# California Travel Advice



## dw2013 (Mar 31, 2014)

Morning, hope all CR members are well!

I'm looking for some advice on California...I'm from the UK, and planning a road trip in California in September 2014.

Details have yet to be defined, however we will be flying into either Las Vegas or San Diego, and then flying out of San Francisco.

We want to take in the main sites (Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Forest, Grand Canyon if we fly to Las Vegas, San Francisco Bay), however any other advice of less well known sites to see, places to stop etc would be really appreciated.

Interested in landscape & wildlife photography, and basically just anything other CR members have experienced which made their California holiday special.

Also, what gear would you take? I have a 6D, 24-105L, 70-200 F4L IS, and a 550D as back-up which the wife will take.

Is there anywhere specific in California you would recommend buying new gear? I'm considering purchasing a 24-70 F2.8L whilst I am there, as the prices are so much cheaper than the UK.

Thanks for your help!

Dave


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## Jim Saunders (Mar 31, 2014)

If you're into aviation then you could catch Lockheed's Palmdale plant and maybe the museum at China Lake if it is open to the public. An ND filter or two is a good idea, no end of sunshine there.

Jim


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## distant.star (Mar 31, 2014)

.
I lived in CA for 10 years, but I wouldn't know where to begin to answer this. There's just TOO much there.

Unless you're going to be there for six or eight weeks, my best suggestion is to limit your appetite. The distances are great, and if you try to do too much, you'll be frustrated with spending so much time just sitting in a car getting from one place to another.

The landscape/wildlife opportunities are endless and almost everywhere. Do some good planning, again, keeping distances (travel times) in mind.


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## tolusina (Apr 1, 2014)

distant.star said:


> .
> I lived in CA for 10 years, but I wouldn't know where to begin to answer this. There's just TOO much there.
> 
> Unless you're going to be there for six or eight weeks, my best suggestion is to limit your appetite. The distances are great, and if you try to do too much, you'll be frustrated with spending so much time just sitting in a car getting from one place to another.
> ...


Yes, pretty much exactly. 

California is something like the world's 6th largest economy, geographically larger than most European countries. In some seasons you can drive between sun bathing on the beach to snow skiing in the mountains in just a few hours.

Micro climates abound even within single counties.

Super rich in Beverly Hills and elsewhere, super powerful in Sacramento. Poverty and homelessness on the streets of most cities. 
High crime areas in all the big cities especially Stockton, Oakland, Salinas and L.A., keep to your own business if you wander in to those areas, get to somewhere nicer as quick as you can and you'll be fine, don't linger, especially don't stare. These are not places for tourists to practice street candids.

Busy busy port cities in L.A. and Oakland, huge agricultural vistas in the valleys and along the coast.

Gilroy, the Garlic Capital, Castroville, the Artichoke Capital. There's a brussel sprouts capital too, I forget where. 
Watsonville STRAWBERRIES!!!! World renowned and deservedly so. Seasonally availability throughout the U.S. varies. Watsonville also bills itself as Apple City, but I'm originally from Michigan where I learned apples are best following the first frost which Watsonville rarely gets. I'm meh about Watsonville apples.

Incredible beaches all along the coast with about as much variety as everything else. HUGE world class surf at Mavericks near Half Moon Bay, some really great surf photographs come from there. Good surfing along a lot of the Santa Cruz country shoreline, lots of good surf in Southern California too.

Mountains, gorgeous mountains. Really really BIG and old trees in the redwood forests.
Hollywood and the movie/tv industry.
Tesla builds cars.
Silicon valley.
Steinbeck country from Salinas/Monterey through Santa Clara/San Francisco, Jack London country from Santa Clara though Sacramento especially the East Bay (of S.F. Bay).
Gold Mining ghost towns in the Sierras.
Big Sur, Point Reyes.
Hearst Mansion.

Diversity. In my opinion, California's best feature. America's claim as a melting pot exists and is readily apparent daily in many places in California. Every nationality, ethnicity and culture is represented and all get along with each other (mostly) quite well. China Towns, Mexican Towns, Little Saigons and so forth abound. Lots of photo ops here but do use caution, gangs there too.

Great college campuses at U.C. Berkeley, Stanford in Palo Alto, U.C. Santa Cruz and elsewhere. 
You can see the Hoover Tower at Stanford from the Campanile at Berkeley and vice versa.
Sweeping ocean vistas at the U.C.S.C. campus. 

