We are driving to the Redwoods this summer and wanted to stay a day somewhere between San Francisco and the Redwoods. Can you recommend a city or town along the coast? If not, that's fine too. We would just like somewhere with a quaint atmosphere or nice scenery.

quaint atmosphere or nice scenery

Mendocino has a quaint atmosphere, and we love to take a walk on the Mendocino Headlands.

HTtY

A great place to stay, but is not cheap, is the Benbow inn; located South of Garberville.

http://www.benbowinn.com/

I've stayed there umpteen times. It's about 200 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

It has a nice restaurant within the Inn itself. Probably the nicest place to stay within 50+ miles in any direction.

and a little farther north from the Benbow Inn is the Scotia Inn- not as expensive or as nice but still, a comfortable place to stay and close to the things you would want to see

They also have a restaurant attached - or they did a couple of years ago when I stayed there

Oops- meant to post a link to Scotia Inn

http://www.thescotiainn.com

I was going to suggest Mendocino also.

There's more than 1 "redwoods". You might also choose a town you'd like to visit north or south of San Francisco and then find redwoods nearby.

Another place for giant west coast trees is Sequoia NP with nearby King's Canyon and Yosemite and some very "quaint California Gold Rush towns.

http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm

I was wondering the same thing but almost all the responses seem to assume it's Redwood National Park.

If so, then look into the B&Bs in Gualala. You'll probably find one in your price range.