Of all the places to stay along the coast, why San Luis Obispo? I know a lot of people recommend it, but what am I missing?

Also, in February you'll need a backup plan. It can be very rainy and there can be coastal road closures. Your entire week in California could be nothing but driving in the rain.

One more vote for skipping Cabo. Hyper-tourism.

If you're looking for a warm break, why not just head east from LA into the desert? Palm Springs will be warm, beautiful in a mid-century way - lots of very cool architecture, a good museum, and numerous affordable places to stay, plus - a BIG plus - it's an hour from Joshua Tree National Park, a <i>fantastic</i> place for a day trip.

http://gardyloo.us/20110205_45a.jpg
http://gardyloo.us/20110205_55a.jpg

Thanks all for taking the time....though I am now even more undecided. Maybe February is just the wrong month for California...and most other places.
If we end up driving in the rain for 10 days and freezing in New York we definitely want some sea and sun somewhere.....but Cabo is getting so many thumbs down that there must be something wrong with it! I will look into Palm Springs but may end up reviewing the whole trip.

tomfuller.....Italians don't pay a "drop fee" with Hertz, remember? Those kinds of fees are saved for Americans. I posted a topic about this once and everyone agreed that this was fair and good.

hertz.com is probably the best bet for the one-way car rental. If checking other "brokers" make certain that liability and collision insurance are included in the quote.

<i>If we end up driving in the rain for 10 days and freezing in New York we definitely want some sea and sun somewhere..</i>

I doubt you'll be driving in the rain for ten days. The pictures of Joshua Tree I linked to above were taken in the first week of February this year. At the time the local temperature was around 84°F/29°C.

The previous days I was in the Santa Barbara area and took the pictures below. The temperature was in the low 70s/20s, although the water temperature was much colder. (In fact the Pacific is always quite cold compared to other oceans at the same latitude.) If you want warmer/swimmable water in February, you're probably better off looking at Florida than California.

Refugio Beach, a famous surfing beach:
http://gardyloo.us/20110203_6a.jpg
http://gardyloo.us/20110203_41a.jpg

Mission Santa Barbara:
http://gardyloo.us/20110205_8a.jpg

There is nothing "wrong" with Cabo for a trip, but combining it with a trip to California and the US for only 4 days is not worth it.

If you want nicer weather for a trip to California, pick spring, summer, fall, not winter.

Lovely pics!

Is any of this true?
"San Jose del Cabo exhibits the best of traditional Mexico with its blocks of unhurried streets and graceful tree covered sidewalks, its scores of shops, galleries, fine restaurants, boutiques and total absence of popular franchises such as McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and Hard Rock Cafe. It’s a place to explore, unwind, take-in and treasure. In city center one will find a gorgeous Spanish colonial styled city hall with murals of old Baja inside its corridors. Within, there’s a two-story courtyard shaded by a huge Mexican Laurel......
San Jose del Cabo is a place where one can ride horses on uncrowded trails overlooking beaches where the turtles lay their eggs , a place where nature lovers can hike through the estuary, bird watch, ride mountain bikes, surf, fish, golf, snorkel, or just explore the neighborhood....."

It all sounds idyllic where is the hitch??

It is a 2 hour flight and costs 120 bucks

What the description doesn't mention is the buses carrying hundreds of cruise tourists that will visit daily. Disney, Princess, Holland America and Carnival all call at Cabo San Lucas, and all offer numerous excursions to San Jose. Three or four ships with 2000 pax each, plus day-trippers from Cabo San Lucas, can quickly turn "sleepy" into "annoying."

You should probably be OK driving the coast, just be aware that February is normally our rainy month and have a backup plan (such as driving Highway 101 instead of coastal 1). You can check the traffic conditions at this site, just input the highway number, eg 1, 101, 99, 5, etc:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi

If you will not have a computer with you, that site also has a toll free number that you can call from your motel or mobile.

I haven't been to Cabo in awhile but the price is very good if that is roundtrip and not one-way (my air to Puerto Vallarta was $365 and included all taxes and fees, which in Mexico can add another $100 or so r/t). So if you want to go, then go.

Thanks Gardyloo, I see your point. We had that sort of experience staying in Oia on Santorini....the quiet town in a hyper-touristy island. We didn't get the cruise ships just coachfuls of day trippers. It spoilt the charm somewhat but not totally. We will have to think about it.
Thanks for the web site link Jamie. The price I mentioned is one way. The Cabo-Houston-NY will cost another 250. But it's a lot of miles in the right direction!