Epic traffic jams 24/7 around L.A. and beyond, most especially the 405, bring lots of patience, water, fuel and a working cell phone.
The I-280 freeway between San Jose and San Francisco is billed as "the World's Most Beautiful Freeway" to which I'll say maybe, but I figure that's a tough claim to make. It is a pretty drive, far preferable to the 101 for similar destinations. Traffic jams on both ends during commute times, even then, nothing like the usual and continuous jams around L.A..
California Highway 1 along the coast is epic, just epic. A tourist could spend an entire trip just on Highway 1.
---
San Francisco. I don't know where to start about San Francisco except to say, never call it 'Frisco while there nor anywhere near.
San Francisco is one of those places that I expect will always tug at a piece of my heart (J.J. reference), it is my favorite city, a real stand out. 

Public transport is excellent there, preferable to driving and especially parking. 
Most tourists wouldn't think of missing the cable cars and for good reason, don't miss them. The restored 1940's era trolley cars are pretty cool, buses go everywhere else, cabs abound.

So many places to go, things to see and do, check http://sfgate.com , the San Francisco Chronicle's web site for events, tons of other on-line resources about S.F. too.
Several, long established camera shops in S.F., but I've never been to any so cannot comment. A lot of hole in the wall electronics shops along Market, I wouldn't shop there but there may well be photo ops there.

---
I'm only familiar with a few camera shops, all in the "Central" California area.
Keeble & Shuchat in Palo Alto is rather impressive for both size and inventory, I gather it's somewhat like a mini B&H or Adorama in N.Y. but having never been to either of those can't say for sure. Multi floor buildings on both sides of the street, a literal forest of tripods on display in the ground floor main room of the main building. Sadly, staff seems a little rushed though knowledgeable about their products. http://kspphoto.com/

In sleepy little Soquel on the Monterey Bay is the one man show that is the Monterey Bay Photo Mart's Richard. A funky, dusty place with lots of film, chemicals, darkroom stuff and the like, I did buy my (now old) Nikon D80 there on the first day it was released. It's a mix of old and new. If just to buy, best to call first. I'm not seeing a web site, here's a google thing https://www.google.com/#q=monterey%20bay%20photo%20mart&safe=off Richard's speech is a little hard to understand sometimes, he is definitely worth listening to.

Not far away in Capitola and Santa Cruz is the world renowned Bay Photo Lab. Not at all a gear shop, most definitely a top notch photo print shop. http://www.bayphoto.com/

Pardee's in Sacramento http://www.pardeescameras.com/ is pretty much what an old school, local and independent camera store can and should be. Low pressure, friendly and knowledgeable staff, prices vary from fair to competitive.

I do want to give San Jose Camera and Video (in San Jose) a mention, mostly to suggest you google some reviews and that's all I choose to say about that place. 





.


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## neuroanatomist (Apr 1, 2014)

@tolusina - great prose! You make me want to visit the Golden State. But then, I was born there and lived there for >30 years. 

@Dave - I'd add that Wine Country (Napa/Sonoma) is just north of SF, and worth a visit for the scenery as well as the wine. In particular, V. Sattui is worth a stop (their wines are sold only at the winery and via mail). Great views from the Oakville Grade between Sonoma and Napa. If you're more of a beer drinker, Anderson Valley Brewing Co. is a bit further north, you can have some excellent beer, maybe hear a little Boontling, and head west on Rt. 128 from there, driving back down along Highway 1 with beautiful views of the Mendocino coast. Driving south from there, in Gualala look for the onion domes of St. Orres, and stop in for a delicious gourmet meal, or just a glass of wine by the fire.


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## kelpdiver (Apr 1, 2014)

Many of the possibles you mention call for a rental of a UWA len, be in the 17-40/16-35/15/14/8-15. The 24-105 will be your primary choice, but it will be limited in Yosemite Valley, in the redwoods at Sequioa, Grand Canyon, or around San Francisco. The 70-200 doesn't see nearly as much use - if you had the 2.8 I'd be inclined to leave it, but the 4 is a much more reasonable weight. There are occasions where you want reach (and sometimes a lot of it, but again, not enough to carry a lot of weight).

If you want both of you to be able to shoot, renting the 15-85 for the APS camera could help.


