|
Forums >
Off-Topic Discussion >
California: what are your favorite...
Haven't been to California in years. My tastes have changed pretty dramatically since my last visit, and I'm interested in doing a LOT more sight-seeing, and a LOT more eating. I'll be pretty much all over the state, so...any suggestions will be met as eagerly as all others! I specifically want to know your favorite places to: *hike *do Bikram yoga *scuba dive *get a great veggie burger *get a great burrito *get fantastic ice cream *eat a great raw meal *people-watch *get bread that's made on site *get amazing dessert Also interested in any beautiful scenic areas that you love. Go! (Note: I don't eat meat (no, not fish, or chicken. none). So, I don't need to know where your favorite steak joint is, UNLESS it has, say, the best mashed potatoes on Earth. Mar 15 13 04:05 pm Link Hiking: everyone does Runyun Canyon, but Eaton Canyon or Juan Bautista de Anza Park have some good hiking areas....just be careful of rattlers. Burritos: Anywhere in San Fernando or the outlying areas if you happen to be in the valley. (El Faro Taco is one of my faves) People Watching: Pretty much all of Hollywood and Venice Beach are the obvious ones, also Santa Monica Pier has some interesting people. Mar 15 13 04:23 pm Link We pretty much have that list covered. ETA: Well, Monterey is better for scuba diving.  Mar 15 13 04:28 pm Link Cabo Grill on Newport Blvd, "THE BIG CABO". Best burrito you will ever have. The Hopping Pig in San Diego has pretty awesome original ice cream flavors. The owner creates a different flavor like every week or so, it's always different. Mar 15 13 04:31 pm Link Skydancer Photos wrote: Hah! Of course that is what someone from the cruz would say (and he couldn't even spell it - Monterey - correctly)! Mar 15 13 04:32 pm Link There is a mom & pop bakery in Big Sur you might like. Not to mention the sight seeing you can do in that area. Assuming it's still there.....been a couple of years. Mar 15 13 04:33 pm Link Small Fruit Pits wrote: I love the drive down Highway 1. Mar 15 13 04:35 pm Link Lohkee wrote: Oops! Mar 15 13 04:36 pm Link Skydancer Photos wrote: Palo Colorado Canyon? Mar 15 13 04:38 pm Link Lohkee wrote: Further south. Up on a ridge, looking down towards Esalen. Mar 15 13 04:46 pm Link Monterey Bay area (includes Santa Cruz) has most of the items on your list. Great areas for hiking - Point Lobos State reserve, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, Nisene Marks State Park, Jack's Peak Regional Park, Big Sur, and the list goes on. There's a lot of Scuba diving in the Monterey Bay but the water is freezing cold - brrrr! Since it's a tourist area, there are countless of great restaurants although I can't speak of any veggie burgers due to that I'm a meatasaurus! Awesome burritos can be had at Turtle Bay (Mexican coastal cuisine). Don't laugh but I like the ice cream at Rite Aid (used to be Thrifty's). Otherwise, there are plenty of ice cream parlors such as Baskin Robbins, Cold Stone (or is it Stone Cold? I can never remember - lol), and some other independent ice cream places. Lot's of people watching going on in Monterey or Santa Cruz as both are tourist destinations. Lots of bakeries as well and some of them participate in a local farmer's market each week. Fresh breads, pastries, deserts...yum! Since I don't eat anything raw, I can't help you with that and I can't help you with yoga, although I'm sure there are places here that provide those classes. You can probably go anywhere in CA and find things on your list but you won't find the variety of attractions and scenery of the Monterey Bay/Santa Cruz areas compared to anywhere else you visit. Mar 15 13 04:50 pm Link Skydancer Photos wrote: Whimpers! I so miss that area. Sigh! Used to go skinny dipping at Pfeiffer in my younger days Mar 15 13 04:57 pm Link San Diego has some really good scuba diving - lots of wrecks, kelp forests, canyons, beach diving. Only drawback is that visibility isn't usually great. Best diving in California is out in the Channel Islands IMO. Catalina is the cheapest because you can get there easily and