February in New Mexico and California
 

Hi
I'm a photographer from NYC and wish to go to California for the month of February. I'd like to settle into a few areas and get to know them. I'm a woman traveling alone so it's important to lodge where there's plenty of activity. Love to bike, hike, exercise. It would be nice to find interest groups that I could hook up with. I need to figure out what areas to explore and comfortable lodging for around $150/nite. Suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks

California is a BIG place so you need to narrow things down a bit. Feb. can be cold / foggy / rainy in much of northern California so if you want to hike/bike SoCal may fit your needs better. You have posted a few times in the past asking about accommodations in CA- maybe there are some responses to those threads that are helpful.

Janisj is so right about California. Depending on what your photo style is you can go to Death Valley or Joshua Tree for desert or go to San Francisco for fog on the Golden Gate. There are many great scenic vistas along the coast between San Fransisco and Los Angeles/Long Beach.
You mentioned New Mexico. How about going to Albuquerque and going to the top of Scandia on the chair lift? There are great photo ops in and around White Sands NM.
For an Amtrak adventure, you could take the Lake Shore Limited overnight to Chicago and then the Southwest Chief from Chicago to Albuquerque (about 26 hours). You would have about 5 hours in Chicago in daylight for some great photos there.
From an Amtrak train you see so much more scenery than when you fly over it.

Amtrak is an interesting idea. I will look into it.

Loved Death Valley and Joshua tree. I'm in brainstorming mode now so it's ok to throw things out even if it's not completely sensible. I'm trying to get to Yosemite. And I have a friend in Santa Fe I'd like to visit. San Diego?, Taos?, Durango? Southern Ca? I love to drive or can fly from place to place. I know Yosemite weather can be wild but worth it. Other than that I need sun.

If you do go with Amtrak, you can go from Los Angeles Union station on an Amtrak bus to Bakersfield where you get on a San Joaquin train to Fresno. Rent a car at the Fresno airport to go to Yosemite.
There is a 30 day USA Rail Pass that could save you some money vs. buying individual tickets.
Another of my favorite desert areas of California is the Mojave National Preserve.

Besides needing reservations for Yosemite which books up to a year in advance, you need to be able to drive in snow with a rental car and the rental car companies do not allow chains on their cars, and chains may be required. You could stay in Mariposa or El Portal and take the YARTS bus into the park.

The only way into Yosemite in February (maybe until late May) is the YARTS bus from Merced (airport and Amtrak station) into the Yosemite Visitor Center. The bus runs on Rt. 140 with stops in Mariposa, BUG HI hostel and in El Portal. DW and I have stayed at the BUG hostel which does have both kitchen facilities and a small restaurant. They have several small cabins that share a bathroom.
The YARTS stop is at the foot of the driveway of the hostel.
You can get to Merced from the north (Oakland, Martinez and Stockton) on the San Joaquin train or from the south (Los Angeles, Bakersfield and Fresno). The Fresno airport is designated as FAT.

No, YARTS from merced isn't the only way to Yosemite in winter. One can almost always get as far as El Portal without chains. The highway follows the merced river and is low elevation most of the way. From el portal one can either drive into the patk or take yarts for a MUCH shorter ride

If you like the idea of meeting people I suggest you join an organization I've enjoyed for years called Women Welcome Women World Wide (5W). It has, I believe, thousands of members all over the world, as the name implies, who invite visitors usually with the added benefit of staying in their homes for a couple of days. Being a member has been a real pleasure as I usually travel on my own, members tend to be bright interesting people and have provided memorable experiences.

If you get right on it you might receive your directory of members in time to plan some visits.

https://www.womenwelcomewomen.uk/

I love that idea. Will check it out pronto.