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## SoullessPolack (Apr 1, 2014)

Don't listen to these people. I think you should explore a LOT of California, and not confine yourself. Sure, you won't be here for long, and you can spend several weeks visiting all the wonderful sites in California, but there's just something exhilarating about covering a lot of miles and seeing a tons of sites. You won't get that much sleep, but you can sleep when you're dead. Over here across the pond, the term YOLO is popular amongst photographers. It stands for You Only Live Once. The best thing about YOLOing throughout all of California is the fact that it lets you be open in your traveling plans, which is what is pretty much needed if you're purpose is landscape and wildlife photography. The middle of the day is for both adventuring as well as for driving. If your next stop is 8 hours away, you can rack up many, or all, of those miles during the harsh light of the day. Obviously, your golden hours near sunrise and sunset are for taking pictures. And then you can do more driving after sunset. Just make sure to have caffeine on hand. 

You don't want to itinerize yourself stiff, so that you end up in Yosemite during a week of bad weather, and then end up San Francisco during a week of clear skies. Go with the flow, and go with the weather. The fronts of storms, as well as the dissipation of storms, often provide the best skies. Check the weather throughout the state frequently. After sunrise, I often combine my vast knowledge of meteorology with weather forecasts provided online to determine if I'm going to stay and scout at my current location, or if the sunset potential at my current location is bleak, then where else would be good for sunrise that is within the required amount of driving time (I usually want to arrive an hour to an hour and a half before sunset at a new location to make sure I have enough scouting time).

I take several weeklong excursions every year, from Arizona to California. Not once has my technique failed me. I have a program that logs all of the webcams for areas I would think to visit throughout the southwest that is running when I am on my trip, and when I get back home, I always realize that staying in any one of the spots I was at (aka not being flexible with my travel plans) would never have provided me as many good pictures as picking up my stuff and driving when the outlook was good for elsewhere. For example, on my last trip, I covered over 4000 miles in 6 days. I started out going to Crater Lake, then went to one of the Redwood Forests, then to Big Sur, then to Yosemite, then Santa Monica, then to Death Valley, then to Mono Lake, and then finally my home state at the Grand Canyon before going home.

So, make the most of your time, and DRIVE lots! You will see the most amount of sites. You won't be disappointed as long as you follow the weather. After all, much of the drama in the types of photographs we do is based on light, weather, and clouds. Some of these inexperienced posters will tell you the distances are long. Yes, they are, but the reward is worth it. Unless you absolutely abhor driving. But otherwise, crank up the tunes, get some caffeine, and you're golden. I feel sorry for anyone who is driving to a destination to shoot the landscape and is not in a great mood, despite having to drive hours. I always feel pumped and energetic do be able to do something I love so much. If you're at Death Valley one day, and reluctant to put in some miles to catch some potentially great light say in San Francisco (for example), then I question how much you truly love doing this. The best thing about this kind of trip is that you get a taste of everything that is in the state, and then if you ever want to come back, you can really narrow down a particular area you'd like to learn better. 

Regarding your option of buying a lens, I'm not sure of where the best place to buy would be. Depending on how long your trip is (say a week vs a month), if it's on the longer end, you could always arrange it so your connecting flight lands in New York, then shoot on over to the brick and mortar location for B&H, which is the world's best and largest photography equipment store. 

Another option that no one has presented is to buy the lens you want used. Use it for your trip, and then sell it after your trip has ended. Since you are already buying used, you will likely be able to sell it for just as much as you bought it for. This pretty much equals a free rental. If you're considering renting a lens, don't. Buy it used, then sell it.

Whatever you choose, I hope you have a great trip chasing the magical light that can be found in California!


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## Cali_PH (Apr 1, 2014)

I would second the recommendation of an UWA lens, rental or purchase, unless you know that's not your style. Personally, I use my 17-40 & 14mm quite a bit shooting around California. I'd still definitely bring the other lenses too. 

How long is your trip, and how comfortable are you driving long distances? As others have mentioned, CA is larger than some countries, so that may factor into your travels. In September, you'll experience cooler weather in the mountains, possibly enough for frost overnight; and then mid 90's (F, not C) in the central valley, between Yosemite & SF.

My preferences are similar to SoullessPolack, where I'll travel long distances if I must to see all the places I want to, and rest later; short cuts on my phone link to webcams of various areas to I can check weather conditions. I've done parts of the Grand Circle several times in the past few years and every time I try to whittle it down to fewer stops, I end up changing it. My last trip originally left out Arches & Canyonlands, but weather wasn't cooperating where we were, so we chased dramatic clouds and ended up in Arches anyway. Of course that's not for everyone, but since you're coming from so far, though, this may be your only chance, or at least first for while, to see what you want, so I think it's worth considering. You can sleep on the long flight back  Of course, the other problem is getting hotels last minute, which will be difficult in some locations. 

