just saw that you said August...all of the above mentioned places will be great in August. Lodging will be at a premium so it might depend on where you want to stay and whether you can get reservations. There will likely be two night minimums at some beach and island inns or B&Bs so factor that into your consideration. It might be a bit cooler the further north you go and at the coasts but then again "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."

I agree with the general plan of 3-4 days in city, 3-4 in nature.
In California, I'd spend three in San Francisco, then go north to Point Reyes and on to the Sonoma Coast and or Napa. I don't like traveling one night at a time, so I would stay in 3 places max. SF and Monterey are also an alternative. We like the Best Western Monterey Beach hotel--right on ocean, can walk a 3 mile beach, 10 minute drive to Point Lobos, 10 minutes in the other direction to Point Lobos. You could make a day trip to Big Sur.

In Seattle, I would divide the city with Bainbridge Island and Olympic National Park with its spectacular rain forest.

Don't miss Muir Woods but go EARLY or very LATE>

>>but are there places outside of California that are worthwhile to visit?<<

Absolutely. But you only have a week. So you'll really have to choose one. You didn't really give us much to work w/ except the Pacific.

There are (literally) 100's of places you could go but SF/the mid-coast; SF/north coast/Redwoods; Portland/Oregon coast; Seattle/Washington coast . . . Or southern CA.

W/ one week you'll want to pick one of those.

I'd personally choose either SF/Carmel, or SF/Mendocino/Redwoods but any would be fine. It REALLY would help if you or you mom could narrow things down a bit.

Go in September after 3/4 of the kids are back in school. Accomodations will be a little less expensive and there will be better availability, especially weeknights. Is budget a consideration? Where are you flying from, are you looking for somewhere to go that is a nonstop flight?

Flying from JFK in ny and not really a budget consideration. September does seem like a better time to me as well due to less traffic since I will most likely be doing the driving.

If you want to avoid big cities/traffics/freeways, consider taking JetBlue's nonstop evening flight from JFK into Sacramento California. You'll arrive late and want a hotel nearby for the night, but this gives you a head start on your travels in the morning. You could head for Mendocino CA on the coast,about 4.5 hrs, you'll be driving through some of beautiful Wine Country and can find a nice spot to stop for lunch, then settle in for a couple of nights some place like this:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationP...alifornia.html


Next drive up the coast maybe to Gold Beach Oregon for a couple relaxing nights, then finish off the trip visiting Portland Oregon or Vancouver, with your flight home to JFK from Portand.

The only hitch is that a one-way car rental from California to Oregon is probably pricey, Avis looks like about $600 per week.

Here's another place to stay near Mendocino with a video that gives you an idea of the area:

www.stanfordinn.com/video/

For accommodations in the Ft Bragg/Mendocino area - another one I highly recommend is the Little River Inn

Rooms at several price points most w/ balconies/verandas

http://www.littleriverinn.com/lodging/

Since your mom want to see the Pacific Ocean, I would go to Hawaii ;)

I now always fly Jet Blue from JFK to SF--conconfortable, reasonable, nice people, a whole different ballpark from the unfriendly skies of United . Treat you and your mother to extra leg room for $65 more each way; the 5 more inches are well worth the price and have lots of other perks that come with them. I second the idea of Little River Inn or renting a small house at Sea Ranch. Remember that our August is very different than yours--cool and foggy.

By the way, these are win-win choices. Start first with deciding between SF and Seattle (I too would choose SF). The northern redwoods are very special, but if your mom can't walk/hike for at least an hour, I would content myself with Muir Woods. To avoid hordes, get there at 8 am. It still feels sacred then. It's just an hour from the City, you could then drive to the coast, lunch at Stinson Beach and loop back to SF through Point Reyes. Spend another day or so in the City, then head north to Sonoma Coast. I LOVE Point Lobos and the Monterey Acquarium, but in August you will share them with every school child in California. If this does not deter you, try the Best Western Plus Monterey Beach Resort. It's summer prices are high, but pleasant decor, refridgerator in room, RIGHT on ocean with 3 mile beach, OK fine restaurant, 5 minute drive from Point Lobos, another 5 minute drive from acquarium, maybe 1 1/2 hour to spectacular Big Sur where you could stay at Big sur Lodge.

Bon voyage!

If Sept. is an option, I would opt for it. Most kids are back in school and the weather is better!

I really enjoy the Mendocino/Fort Bragg area. Every time my mother comes to visit me out here (SF) we spend a weekend up there in a nice vacation rental home right on the water we book through Zaranga.com. The town has a lot of nice art shops and there are many very interesting attractions and beaches, like the sea glass beach!

We really need more information to target our suggestions to your interests and not keep shooting in the dark trying to give you ideas of what to do.

You must at least have some interests. Museums? Fine dining? Trees? We've got lots of big trees that people are interested in. Tidepools? Warm weather? Cooler weather? Winetasting? Waterfalls? Please give us some information to work with.

I'd fly into San Francisco ... stay there few days (you can also take day trips to wine country etc.) ... rent a car and drive down the coast on Hwy #1 to Santa Monica (stopping at Hearst Castle, Monterey, Carmel etc)... definitely stop in Santa Barbara. I've done this trip several times with overseas visitors ... and it never gets old ... some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

I live in the Monterey Bay Area, August can be very foggy along the CA coast, September the weather is much better.
San Francisco and Carmel sell more sweatshirts in July/August than in January.

OP has not posted in about two weeks.

The title of this thread has taken on a new life for me. Picture Whistler's painting 'Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 1' (aka Whistler's Mother), chair facing the ocean on the edge of the Mendocino bluff. Entitled 'West Coast with Mother'. Feel free to substitute any mother and any location.