San Diego to Northern California/Oregon

>>1258760
bump, for interest - I am taking the same trip at the end of august!!

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>I am just worried about bears and wildlife
nonissue
>week and a half vacation
skip oregon

some ideas from a central coast sc/out/:
>kayaking in monterey by the aquarium or in elkhorn slough
and don't worry about the shark, that was a total fluke
>marin headlands north of sf are awesome (lighthouse, ww1 era fort)
>mt tamalpias and pt. reyes both have great hikes of varying difficulty
and if you go far enough up pt reyes you'll get to see elk
>ukiah has killer food and beer
>town of mendicino's a boring fake-artsy tourist trap but the surrounding area is nice
>quit being a pussy about strenuous hikes because castle crags near shasta are amazing and give you a great view of shasta
(pic related)
>lassen n.p. will be hot but has very interesting geothermal features
but hurry up and decide where you want to camp and get your reservations in because everything fills up super early. also get a states park pass to get into all the state parks and beaches.

>>1258794
not OP but if 3 or 4 weeks, what's there to see in Oregon if I had plenty of time and same preferences as OP?

>>1258794
What about Point Reyes National Seashore area? any cool hikes/airbnb's/motels to stay in?

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>>1258796
crater lake, lava tubes (dress warm, they're always cold!), smith rock, tubing on the deschutes, mt hood, three sisters area

>>1258807
i've only camped there, but it's hard to pick a bad hike in that area

>>1258815
Thanks man, appreciate the recommendations.

>>1258760
OP, try Trinity Alps or Redwood National Park, they're on my "to-do list" in northern Cali.

>>1258855
fo sho

trinity alps are amazing, but probably a bit commiting for a stopover on a ~10 day trip from sd. more of a backpacking destination, imo.

I'm a native Northern Californian. Lived here all my life and have hiked all over it. Ask me anything.

>>1258760
Big Sur is closed for a year to due a landslide. The only way in is through a helicopter.

Santa Cruz is great. Small, quiet town. Check out the boardwalk for a fun summer day.

Big Basin is hella cool, big trees, fun hike. Hopefully the waterfalls are still strong when you go.

In SF, check out the Haight & Ashbury area and Golden Gate park. Land's End has easy hiking and beautiful views of the ocean and Golden Gate Bridge. If you want information on things to see and do in SF, this video is pretty comprehensive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPS9bEEEEs0&t=661s

Bears around the Bay Area are unheard of. They're more common in the Yosemite area. I don't even think they live here to be honest. Mountain Lions are a lot more common and even then they're very rare. I ran into one face to face a few years ago. It looked at me then turned around and casually walked away. Poison oak and stinging nettle are common in Bay Area hikes. Just don't touch anything or be stupid and you'll be fine.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is expensive but cool. An easy and very pretty hike near Monterey is China Cove at Point Lobos Park. If you like kayaking, check out the Elkhorn Slough. For $30, you’ll be provided with a wet suit, your own kayak, etc.. Otters and seals swim right up to you. It’s pretty rad.

If you like “hidden gems,” check out McCloud Falls near Mount Shasta. Easy, gorgeous hike with crystal clear water. Waterfalls you can jump into. I went last summer and had a blast hiking and swimming. I mention another hidden gem below..

>>1258807
Near Point Reyes, check out Alamere Falls in a small town called Bolinas. Cool hike with nice waterfalls that flow into the Pacific ocean. Pro tip: There's also Bass Lake along the hike where you can swim in. Most people don't know this. If you're lucky you may find a rope swing to hop in and out of the water.

Man, I thought this was suppose to be fun planning a trip and all... very stressful and overwhelming. I have been on the computer since 9 am and it is now 8 PM and I have made no reservations and no progress.. fuck.

Just want like one full day in santa barbara stay the night there.. head up to the redwoods/bay area.. idk my mind is on overload. i give up.

>>1258877
Are all the camp spots at big basin sp close to the hiking trails ? would a regular car be able to drive thru that area? (prius)

>>1258933
yes and yes. but i wouldn't be remotely surprised to know that the campsites are entirely booked already.

Sorry, but quick question. How much beer (Bud, Coors etc.) costs in California stores like Walmart?

>>1258933
Big Sur and Big Basin are two different places. Big Basin should be accessible, but I'm pretty sure camp sites would be booked by this time of year. Still check it out though, you may get lucky.

>>1259060
Bud and Coors are some of the lower-quality cheaper beers you'll find at stores. I don't know the exact price but for beer they're very cheap.

>>1259060
i just checked a safeway ad and a 30 rack of either is on sale for $19.99

>>1258932
It is suppose to be fun, set your OCD tendencies aside and focus more on where you'll be sleeping rather than things youll be doing. that should come naturally on a road trip. if it is your first road trip just let loose and don't plan anything out.

>>1258877
is it doable to camp just one night in big basin then head up to SF? Have a tent and all, just wanna camp one night there since it is all thats available first week of july. Thoughts?

>>1259251
yes. sf is only an hour or so north of big basin. i'd go 236->9->35->92->1 for maximum comfy (though it's worth checking on the status of 35 north of 9, it got beat pretty hard this winter).

