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Old 12-12-2013, 06:50 PM
 
35 posts, read 69,431 times
Reputation: 31

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I've never been to California! The furthest west I have gone is Las Vegas, and I can already feel the difference. I just don't know what to expect. I heard there are a lot of gay people. You can buy marijuana really easily. South Park says people like to smell their own farts! I'm really into music, and I do like to eat super healthy (kale smoothies, etc). Do a lot of people work at the Wells Fargo headquarters? I don't know anyone who lives there. I just want to see what I am missing before I settle down and get a mortgage on the east coast. Maybe I've been missing what real life is really about.

What should I do the first time I visit San Francisco and California?

Did anyone visit, fall in love, and relocate? Any stories?

Thx
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Old 12-12-2013, 07:05 PM
 
Location: Pleasanton, CA
2,406 posts, read 6,008,792 times
Reputation: 4246
Really?

What kind of ignorant assumptions should we make about EVERYBODY who lives on the East Coast?

Nearly 40 million people live in CA. Do you really believe every dumb stereotype you've heard of? When you decide to ask questions that are more pragmatic, please do so.

And, on a side note...San Francisco represents 49 square miles of a state that comprises nearly 164,000 square miles so I'm not sure why you're asking about SF and CA together.

California is bigger than many countries in the world. You really need to get out more.
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Old 12-12-2013, 07:19 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,075 posts, read 106,933,722 times
Reputation: 115833
MUSTS: 1. Yosemite National Park. Reserve a room in the Ahwanee Lodge or a cabin 6months in advance, if possible. Spend at leasrt 4 days there, hiking around. If you arrive in summer, expect traffic on the approach.

2. Avenue of the Giants, or the Trinity Alps. Giant redwood country up north of the Bay Area.

3. City of SF, and surrounding area. Marin County beaches, or Monterrey, various attractions, depending on your interests.
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Old 12-12-2013, 10:05 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,271,327 times
Reputation: 38559
Try to see many areas of the state and not just go to SF and/or LA. You can meet all walks of life in this state. Go to Humboldt Co and/or Shasta County to smell weed and look at the beautiful scenery. Go inland and a bit further south to meet some redneck cowboys. Go to Silicon Valley to meet lots of techies from around the world. Go further south and inland to meet lots of Spanish speaking folk. Go to rodeos and parades. Go to the beach and surf or play volleyball. Go skiing. Go to museums, to Disneyland, to Lake Tahoe...

As someone else said, this state is as big or bigger than some countries, and if you travel around it, you will see that's true. Lots of areas completely different from others.

Make it your mission to hear as many different languages spoken as possible while in California. I have yet to hear anyone speak Spanish since I moved to Redding. But, I have heard German and Hmong, which I never heard in Silicon Valley.

I love this state. Oh, and it's not humid here :-) Sure you'll want to go back east?
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Old 12-13-2013, 10:10 AM
 
Location: New York City
675 posts, read 1,185,207 times
Reputation: 544
I'm originally from the East Coast (NYC), and lived in the East Bay part of the San Francisco Bay Area from 1999-2006. It was the best 7 years of my life, and I hope to move back there some day. I like the Bay Area better than most of the rest of California, not really a fan of Southern California, been to LA, Anaheim, etc, not a big fan. I like Northern California way more. The way of life in California is a lot more laid back than NYC, and I loved it. Loved the beauty of the Bay Area.

Napa Valley and Sausalito are 2 things I'd recommend visiting on your first trip to San Francisco. Sausalito you can take a short ferry ride from SF, and Napa is about a 40 minute car ride, or you can take a bus/shuttle tour so you can drink. Also there's Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39), Alcatraz is pretty awesome if you like history. Just too many things to do and see in California if you're talking about the whole state. If you are narrowing it down to the San Francisco Bay Area, then I can provide more tailored info.
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Old 12-15-2013, 03:29 PM
 
35 posts, read 69,431 times
Reputation: 31
^ Thanks, that's a good list. To confirm, yes, I'm just looking at San Francisco and the surrounding area.

- Napa Valley (1 hour away), rent car or bus
- Golden Gate Bridge > Sausalito bay/marina
- Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39)
- Alcatraz Tour (I do like history)
- Palace of Fine Arts/Exploratorium

Should I rent a car? Is it expensive/worth it? Or should I try to take a bus. I think we'd like to drink a lot.

Any other suggestions? Keep them coming! Any areas for nightlife? (I'm 28)

More things I love: food, all kinds of music, cannabis, nightlife (college-late 20's), culture, art, juice bars,etc.

