Things to do in Northern California?

[deserteagle71]

Thanks for the feedback. I was just curious as to the housing market in that area as honestly I didn't think it would be too bad. I almost fell over dead...

The problem is California. Read an article not long ago that over 50,000 Californians are fleeing California and moving to Nevada every year, trying to escape the high taxes and California laws and regulations. Housing market in northern Nevada just can't keep up. It is still possible to find cheaper housing but it would have to be in a small town like Hawthorne, away from the Reno-Carson-Gardnerville area.

 

[Sigarms]

The problem is California. Read an article not long ago that over 50,000 Californians are fleeing California and moving to Nevada every year, trying to escape the high taxes and California laws and regulations. Housing market in northern Nevada just can't keep up. It is still possible to find cheaper housing but it would have to be in a small town like Hawthorne, away from the Reno-Carson-Gardnerville area.

Honestly, when I was hitting Idaho in the mid 90's every year for boating, heard the same thing for that state. Had a good friend who worked for the national forest service and lived in Ketchum. Place was "trendy" even back then and my buddy complained about it. First trip out there, took a bus from Boise to my buddies place. I was sitting up in the front talking with the Bus driver, and he was even complaining about it (movie stars moving out there). A bunch of large trucks past with with large planted trees. I asked him why they were transporting large trees on the highway and boy did he go off.

 

[Sigarms]

Crime is only one issue. The last time I stayed in San Fran I didn't get any sleep. It's a 24-hour city populated full of weirdos, druggies, and street people. Those types thrive at night and it is loud.

Even inside our hotel, a nice one, the howling from the street people was so loud that my wife and I barely got any sleep. Not to mention people yelling, chanting, banging and clanging on dumpsters, and .... whatever. I've heard drunks in a campground howl for a few hours. That was the only place I have ever heard humans howl all night long. That was 15 years ago. I hear it is worse now.

Have you seen how many large retail chains have abandoned San Francisco? ( I believe the count is 60 now.) Even Whole Foods, who opened a "Flagship" store a year ago, including a great deal of fanfare, recently shut it down. And that is a retailer known for its liberal favoritism. They had more than 500 calls to the police in the first year the store was open. Just from that one location. No thanks.

These are the latest retail stores leaving downtown SF

(KRON) — Thursday, Elon Musk tweeted that San Francisco “feels post-apocalyptic” in response to the number of retail stores that have recently announced closures. Many stores have…

www.kron4.com

Thanks for that feedback. Honestly sounds like a place I really wouldn't like anyways jut for the late night activities. When I show my wife this, she'll have no regrets a well.

One thing I can't stand is someone willingly stealing/robbing from another.

 

[California]

Thank you for the info particularly on the no go streets. Open to any decent hotels recommendations that have free parking that don't run north of $500 a night

Have to laugh, just for giggles checked out homes for sale in Virginia City Nevada. WOW!! Wife and I are wondering about where we'll retire down the road, and out west somewhere keeps popping up. Hoping thing are outrageous due to the proximity of Lake Tahoe. If not, my just look towards western Tenn.

Forget lodging in downtown SF! As I noted in a previous post, park out in the neighborhoods where no crazies are found and Uber in to fisherman's Wharf etc. A car full of luggage is sure to be broken into in the downtown area.

We stay down by SFO (airport) when we visit our daughter near there. Also Sausalito and Mill Valley north of the Golden Gate have reasonable and decent motels where we have stayed a couple of times.

Virginia City (Nevada) is the 'back yard' for some wealthy San Franciscans. Maybe some are descendants from the massive fortunes made in the silver mines there. Remaining mansions and the Opera House reflect the wealth that was made there. One of the few 'rural' areas where I have seen a Rolls Royce. A day trip there would be worthwhile. Carson City nearby would have generic middle class motels.

If you want to see a real ghost town, Bodie a couple of hours south of there is now state park property where the buildings have been stabilized. It reflects what it looked like when gold mining was shut down for WWII. Grandpa was a mine superintendent there and we have photos of Bodie as a busy active mining town in the 1920's.

Flip through the Bodie photos here.

Bodie State Historic Park - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

www.tripadvisor.com

 

[California]

... last time I stayed in San Fran I didn't get any sleep. It's a 24-hour city populated full of weirdos, druggies, and street people.

Last time I stayed is SF on business was about 1996, same experience. Outer Lombard St is beyond the business district, so not so many street crazies. But the motels there seem to be where the prostitutes bring home their Johns. I discovered this when I looked down from the motel second floor balcony to see what was the fuss below. One hooker was apparently evicting another from their shared suite with lots of screaming and hair pulling. The place had seemed decent when I arrived ... Then next evening I tried to adjust the TV signal cable to get decent reception. That triggered something like a general fire alarm. The manager ran out to the parking area to see who was stealing a TV. Oops.

Lots of excellent restaurants in that neighborhood - but its not a place to stay overnight if you can afford better.

 

[hummertom]

First family vacation in a while. Planning on two weeks around Yosemite middle of August with wife and son (before he ships out for basic). Boy always seemed enamored with Yosemite, so we're planning the trip around that national park.

