Where does Northern California end and Southern California begin? (Los Angeles: shop, pine)

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

Reading these posts has me thinking; Maybe we start a Southern California version of a triatholon with lots of travel in between. A surf contest, downhill ski race, dessert race all in a day.

For me anything north of Santa Barbara county would be Northern California. Even in Santa Barbara they call themselves the Central Coast. They can as easily head on up to the Bay Area or down into the LA area.

Bakersfield favors the LA area. I know people that live in Bakersfield and work in LA. I can't imagine that for a drive.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

Reading these posts has me thinking; Maybe we start a Southern California version of a triatholon with lots of travel in between. A surf contest, downhill ski race, dessert race all in a day.

Not sure how that would work out given the distances, but it would be cool.

Sacramento has had a triatholon since 1974, one of the first in the nation. Eppie's Great Race.

Run - 5.82 miles; Bike - 12.5 miles; Kayak - 6.35 miles

The Triatholon follows the American River, teammate 1 starts on the banks of the American River runs on the trail, crosses a few bridges to Cal State Sacramento hands off to teammate 2, who picks-up the American River bike trail on his bike, crosses a few other bridges, hands off to teammate 3 at the Sunrise footbridge, who paddles down the American to River Bend Park.

They have a Ironman version, amatuer, and kids version. Lot's of Fun.

http://www.eppiesgreatrace.org/

[freepelican]

If you were an ocean dweller, the line between northern California and southern California would be easy. It would be Point Conception, as marine species change sharply at this point. Water temps change here, current patterns change here, etc...

This also extends to land dwellers, albeit more fuzzily, because of the change in weather patterns around Point Conception. This would put it south of Santa Maria/Lompoc and almost due west of Santa Barbara and also at about the same latitude As Santa Barbara.

[BodegaHead]

The age old debate LOL!

Nor Cal is considered the upper 3/4s of the state from SLO/Santa Barbara county & above & So Cal is Santa Barbara down to Mexico. The area is slightly harder to define inland but along the coastal counties I feel this way.

As an avid horticulturist & ocean guy though I feel there is a place I call Cen Cal but nobody will accept it, I wanna make the T-shirt just to **** people off. I also split "Nor Cal" & Northern California into 2 zones. If you look at the vegetation, ocean,rainfall & native landscape from SF/Pacifica down to Monterey & down to SLO it is Cen Cal.
Santa Barbara county down to Mexico is So Cal & Marin/Sonoma County North to Ukiah is NorCal & above Ukiah to Oregon is Northern California.

Northern California: HUGE REDWOODS, LOTS OF WINTER RAIN, tons of rivers lakes & mountains, no palm trees except a few in Eureka, very low population density, greenery,trees,trees & more trees, Bigfoot.
Willits, Laytonville,Garberville,Crecent City, Eureka/Arcata,Miranda,Mendocino,Ft Bragg, Gualala/Pt Arena

Nor Cal: BIG Redwoods in West county areas, more winter rainfall, rolling oaks on golden hills, darker sand on beaches, small coastal villages scattered on a quant coast,more rivers & lakes, more trees on inland hills, freezing cold dark ocean water, palms trees & lots of sunny towns inland & more wild,Redwoody & rainy twoards the coast
San Rafael, Santa Rosa,Sebastopol,Petaluma,Sonoma,Bodega Bay,Pt. Reyes,Cloverdale,Ukiah

Cen Cal: A few patches of smaller Redwoods scattered here & there, big chapparal covered coastal mountains like Montara & Big Sur, beach towns with stretches of beautiful coast in between, lighter beach sand, more sun & less frost in winter, less rainfall, slightly drier, less trees inland like San Jose,Salinas,etc. Just has a "different" feel than Nor Cal, many of the same elements like freezing cold ocean & coastal fog in summer months & golden summer hills, live oaks
Pacifica/Montara, Santa Cruz,Monterey/Carmel,Big Sur,SLO,Pismo Beach,San Jose,Paso Robles

So Cal: NO Redwoods, Endless beach towns & cities,waaay more populated,much warmer weather,more sun,much drier lots of chaparral & minimal rain, deserty inland, some rivers & lakes but less than Nor Cal,palms galore, you can go in the ocean & not die of frostbite, more pollution in LA coastal areas
Santa Barbara, Ventura, Laguna Beach,Santa Monica,San Diego

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by BodegaHead

The age old debate LOL!

As an avid horticulturist & ocean guy though I feel there is a place I call Cen Cal but nobody will accept it, I wanna make the T-shirt just to **** people off. I also split "Nor Cal" & Northern California into 2 zones.

Great descriptions of the coast, and yes I know there is a Central Coast. Love to hike the central coast because of the diverse plant zones one encounters from the sea level to mountain level.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by BodegaHead

The age old debate LOL!