inexpensively and don't have to go on a dive boat. Some of the other islands have more pristine dive areas and lots of sea life including sea lion colonies. There's great hiking up and down California. My favorite area for hiking is Yosemite but most of that is snow covered this time of year. Big Sur is beautiful and has some great hikes and SoCal does as well especially in the mountains. Really depends on your idea of a great hike. LA is definitely the best spot for people watching IMO. Hollywood is full of tourists which is always interesting but the best place in the world for people watching is Disneyland. Rodeo Drive is a good place for spotting the rich and famous. Mar 15 13 05:16 pm Link Peanut butter and banana stuffed french toast. Run, don't walk: http://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-222-san-diego  Mar 15 13 06:36 pm Link Mar 15 13 06:39 pm Link Skydancer Photos wrote: Does he need a respectful & tidy roommate? Mar 15 13 06:40 pm Link scenery is all relative. obviously most folks will agree that places like yosemite and kings canyon are wonderfully sublime places (and they are), but i love all the back roads of california. hell, i even think driving either of the spines of the san joaquin are beautiful. and it's also obvious that hwy 1 from monterey to pismo beach is one of the greatest stretches of roads in the world, but there are great side roads that i love to drive all over the state. of particular note are the following: 58 395 (no brainer) 152 46 (the stretch between the 101 and the 5, where you can see james dean's crash memorial) 178 138 62 111 86s 78 190 198 2 33/166 154 246 the yosemite roads (41,120,140) too many to mention. california is a driver's dream...outside of the freeway system, that is. overall, i'd still have to say that the 101 is the best road in the state. the central coast is my nirvana. Mar 15 13 06:58 pm Link Hike: Big Sur or Sequoia National Park. Veggie Burger: Evolution (San Diego), O! Burger (LA), or Veggie Grill (multiple locations) Ice Cream: Scoops in LA (Silverlake) People Watch: Venice Scenic Areas: All up and down the coast, its amazing! Mar 15 13 07:04 pm Link -Ira wrote: DONE! Mar 15 13 07:38 pm Link Small Fruit Pits wrote: Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Mar 15 13 07:38 pm Link AllisonLael wrote: Amazing! Thank you! Mar 15 13 07:39 pm Link Gosh- I really think I might just move to CA, now! Mar 15 13 07:40 pm Link Except for the scuba diving part...I think you'de be perfectly happy in San Francisco/Berkely/Sausilito forever and ever and ever... Mar 15 13 07:46 pm Link Jay Strange wrote: I've never been scuba diving, and I totally can't swim! I could make do! Mar 15 13 07:53 pm Link As far as the veggie burger, sugar plum vegan cafe.. Actually anything vegan/vegetarian friendly is great there. Or pieces by the slice pizza for some vegan pizza or just regular cheesy pizza goodness  both in downtown sacramento Oh and amazing dessert... Ricks desert diner right across the street from sugar plum vegan. Or even some of sugar plum vegans cookies. They are completely vegan and made into little sandwiches with frosting in the middle. Their chocolate peanut butter ones are dipped in chocolate so good Now I'm hungry Mar 15 13 07:55 pm Link I live in NY now but I'm from Monterey and went to undergrad in Santa Cruz and it does have a little bit of everything. More good Mexican eateries (in Monterey): El Palomar Restaurant, El Torito. And in Santa Cruz: Planet Fresh Gourmet Burritos, Taqueria Vallarta. As for ice cream (in Monterey), Ghirardelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop and Rocky Coast Ice Cream Co. For Santa Cruz: Marianne's Ice Cream is out of this world AMAZING! In Santa Cruz, the best cookies ever at Pacific Cookie Company. In Monterey, I like Paris Bakery. And it's farmer's market every Tuesday in downtown Monterey- You can pretty much sample everything there. One more thing, the best veggie burger is at Saturn Cafe in Santa Cruz. And you cannot beat the beaches and 17-mile drive/Big Sur for the most spectacular views. Mar 15 13 07:59 pm Link Dani Nikole Feist