Without knowing more about your preferences I'd suggest something like the following, which is close to other SF-to-Vegas/Vegas-to-SF itineraries I've seen on other sites. 

- Vegas to/from Grand Canyon. Consider stops at Valley of Fire and maybe Red Rock Canyon on the way to California.

- Death Valley - Will likely be very hot, potentially over 100degF during the day, but still worth considering at least a morning drive through for many.

- Drive up 395 to Mono Lake for the tufas; possibly swing by Bodie ghost town.

- Take Tioga Pass into Yosemite, to Yosemite Valley. Beautiful drive, many visitors only see the valley but I really recommend Tioga Pass.

- Leave Yosemite via 120. If you're dead set on Sequoia, head south, but there are stands of sequoias in Yosemite, and near San Francisco. As I understand it though, the ones in Sequoia are more impressive. Problem is the distances there are large and speed through the mountains slow and will eat time. 

- Head to bay area. Probably via 580 if you're just headed to the SF area, but I'd REALLY recommend taking 152 to the Monterey/Carmel, one of my favorite areas for a weekend. Big Sur & Point Lobos are must-sees in the area. From there, I'd drive up PCH/Highway 1; lots of nice little towns along the coast as others have mentioned.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions. I probably can dig up some more info on some locations like Big Sur & Point Lobos.


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## Waterdonkey (Apr 1, 2014)

""Without knowing more about your preferences I'd suggest something like the following, which is close to other SF-to-Vegas/Vegas-to-SF itineraries I've seen on other sites. 

- Vegas to/from Grand Canyon. Consider stops at Valley of Fire and maybe Red Rock Canyon on the way to California.

- Death Valley - Will likely be very hot, potentially over 100degF during the day, but still worth considering at least a morning drive through for many.

- Drive up 395 to Mono Lake for the tufas; possibly swing by Bodie ghost town.

- Take Tioga Pass into Yosemite, to Yosemite Valley. Beautiful drive, many visitors only see the valley but I really recommend Tioga Pass.

- Leave Yosemite via 120. If you're dead set on Sequoia, head south, but there are stands of sequoias in Yosemite, and near San Francisco. As I understand it though, the ones in Sequoia are more impressive. Problem is the distances there are large and speed through the mountains slow and will eat time. 

- Head to bay area. Probably via 580 if you're just headed to the SF area, but I'd REALLY recommend taking 152 to the Monterey/Carmel, one of my favorite areas for a weekend. Big Sur & Point Lobos are must-sees in the area. From there, I'd drive up PCH/Highway 1; lots of nice little towns along the coast as others have mentioned.""

Spot on! I'll second Cali_PH on this.


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## mifho (Apr 1, 2014)

I just visited CA for my first time last autumn. I brought the 24-105, 16-35, 50L and Fuji x100s with me; I left the 24-70ii at home and don't regret it too much. I second (or third?) the opinion about buying a wide angle - 16-35 if you can afford it, but I hear the 17-40 is almost as good at f8 and up and you can buy them at Best Buy near my house. 

We did Monterey, Big Sur & Carmel the first 3 days, drove up to wine country for 3 days, and ended up in San Francisco for the last 3 days. We had rented a conertible - i would highly recommend this. Highlights IMO were: 17 mile drive between Monterey & Carmel, Carmel wine tastings and sunset beach, drive to McWay falls, hidden/hazardous drive to Pfeiffer Beach, Napa wine tastings (we didn't do Sonoma; next time), Fort Point SF and Alcatraz. Check my pics out: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mhorgan/sets/72157636072616423/


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## nonac (Apr 1, 2014)

Night time at the Griffith Observatory in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. Take your tripod, awesome panoramic shot of Los Angeles.


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## Vivid Color (Apr 1, 2014)

I highly recommend a visit to Muir Woods, which is just 12 miles north of San Francisco. 

http://www.nps.gov/muwo/index.htm


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## SoullessPolack (Apr 1, 2014)

Cali_PH said:


> Of course, the other problem is getting hotels last minute, which will be difficult in some locations.



Great point! I forgot to mention this in my post, and could be a big factor.