Last edited by rawkdude1; 12-15-2013 at 03:49 PM..
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Old 12-16-2013, 01:09 PM
 
Location: New York City
675 posts, read 1,185,207 times
Reputation: 544
Quote:
Originally Posted by rawkdude1 View Post
^ Thanks, that's a good list. To confirm, yes, I'm just looking at San Francisco and the surrounding area.

- Napa Valley (1 hour away), rent car or bus
- Golden Gate Bridge > Sausalito bay/marina
- Fisherman's Wharf (Pier 39)
- Alcatraz Tour (I do like history)
- Palace of Fine Arts/Exploratorium

Should I rent a car? Is it expensive/worth it? Or should I try to take a bus. I think we'd like to drink a lot.

Any other suggestions? Keep them coming! Any areas for nightlife? (I'm 28)

More things I love: food, all kinds of music, cannabis, nightlife (college-late 20's), culture, art, juice bars,etc.
To go to Sausalito, you can go 2 ways. You can either take the Ferry from San Francisco (The Ferry Building is pretty cool in itself, some cool kiosks and restaurants). Or you can rent a car, you would be driving over the Golden Gate Bridge to get there from SF. I prefer to take the Ferry option, Downtown Sausalito is VERY walkable.

As far as Napa, I always take a tour, because this way I can sample as much wine as I'd like, without having to worry about driving. Some wine tours pick you up at your hotel and drop you right back at your hotel. The one I like picks you up at the Ferry Building, tours 4 or 5 wineries, and a lunch is included, and then it brings you to Vallejo or Larkspur, and you take a ferry ride home to the Ferry Building. Wine Tours usually run between 90-100 bucks.

Lots of museum and art and nightlife, but I don't have any specifics for that, that is easily found online. I used to work in the Financial District, so most of the bars I hung out at were near there.

Foodwise, I personally think SF has the best Chinese Food in the States, it's my favorite Chinatown. My two favorites are R&G Lounge

Home

And Great Hunan, which does NOT have great ambience, I took my family there (sister, Mom, Bro in law, nephew), and my sister gave me a dirty look when we walked in. By the end of the meal, all she could say was "Oh My God that was good !". Never had a bad meal at Great Hunan.

Great Hunan Restaurant - San Francisco Restaurant - MenuPages Chinese Restaurant Search

The Honey Walnut Shrimp is OUSTANDING ! as is most of their food.

I'm not a fan of SF's North Beach Area, the food isn't as good as you can find Italian food in the East Coast.

You can find great Mexican Food in SF as well, since Mexican Food is so terrible on the East Coast, I usually like to feast on Authentic Mexican Food when in California. I like Colibri

http://www.colibrimexicanbistro.com/mylink.php?id=3654

And I like La Taqueria in the Mission

La Taqueria2889 Mission St.
(between 24th & 25th Streets)
415-285-7117

That's all I have for now.
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Old 12-18-2013, 08:35 PM
 
163 posts, read 500,683 times
Reputation: 182
Rent a car and if you can drive to Big Sur.... it's a couple of hours south of SF but man, it's beautiful. I'm also from the East coast and the first time I saw Big Sur, I felt my soul stir...
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Old 12-19-2013, 10:23 AM
 
Location: New York City
675 posts, read 1,185,207 times
Reputation: 544
Quote:
Originally Posted by StrangeAsAngels View Post
Rent a car and if you can drive to Big Sur.... it's a couple of hours south of SF but man, it's beautiful. I'm also from the East coast and the first time I saw Big Sur, I felt my soul stir...

So true. Just beautiful.
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Old 12-20-2013, 10:44 AM
 
3,431 posts, read 5,206,457 times
Reputation: 3149
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth View Post
MUSTS: 1. Yosemite National Park. Reserve a room in the Ahwanee Lodge or a cabin 6months in advance, if possible. Spend at leasrt 4 days there, hiking around. If you arrive in summer, expect traffic on the approach.

2. Avenue of the Giants, or the Trinity Alps. Giant redwood country up north of the Bay Area.

3. City of SF, and surrounding area. Marin County beaches, or Monterrey, various attractions, depending on your interests.
Ruth, how far is the Avenue of the Giants, BTW? I'm a Bay Area native but never been north of Mendocino, and I didn't think it was half as beautiful as Carmel or Pebble Beach, so I've never gone beyond that. Also, are there good places to spend the night if you're not into camping? I imagine it's not something you can do as a day trip.
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