wrote: Oh my gossssshhh, you're the BEST!!!! Mar 15 13 08:03 pm Link winking_wonder wrote: Farmer's Markets! Yes!! I will most definitely be hitting up as many of those as possible. Mar 15 13 08:04 pm Link Shandra Stark wrote: Yes, definitely- you will have an amazing trip. Mar 15 13 08:07 pm Link winking_wonder wrote: Interesting! The best veggie burger here is at Veggie Galaxy, and the best vegan pizza is at The Flying Saucer Cafe. Mar 15 13 08:09 pm Link Shandra Stark wrote: I don't know how big they are everywhere else but around Sacramento we have a sprouts grocery stores/farmers market that has vegan cheese cakes in their Deli's and sell a lot of vegan/vegetarian friendly food Mar 15 13 08:11 pm Link Shandra Stark wrote: Tie for hiking: Mar 15 13 08:12 pm Link My life is good but it is not as good as it could be because I don't live in California. I'm old enough (53) so I don't do the grass is greener on the other side of the fence shit. My jobs took me to California on regular basis for years and I love it. Last time I was there I drove from San Francisco to Stockton at a time of the year when golden grasses covered the hills and the canyons of the countryside. It was one of the most beautiful sites I've seen in my life. Mar 15 13 08:14 pm Link Dani Nikole Feist wrote: LOVE IT! Mar 15 13 08:23 pm Link If for some reason you wind up in Sacramento and need Italian, go to strings on auburn blvd. they have a really fantastic three cheese ravioli and bread... And now I really want some Mar 15 13 10:37 pm Link winking_wonder wrote: Shandra Stark wrote: She pretty well nailed it! There are many great places to eat in Monterey, Santa Cruz and Big Sur. The hiking in Big Sur is just amazing! Scenery like you will not see any where else! In fact, I shot my first nude model in a waterfall there. Farmers markets are good in both Monterey and Santa Cruz ... as we've got the Salinas Valley near by with some of the richest growing soil any where! Mar 16 13 01:56 am Link A trip thru this 200 image portfolio will showcase some of the most fabulous places to shoot in all of Southern California... Mar 16 13 02:10 am Link You don't say exactly when you are traveling... temperatures can vary a lot in a short distance. Summer in San Francisco means don't forget your warm jacket. Yosemite would be worthwhile after the snow melts and the waterfalls are at their peak flows. World Class hiking and climbing. Big Sur / Monterey is pretty amazing, If time permits Highway 1 is great to the south of Monterey. Also north of San Francisco / Golden Gate. Diving in California requires fortitude... Water temp is in the 50's around Monterey. full wet suit, hood, booties, gloves, etc. required. Visibility in Monterey is not great. Although the otters and seals are interesting. I'll take the ABC islands. Santa Cruz would almost certainly have most everything on your list. Be aware that you will be required to have at least some tie dyed wardrobe. They do have entry checkpoints. April 20th is a big day there... People watching - Venice Beach on a weekend, get their early. Huntington Beach was fun the last time I was there, more of a surf culture. Based on your portfolio I think you could find willing hosts throughout the state. IMHO Mar 16 13 03:45 am Link Watching people: Venice Beach and Marina del Rey Eating: Marina del Rey and Fisherman's Wharf Pure food and fun and watching and eating: Chinatown in SF. Mar 16 13 05:42 am Link If you're that into vegan food also go to Flore (LA, silverlake), they also have AMAZING deserts! And scoops that I mentioned has vegan ice cream, and if you like Indian food go to Parus (LA), Hugos in WeHo is awesome for brunch, almost everything on the menu can be made vegan! and for vegan pizza and beer in LA I love Mohawk Bend! Not sure if your even coming to LA on your adventure haha but you now know all the best vegan places. Let me know if you want a list for San Diego too haha oh! and in San Francisco, go to Millenium! Super expensive but the chocolate cake I had....oh. my. god. ETA: and its not bikram but I love the yoga classes at runyon canyon! Mar 16 13 09:15 am Link |
.