When I travel throughout a state, seemingly at random, I either sleep in my truck, find a campground, or find a forest/area that allows dispersed camping. I'm out all day adventuring, including many times hours after sunset for astrophotography, and up a couple hours before sunrise, so I would have very little time in the hotel, and it makes for what I deem a waste of money.

Granted, this is not for everyone, and I know some people who absolutely have to shower every day, or have to sleep in a bed every day.

If not though, you can fit in quite the adventure during your time for pretty much only the cost of gas


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## dw2013 (Apr 1, 2014)

@Tolusina, @SoullessPolack, @Cali_PH, thanks for your amazing advice (and to everyone else for your contributions)! We're going to book the flights this weekend (just under 3 weeks in CA), so then it gives us plenty of time to decide where we want to go and to plan a draft itinerary (without being too specific).

Re: equipment - i'll check out the prices in USA compared to UK, but no doubt they'll be a lot cheaper. I was thinking of upgrading the 24-105L, as i purchased mine used, and i'm not sure that it's the best copy. So was considering either a 16-35L or 24-70L, but based on everyones advice it sounds as though the 16-35L will be more useful for California. So maybe the 24-70L will have to wait til next year, I am sure i can manage with the 24-105L for another 12 months...


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## kelpdiver (Apr 1, 2014)

SoullessPolack said:


> It stands for You Only Live Once. The best thing about YOLOing throughout all of California is the fact that it lets you be open in your traveling plans, which is what is pretty much needed if you're purpose is landscape and wildlife photography. The middle of the day is for both adventuring as well as for driving. If your next stop is 8 hours away, you can rack up many, or all, of those miles during the harsh light of the day. Obviously, your golden hours near sunrise and sunset are for taking pictures. And then you can do more driving after sunset. Just make sure to have caffeine on hand.



For me, YOLO means not driving 10 hours a day for a week on my vacation. Beating the hell out of my body is great when it's a fun activity; driving isn't. It is very unusual to have nothing of interest for 600 miles here. It's impossible to have that for multiple days. If you only want to shoot at dawn and dusk - then there's non photographic fun to have instead. Go hiking. Or playing in the waves. 

I do want to give a big +1 on your suggestion that he buy a lens here and sell it on his return. If you can avoid paying import taxes, this should translate to a much cheaper (or free) rental. But obviously it does mean floating the cost until you can make a sale. Just find any way to get wider than 24mm if you stay biases towards the outdoor sights.


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## Cali_PH (Apr 1, 2014)

SoullessPolack said:


> Cali_PH said:
> 
> 
> > Of course, the other problem is getting hotels last minute, which will be difficult in some locations.
> ...



I kind of figured that you were doing that; I really wish I could too, but I'm definitely the type that needs a bed and shower! ;D My friend and I just did Utah/Arizona a month ago, and a series of great storms rolled through. It would have been great to just follow the systems where ever they went, but we only changed our plans for one day, because we could book a place in Moab.



dw2013 said:


> @Tolusina, @SoullessPolack, @Cali_PH, thanks for your amazing advice (and to everyone else for your contributions)! We're going to book the flights this weekend (just under 3 weeks in CA), so then it gives us plenty of time to decide where we want to go and to plan a draft itinerary (without being too specific).



No problem, I travel a lot here for fun/photography and don't mind helping other people plan. I usually end up doing most of the planning the trips for myself & photography friends, and I've gotten fairly familiar with a lot of the places I mentioned due to repeated visits. 

It's great you have almost 3 weeks; the itinerary I through out is doable with about 10 days, with some rushing & only hitting highlights; of course with more time it allows for more days at one spot and branching out, the possibility of including more spots etc. 

I almost hate to mention this, if I had that much time, I'd probably use a couple of days near Vegas to hit Zion, a little over 2 hours from Vegas. And then if you're there, Bryce Canyon is less than 2 hours from there...  Never mind me, I think since I've spent most of my life in California, some of the things here seem almost 'everyday' things, while I've recently become obsessed with Utah & Arizona and I keep going on trips out there. ;D

I'd recommend the Tripadvisor.com forums for general travel help & advise (hotels, restaurants, etc.). Just be advised that the Destination Experts there are like 'experts' on any site; most are nice & friendly but a few are kind of obnoxious. Still, I use it a lot while planning trips for locations I'm not that familiar with.


