realy mean "Love beautiful scenery (hwy 1)", we have the scenery as good or better than anywhere in the state but If your looking for "arts, culture, etc " you will drive or fly a long way for nothing. It might be best to skip this part of the state for now. The best part of this county are it people and the setting of the coast, rivers, and redwood forests. Check out the rest of tha state


Have Fun
GP

Parrothead's political analysis is right on! And, I live in California but if it's a choice between here and Italy..I'd go for Italy.

With all due respect to Marilyn, living in Arcata and visiting your friend there are two different things. I'm glad that GP has found a home that he or she enjoys, but the town is not for everyone, which is why I suggest that if there's a truly good opportunity for the poster awaiting her hubby in Arcata, then she should check it out.
Of all the people I knew there, very few stayed...'nuf said.