Never been to the West Coast: requesting travel tips

[ambition]

Hello all! My sister is graduating college soon and has never been to the West Coast. She and I will be traveling for 14-ish days, exploring California. I would love for her to see Portland and Seattle, but it's too far a drive IMO. The purpose of this trip is not so much sight-seeing as it is trying to find a place for her to live after college.

Do you have any generalized travel tips for us? We're young and have never done this before. I was thinking of flying into San Diego, renting a car, and just driving North until we hit Humboldt, with stops in: San Diego (obv), LA, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Fran, maybe a quick stop in wine country, then Humboldt. Then flying home from either San Fran or Humboldt, depending on where we can find the cheapest flight.

Thoughts/suggestions/tips? Thanks guys!

 

[Strainhunter]

Her choices will be limited to affordability.

Cali is expensive.

 

[ambition]

Thank you strainhunter. She lives on the other side of the country until graduation. Thus, she will probably be moving with no job and a few (more like 10-15) grand in her pocket. Her dream is to live in of the cities mentioned.

 

[headiez247]

Driving up the coast is def. something to experience. If you have time, do it right and take at least part of it on PCH (Highway 1). This highway goes up the entire state and on the ocean the entire time. It will obviously take you much longer then if you took the most direct route north (Route 5, which is the drug route/commuter route and is no fun, flat, lots of boring fields) So I would stick on 1 as much as possible, and when you want to make up time move over to the 101. It's really beautiful and fun.

Go to the Zoo in San Diego. Try some bomb herb in LA. Def checkout the redwood forests. Plenty to do in San Fran. Humboldt actually has the least amount of things to do but it is a beautiful place.

14 days is long so I'd plan it out so you can have as much fun as possible.

Neither of you guys have been to Cali before? What state/area are u from?

 

[Strainhunter]

I highly recommend finding a job in her field first and then move to the city she got that job in.

10-15k are gone in NO time.

 

[headiez247]

Her choices will be limited to affordability.

Cali is expensive.

This is very true. Very true.

Thank you strainhunter. She lives on the other side of the country until graduation. Thus, she will probably be moving with no job and a few (more like 10-15) grand in her pocket. Her dream is to live in of the cities mentioned.

If she is moving out here with no job and plans on trying to get a job wherever she moves, then your best bet for her (unfortunately) is going to be either San Diego, LA, or San Fran so that she has the most options and chances when it comes to landing a job. Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, and Humboldt are all amazing places, and I would die to live there, but your odds of finding a job there are very slim.

 

[headiez247]

I highly recommend finding a job in her field first and then move to the city she got that job in.

10-15k are gone in NO time.

+1

If possible, I highly suggest doing this.

Taking a road trip up the coast is def fun, and totally ok (I did it before moving out here as well) but if you could land a job before actually settling down it would be to her advantage.

 

[hempluvr]

Come out near Seattle,I will get you blunted and show ya around =)

 

[Yes4Prop215]

yea the job market in San Francisco isnt too bad...i know lots of folks who found job and pay their rent, they arent saving up by any means though. and yea santa cruz and santa barbara are real tough to find jobs..unless shes into dealing drugs.

i think girls like San Francisco the best, lots of party life, diverse, dont need a car, lots of jobs, lots of college kids, fast paced city life. unless shes a country girl who likes quieter nights.

 

[ambition]

Thanks a ton guys, for your advice and friendly gestures. To answer your questions, we're from PA, and I have been to CA a bunch, but I wasn't really..you know..with it. haha. A few questions I have for anyone willing to help:

-She's only worked crap jobs before, and now has a history degree. In my experience, people tend to exaggerate how bad economies are. "there are no jobs" IME usually= "I have 2 felonys and an 11 year gap in work experience while I was milking inheritance and selling weed and nobody will pay me six figures. the economy is bullshit!". So given her youth and lack of real skill-set, just a degree, can she probably find a 10-15 an hour job with career potential eventually in a big city without taking a dick a camera?

-obviously you can save a ton of cash by bidding on hotels in advance. however, for a 2 week vacation of travel, is this a dumb idea? Is it best to just crash at wherever you end up? I have this vision of being locked into a hotel in a city that I don't feel like driving to that day, for example.

Thank you!

 

[headiez247]

Regardless of who you are, the US is struggling right now, and California is one of the worst. Officially unemployment is at 12.4%. Several legit news sources have estimated that if you take into the account people who have stopped trying or aren't reporting, the figure is more likely 17%.

