That being said, I LOVE Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, the Big Sur region, the Sierra foothill region, and Santa Barbara. I don't much care for LA, can't stand the sprawl and blandness of Orange County, and think the Inland Empire is a dump. California has the best and worst I guess you can say.
Add the Silver Tip belt of the Sierras and you match my preferences exactly.