The area is slightly harder to define inland.....

Really, follow Sacramento River all the way to Redding. The Sacramento Valley is more wooded and greener, less developed both agriculturally and industrially than the San Joaquin Valley.

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by BodegaHead

The age old debate LOL!

Yep, fun topic that goes back many years on CD. We can't seem to decide just how we should carve up our state, or where the borders should be defined, can we? My opinion on north/south divisions is not shared by most others, but is based mainly on geography, along with a bit of cultural attitudes and politics.

Imo, any place from Bakersfield and Santa Barbara, or perhaps even San Luis Obispo, south, is SoCal. CenCal extends to Sacramento and Santa Rosa, with the SF Bay Area in what might be called NorCenCal. This is the controversial point, with most opinions placing the Bay Area firmly in NorCal. However, it is nearly 300 miles from San Francisco or Sacramento to the Oregon border, the entire northern one third of the state, and that is a huge area. There are citizens that reside in this area that insist that you are not really in Northern California until you are in the mythical State of Jefferson, and tend to agree with them.

[BodegaHead]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Great descriptions of the coast, and yes I know there is a Central Coast. Love to hike the central coast because of the diverse plant zones one encounters from the sea level to mountain level.

For sure. I know the "central coast" is a region but I feel like its funny it's called "nor cal" when its in the center of the state & is geographically different from nor & so cal. I guess we could all go on & on about these ideas haha

[freepelican]

Originally Posted by BodegaHead

The age old debate LOL!

Nor Cal is considered the upper 3/4s of the state from SLO/Santa Barbara county & above & So Cal is Santa Barbara down to Mexico. The area is slightly harder to define inland but along the coastal counties I feel this way.

As an avid horticulturist & ocean guy though I feel there is a place I call Cen Cal but nobody will accept it, I wanna make the T-shirt just to **** people off. I also split "Nor Cal" & Northern California into 2 zones. If you look at the vegetation, ocean,rainfall & native landscape from SF/Pacifica down to Monterey & down to SLO it is Cen Cal.
Santa Barbara county down to Mexico is So Cal & Marin/Sonoma County North to Ukiah is NorCal & above Ukiah to Oregon is Northern California.

Northern California: HUGE REDWOODS, LOTS OF WINTER RAIN, tons of rivers lakes & mountains, no palm trees except a few in Eureka, very low population density, greenery,trees,trees & more trees, Bigfoot.
Willits, Laytonville,Garberville,Crecent City, Eureka/Arcata,Miranda,Mendocino,Ft Bragg, Gualala/Pt Arena

Nor Cal: BIG Redwoods in West county areas, more winter rainfall, rolling oaks on golden hills, darker sand on beaches, small coastal villages scattered on a quant coast,more rivers & lakes, more trees on inland hills, freezing cold dark ocean water, palms trees & lots of sunny towns inland & more wild,Redwoody & rainy twoards the coast
San Rafael, Santa Rosa,Sebastopol,Petaluma,Sonoma,Bodega Bay,Pt. Reyes,Cloverdale,Ukiah

Cen Cal: A few patches of smaller Redwoods scattered here & there, big chapparal covered coastal mountains like Montara & Big Sur, beach towns with stretches of beautiful coast in between, lighter beach sand, more sun & less frost in winter, less rainfall, slightly drier, less trees inland like San Jose,Salinas,etc. Just has a "different" feel than Nor Cal, many of the same elements like freezing cold ocean & coastal fog in summer months & golden summer hills, live oaks
Pacifica/Montara, Santa Cruz,Monterey/Carmel,Big Sur,SLO,Pismo Beach,San Jose,Paso Robles

So Cal: NO Redwoods, Endless beach towns & cities,waaay more populated,much warmer weather,more sun,much drier lots of chaparral & minimal rain, deserty inland, some rivers & lakes but less than Nor Cal,palms galore, you can go in the ocean & not die of frostbite, more pollution in LA coastal areas
Santa Barbara, Ventura, Laguna Beach,Santa Monica,San Diego

I find BodegaHead's system interesting, especially using the redwoods as a guide... it has always intrigued me that the redwoods basically stop at the Oregon border.... they get bigger and bigger going north in CA and then basically stop... yes, I know there are a few in southern Oregon, perhaps planted there as a few are further north in Oregon, but they do stop rather abruptly rather than taper off... do you have any explanation for this?

One side note: much of the UC Santa Cruz campus is a fairly significant redwood forest I think... at least it seems that way while walking through it!

[BodegaHead]

Yeah santa Cruz has the biggest redwood region in cen cal, it is definitely a micro climate with more rainfall in the santa Cruz mountains