I've never been south of Santa Maria...
You might sometime consider a day or so just a bit south in Santa Barbara. Haven't been there in decades but it was once an attractive ocean-side jewel and pleasant place to live.
Central California is like heaven on earth.
You clearly speak of the coastal areas. Sacramento, Lodi, Stockton, Modesto, Fresno, San Bernardino are a glimpse of tougher times ahead.
The drive from Salinas to SLO is amazing. Mile after mile after mile of grape vineyards. Not separate vineyards.
Indeed. Recall reading with pride during my early school years living in Palo Alto a climatological map of the world . The map colored that small slice of California has having one of the best vineyard climates in the world, second to none.
Perhaps someday California can be liberated.
I am an optimist by nature, but my money says it will turn only on a catastrophic event. Meanwhile it will continue to become like that in the movie Blade Runner; and taxpayers elsewhere, as typical, will be asked to cover the mistakes-experiments of the liberals.
Would recommend for your consideration the coastal route above SF as well as a few days in Yosemite. {;^)
Stockton, San Bernardino, no -- yuck.
One of my best, sweetest girlfiends was from Santa Rosa. I love her still. I wish my common law wife was half as sweet -- LOL.
The untold secret is that women only get more beautiful as they get older. You just have to have eyes that see.
If you want to see how wonderful California used to be, look at Alfred Hitchcock's terrific suspense movie "Shadow of a Doubt". It was filmed in Santa Rosa.
From what I've heard, today Santa Rosa is filled with illegal aliens and gang bangers and criminals of all stripe.