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## mickeykelly (Apr 1, 2014)

In mid-late September, the air is usually clear along the NorCal coast.
Drive across the Golden Gate bridge and go to the Marin Headlands. It's part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Should give you some great shots looking back at SF. Continue along Highway 1 North past Stinson Beach up to Point Reyes National Seashore. Continue on Hwy 1 to Bodega Bay and go out to Bodega Head. Continue on Hwy 1 up the coast to the "New Englandy" town of Mendocino. Going back, follow Hwy 128 through the Anderson Valley (Booneville) . Good beer and great wines. Redwoods are impressive at Hendy Woods State Park. Continue on 128 to Hwy 101 and return towards San Francisco stopping in Healdsburg. Great restaurants and nice town square. From there,it's back across the Golden Gate.
Very little fog at the ocean in Sept-Oct. The grape leaves begin to change color that time of year and can be pretty amazing.
Highway 1 is a very good road but not one I'd recommend if car sickness is an issue. It's winds around quite a bit. Views of the ocean can be spectacular with lots of roadside beaches between Bodega Bay and Jenner.


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## Aswah (Apr 1, 2014)

Howdy... I have lived in both Northern and Southern Cali. Go at whatever pace suits you at the time. I prefer the lesser travelled sites than places like Yosemite, which is beautiful BUT severely overcrowded and way too overused. I would travel the Eastern Sierras https://www.google.com/search?q=eastern+sierras&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=iew6U9rILc6CyAGvyYHgAg&ved=0CD4QsAQ&biw=1745&bih=867 and visit places like Mount Whitney, Mono Lake, Bodie Ghost Town. Stop in Markleeville and eat before driving down highway 4. Drive up to Ebbett's Pass and down highway 4. Sonora Pass is also amazingly beautiful. Get out and do some hiking. Go north of San Fran and be sure to hit Sonoma wine country or Mendocino (Anderson Valley) as opposed to Napa wine country. Napa is like Yosemite in that it is way overplayed. For me there is more joy in discovery and exploration. Drive up highway one, especially south of Monterey. If you are adventurous drive up Nacimiento road (south of Big Sur) and take amazing morning fog shots over the Pacific Ocean. Drive up to Mendocino and stop in Booneville. Visit some cool wineries that offer amazing phot ops like Greenwood Ridge www.greenwoodridge.com (built from a single redwood log by Frank Lloyd Wright's partner)... say hello to winemaker Allan Green. Go to Phillips Hill http://www.phillipshill.com/. The tasting room is in an old apple drying building. Great pinot noirs too! Drive out highway 128 to the town of Mendocino. Another amazingly beautiful coastal town. Drive up to the Avenue of the Giants http://avenueofthegiants.net/. The giant Redwoods are simply mindbogglingly beautiful. I strongly suggest getting out and walking If great beer is your thing visit: Moylans, Russian River Brewing or Bear Republic or Anderson Valley Brewing. If you need any restaurant recommendations let me know. My favorite way to travel is in my vw bus: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aswah/9732599224/in/set-72157635497026108


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## JustMeOregon (Apr 3, 2014)

In my humble opinion, Highway 395 may well be the greatest "photography road trip" in the country; I try to do at least a portion of it every year... It runs almost the entire length of the state on the _eastern_ slope of the Sierras. You can hardly drive 50-miles without going by some famous photographic opportunity... And the tourist-crowds are barely a fraction of what is typical on the west-side of the state.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Apr 3, 2014)

Having traveled in England, I quickly realized that I could easily spend years and not take all the interesting sites in. California is a large state, so you will need to plan carefully, and pick a few things to see and photograph. It might take you 2-3 days to see all of Disneyland, for example, so you have to set your priorities and decide what type of scenery you want to see and photograph.

I was born in Los Angeles and my parents were smart to get me out of there in 1946! However, fool that I am, I've seen most of the state over the years, and every bit is interesting. It depends on your likes.


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## distant.star (Apr 3, 2014)

.
I'd pretty much agree. There's much that's image-worthy in CA, but 395 really is an embarrassment of riches. And in Sept., it's almost like CA before all the people got there.






JustMeOregon said:


> In my humble opinion, Highway 395 may well be the greatest "photography road trip" in the country; I try to do at least a portion of it every year... It runs almost the entire length of the state on the _eastern_ slope of the Sierras. You can hardly drive 50-miles without going by some famous photographic opportunity... And the tourist-crowds are barely a fraction of what is typical on the west-side of the state.


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