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Not OP but - would it be stupid to drive all the way thru to Portland, skipping everything and then just stop on the way back down?

>>1258807
Ha, I wanted to go to point reyes too but someone in an online forum told me there are bobcats there and a bunch of wildlife, they said its dangerous. Is this even true? I feel like they were just trollin me.

I really wanna go to pt reyes in august and I plan on camping there a few nights at least. really wanna have a fire and nice relaxing camp trip.

>>1259582
seriously you're more likely to get fucked up by an elk than a bobcat. bobcats are the size of a medium sized dog and eat rabbits and quail, they leave people alone.

>>1259586
i figured, people are just so fearful and like projecting that on to others. I use to never be scared of anything but secluding myself and traveling less i became a bitch.

>>1258760
Hey sorry OP. I am goin on a similar trip as well mid-august. I live in SD as well but I have 2 weeks. I wanted to spend under 1500 all together on gas/hotels/camping. I plan on staying a night in santa barbara
after that
>santa cruz 1 night
>san fran/marin 2 nights
>mt shasta 1 night
>2-3 nights in portland

I kinda wanna skip portland but I really wanna just go since ill be in norcal anyway might as well take the trip . any advice anyone?

>>1260078
forgot to add, was also thinking I could do 2 nights in Santa barbara then 3 nights in the bay area/santa cruz
then head east to yosemite for 2 nights and then down to lake havasu for a few nights
into the cal desert for a night or two and then back down home to san diego. I have no solid plan rrght now but yaidk

>>1260078
>>1260079
you realize portland is roughly 6 hours and 350 miles from northern california? and you're not going to see anything weirder than what you can encounter in sf.

and if you want to stay in yosemite you better hurry up and make reservations, assuming there are any even still available.

>>1260118
yeah but I meant while I'm on a road trip I might as well continue into the pnw.. but I mean I could also do as I said and go around into tahoe down to lake havasu/grand canyon and back to sand iego.

>>1260303
if your goal is to just cover distance and tick cities, then by all means go for it. i'm not telling you how to have fun, do what you want. i'm just pointing out that it's not a quick jaunt up there.

>>1260313
true, I can't decide whether it is worth the extra driving or not.. idk. I have 12 days max so I'm just kinda indecisive on that whole situation.

>>1260332
having been to portland multiple times to visit family i would say it's not, at least in that timeframe.

>>1260345
Is there like a suggested itinerary for this timeframe I have ?

Where would anyone suggest staying (either camping or airbnb) outside of the city of san fran close enough to public transit to take a day trip into the city?

>>1260355
anything that doesn't add spending most of 2 days driving to visit a city you've specifically said you "kinda wanna skip".

>>1258794
Ok, so a bit of an update - OP here....

Decided I have 2 full weeks (14 days).

I will be in Santa Barbara 1 night
then I am heading up the coast, was thinking of skipping thru morro/san luis obispo and heading straight to Santa Cruz (stay there a night) then head to San francisco for one night as well
after that maybe head straight to Mt Shasta for a night and then into Oregon up to Portland.. stay there 2-3 nights, go to cannon beach the final night close to portland then head up to Washington for a night or two. at that point itll be around 8-9 days...idk what else to plan out. im bad at this .

>>1260753
just wing it. if you like someplace stay, if you don't like someplace move on.

>>1260753
Half a day in Santa Cruz, and half a day in SF? Why even go if that's the case? Go to Santa Cruz, go hiking, go to downtown for a little bit, ride some coasters at the Boardwalk, talk to beach babes. And if you’ve never been to SF, give yourself at least three days to enjoy it all and see the sights. Talk to pretty girls around the embarcadero and Pier 39, search for street fairs or festivals that may be going on that day in SF, go to a museum, visit some pubs and bars at night. Stay at a hostel.

I'd recommend keeping your trip within Norcal and Portland and doing a Washington trip some other time. A flight from LA to Seattle is pretty cheap and fast.

>>1261035
Where do you recommend I stay (going with a friend) - that is safe? We have our car and I do not want anyone breaking into it or anything. I checked airbnb but most places that are affordable are up in marin city. I wouldn't mind staying 2 nights in SF and then heading up to oregon if I could just find a nice place to stay.

I'm under the impression that the bay area has a lot of unsafe parts and few safe parts that are easy to park. Just want an airbnb or hotel that is close to BART/bus safe and not crazy expensive (over 125, 125 a night is the maximum i can spend)

>>1261049
I'm assuming you mean a safe place in the city of San Francisco? I'd say anywhere except the Tenderloin neighborhood and also the Bayview/Hunter's Point neighborhood. You'll be fine everywhere else. Overall, and compared to other major cities, San Francisco is one of the safest main cities in the United States. Just be smart with your belongings, and don't leave anything valuable in your car and you'll be fine.

Like I said, I recommend a hostel instead of an AirBnB or hotel. Hostels are cheap as fuck and you'll meet other travelers like you. They're fun. There are many hostels throughout the city. Good luck finding a cheap AirBnB in SF.

Fuck, I leave in 4 days and have 1 place booked.

Fuck.