I live in the San Mateo County area of Calif. and am interested in "exploring" new places. Got some vacation time coming up this month and would like to find one or more small towns in Calif. to visit. I've already seen Cambria, San Simeon, Montery, San Luis Obisbo, Morro Bay and Cayucos, Ca.
Thanks for any more ideas!!
2007-08-09 15:15:38 · 12 answers · asked by Vic 1 in Travel ➔ United States ➔ San Francisco
Mendocino up along the northern coast is a great small town to go; lots of charm and character, right on the cliffs overlooking the ocean, and great Redwood forests just to the east. Just up the road from Mendocino is Fort Bragg, another great location to go and explore. Many great seafood restuarants down around Noyo Harbor. The drive up that coast is beautiful and there are so many great beaches, sand dunes, and forests in or around the small towns. And late August and September are the best months to go up there weatherwise, not as cool and foggy. Since you seem to have covered the central coast and there are no small towns south of Santa Barbara I would try the north coast, it's very scenic and remote.
2007-08-09 16:51:39 · answer #1 · answered by Sav 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Sounds like you've been south, next you should try north. 8^)
Along the coast to the north are some cute towns like Stinson Beach and Point Reyes Station. Further is Mendocino, a very pretty town in a beautiful coastal setting, with some nice shops.
Inland are the Valley of the Moon and Napa Valley. Sonoma is a cute little town with a nice 'town square' surrounded by shops and restaurants. The town of Napa used to be boring but now has a nicely developed downtown. Up the Napa Valley are St. Helena and Calistoga, very nice places but sadly a little too touristy these days.
There's also a valley, I'm not sure what it's called but the road along it is called Bohemian Highway. It includes Occidental, Camp Meeker and Monte Rio. It's a very pretty drive, ending up in Guerneville on the Russian River.
To the east, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas is the Gold Country, stretched out along highway 49. There are lots of old 19th century towns like Grass Valley and Nevada City. It's an interesting weekend trip.
2007-08-10 07:45:22 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Calistoga
Half Moon Bay
Santa Cruz
Pleasanton
Walnut Creek
Capitola
Mill Valley
Peteluma
2007-08-12 18:06:27 · answer #3 · answered by racegrrli 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you been to Carmel? I also recommend Solvang, which is off the 101 as I see you've been to quite a few towns off this highway. I can't remember if it is north or south of Santa Maria.... Anyway, Solvang is a cute little Danish town and it is also home to the Andersen's restaurant where you can enjoy a yummy bowl of split pea soup :) I used to live in SLO (went to Cal Poly for undergrad), and absolutely miss it and places like Morro Bay and Pismo Beach (great clam chowder there!). Near Pismo, there is Avila Beach where you can enjoy hot springs at the Sycamore Springs Resort. It is such a treat to relax in the outdoor yet private hot springs under the starry night! Seeing that you've been to San Simeon, I'm sure you've been to Hearst Castle, which is another central coast CA must-see! Enjoy your upcoming vacation and roadtrip!
2007-08-09 15:39:06 · answer #4 · answered by Tonki Doc 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would say Mount Shasta. It is about 5 hours from San Francisco. It is only a like an hourish/ hour and a half south from the Oregon border as well. I think it is a really nice city because first, Mount Shasta is beautiful. Also, the town is really small, but it is really friendly. It is good in the Summer because the lake is amazing and it is great in the Winter because of the snow and mountain. If you happen to get bored, you can always travel up to Oregon :D
2016-05-18 04:13:42 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hea for the Gold Country. there are some great places in the Sierras, try Murphy's, Angels Camp, colombia, Sonora, Just about everything in that area is very cool. Old Town Auburn, placerville, Nevada City, you can head towords Tahoe and Truckee is a neat town, drive around the lake. Theres a whole bunch in the Sierra's.
2007-08-11 09:00:24 · answer #6 · answered by steven v 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tiburon's a quaint little town by the bay. From there, you can take the ferry to Angel Island for a scenic 5 mile hike. Nearby Corte Madera has some nice shopping. You can also explore Napa and Sonoma for wine-tasting.
2007-08-12 15:49:06 · answer #7 · answered by mel_7896 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Carmel, Big Sur
2007-08-10 17:31:13 · answer #8 · answered by Little Witchy Girl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Head over past Sacramento to the historic Gold Rush Country. Many small towns beautiful country and different. See http://www.historichwy49.com/home.html
Have fun!
2007-08-09 18:44:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bolinas
2007-08-11 02:10:14 · answer #10 · answered by sean94110 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