Flying into Sacramento, renting a vehicle. Wife has the town picked out, forget the name, but not to far from the park.

Used to spend a lot of time out in Idaho and Montana in my youth Kayaking, but always traveled early may because it seemed the tourists (which we will be a part of) exploded in those states right after Memorial day.

1 - How bad will the crowds be? (hate to ask, but have to)

2 - Looks to be a 8 hour drive to the redwood forest from Yosemite. Always wondered what that place is like myself, and would it be worth the drive?

3 - What other things would one consider worth doing and visiting around that area. I'm blind when it comes to northern California (anything North of San Diego).

I lived in NorCal almost all my life and drove a service truck 40-50k a year so I've been all over, while the redwoods way up north are truly awesome it would be about 8 hrs drive, however there are 2 other redwood forests in NorCal, 1 in the area around Santa Cruz which is about 60 miles south of San Francisco and 1 about 2 hrs north and a little east of Yosemite, Yosemite will be crowded in Aug, so make reservations NOW if you can get them. There are basically 2 kinds of "redwoods" coastal redwoods and Giant Sequoias, they are very similar but have a few differences, the coastal tend to grow denser and the Sequoia tends to be bigger. The 2 best parks to see them are Sequoia National park and Kings Canyon Nat. park both of which are north of Yosemite and east of Fresno. Other go-to spots are the wine countries if you are interested, contrary to popular thought Napa Valley isn't the only area, the Livermore area is the oldest , the area between Paso Robles and coast is the biggest and as an extra bonus on the coast due west of Pao Robles is San Simeon the home of the Hearst Castle. If you guys like airplanes 1 hour due north of Fresno is the town of Atwater, home to Atwater Air Museum, formerly Castle Air Force Base, with 50-60 historical planes in an outside walking tour, including the SR-71 Blackbird from Space Cowboys. Bring plenty of money for gas $5-6 per gal and have a good time. Like so many others I've left after 66 yrs, now in northern Arizona, couldn't take the BS in politics, taxes, and the huge cost of living, just listed my last piece of property there. Good Luck and thank your son for his service.

 

[ericm979]

Parking is expensive in SF, lots to see/do like the pier, parks and some of the great streets. I worked there for a while and little Italy and Chinatown have some good restaurants. Do the cable car if you have time.
I worked there for a while, not a place I would live, but it's nice to visit, stay away from most of Market and Army streets if your walking.

That's pretty much been cleaned up in the last 20 years. I used to go to clubs there back then and it was sketchy, though I never had a problem. When I go back I'm amazed how much its changed. Not many music clubs left though as the tech companies have priced them out.

However it's not all that interesting a walk.

Sausilito looking back towards SF at night is amazing as is the view from twin peaks.

The north bay is really nice.

You pretty much have to pick up 1 no further south than Monterrey. There's a road through Ft Hunter Ligget but it's small and not well traveled and it's not as scenic as the coast. The next road south that gets to 1 is down by Paso Robles which is a three hour drive on 101 from San Jose, and about half that is not scenic unless you like farm fields.

You can go right through the bay area on 580 and 84 will take you over the coast range and right to the coast and 1, then go south. That part of 1 from Pescadero to Santa Cruz is pretty nice. It will add a couple hours to your travel time especially if you stop and look at stuff. 84 currently has some road work due to the storms last winter and may be closed or have waits. 92 to Half Moon Bay also works but often gets crowded especially on weekends.

When I'm doing trips like this I like to stop and look at stuff, go down side roads or go on hikes. I could easily spend a day or two between Monterrey and Santa Barbara.

Well bummer, I wrote all this before looking. CHP says 1 is closed at Lucia until Dec 2023. It looks like its mostly open south of that. So you could take 101 to Paso Robles and then 46 west to 1. Paso Robles is a cool small town, there's a wine scene in the area that's not as pretentious as Napa but still brings in good restaurants.

It looks like there is a closure on 1 south of Pismo Beach but with you can go around on some other roads.

 

[California]

Wow. Road closed.

Highway 1 Conditions in Big Sur, California

When Will Highway 1 Fully Reopen Along the Big Sur Coast? It Will Be Awhile, Caltrans Says | Local News | Noozhawk

Two key stretches of Highway 1 north of Ragged Point are expected to reopen to traffic by mid-July, according to Caltrans. The road agency is wrapping up

www.noozhawk.com

One of several slides on SR 1 being repaired.

 

[stuckmotor]

I live in the US and if I never see California again, I will be happy. I helped someone move out there one time. I didn't even go out, so crowded. Ate light bread sandwiches a couple of days and caught a plane back to Shreveport, headed a couple hours north back home. I stay out of Louisiana too. Out of all the cities this nation has, the top ten murder cities, they have two of them. I love Texarkana for my big city needs. Hot Springs is a nice area too. But it's a bad area, don't come here. People throw rocks and cuss at you while you drive by.

My granddad used to use the term light bread for white loaf bread. It's good to see it again.

 

[stuckmotor]

For some reason I'm thinking the Mystery spot in Northern California is no different than the Mystery Hole in West Virginia

A guy up the road built an optical illusion anti gravity shack. He did a good job, it was convincing.