A degree certainly helps. The fact that she is just now graduating doesn't. What you may consider real world experience doesn't hold nearly as well as 6+ years of steady work. Now, if she is ok with $10-$13 an hour, then yes, you are probably going to be fine (although I STILL would not suggest having her move to Santa Barbra or Santa Cruz) but you would be surprised how long it might take to find that job. It's an employers market right now. THey know everyone wants a job and they are all offering minimum wage. A history degree also isn't the most useful degree to have in the world at this time.

In terms of the hotel, I totally agree about not being locked into a hotel. Don't do it. Just end up where you end up. I would certainly plan out the trip as much as you can, but you can always do some research the day of and find a legit place to stay. You don't save enough money bidding on hotels to justify forcing you to stay in certain places at certain times.

 

[Hammerhead]

LOL its pretty bad here in ca. Im sure it's bad where u are as well. San Diego is a great place so is San Fran. What kind of work is she looking for. Right now Solar energy companies are the big thing here. Last time I looked there was a company in Fremont Ca that was hiring.

 

[Yes4Prop215]

So given her youth and lack of real skill-set, just a degree, can she probably find a 10-15 an hour job with career potential eventually in a big city without taking a dick on camera?

!

hhahaha did this guy really just say that hahahah.

but yea like i said...she shouldnt have any problem finding work in SF theres thousands of 10-15 an hour jobs.

but in santa cruz, its hard. because theres thousands of students vying for a handful of jobs downtown....my brother and his friends have been looking for work for almost three years down there and now most of them just grow/sell herb to pay their bills...the only work is 30 minute drive over the mountain to san jose..

 

[Hammerhead]

lol hot smart stoner chicks are welcome here in cali

 

[ambition]

Thanks guys. Final question: Is this a dumb trip given the circumstances? She's a small town girl and a bit naive, so I'm trying to guide her through this decision. I'm young myself.

She'll have like 12ish grand when she graduates college to her name. Is it really worth dropping 2 or 3 on this trip to solidify where she wants to go, or should she save that money for the move and decide based on online information where she wants to start her life?

 

[BigForest]

yeah just come fuck spending 2-3g's on sight seeing unless you can afford it thats 2-3 months rent possibly.Go on line and find a spot check the area and get cracking save your dough you may have to come get her.I think she should be ok of course we dont know her tendencies or how niave she may be but all in all if shes cute and smokes and a good judge of character it wont be hard to dodge the bullcrap.

 

[kno3brock]

I did the same thing when I finished school.

Moved to San Diego because of the beaches and the sunshine. Best way to learn about the world is to get the hell out of where ever you are and go see some stuff.

San Diego is great. Beaches, nightlife, surf, beautiful people, lots of schools, some jobs that can pay the rent while you enjoy single life and contemplate your future. I would highly recommend SD. Go to Ocean Beach or Sunset Cliffs and smoke one while watching the sunset, nothing better in the world (except maybe sex and surfing perfect waves!). Walk around Balboa park at dusk or in the daytime to check out the museums, check out the Gaslamp at night if you are into the nightlife. Sit on the beach in La Jolla and check out the seals at Cildrens Cove. Take some surfing lessons at La Jolla shores or Mission Beach. I love San Diego, its probally going to be 70 F an sunny there tomorrow with a chance of bikini's and kind bud. Its like that 340 days a year!

San Fran is also a great city, always so much to do there. Nightlife, resturants, bud, waterfront, clubs, music, art, culture. I can only imagine that New York has it beat for the best all around experience. I was just there (SF) last weekend. I had a ton of fun. You don't need a car in SF, public transo gets you everywhere. You can find jobs to pay the rent, a career is a bit more difficult. SF is more gritty than SD. I lived right outside SF for a couple years- yet its expensive but one can pay the rent to get by. Go to the museum of modern art in SF or California Acad of Science in Golden Gate park. Hang out in N Beach and eat some great Italian food or drink at the Rogue taphouse. Smoke too much weed and wonder around Union Square laughing at all the tourists. Ride a fucking cable car like a tourist and enjoy every minute of it.

Don't worry too much about your sister, mine lived in the roughest part of SF and was perfectly ok. It made her a little tougher. Enjoy you trip and check out craigslist for rents and some hostels to try to save a bit of money on the trip.

 

[vannuysorganic]

As far as most of Cal goes you can expect to pay 1500$ min for rent. So maybe looking for a roomate before you you make any decisions would be a good idea. But i really think you DO need to make the trip out here before you make any decisions, every neighborhood looks good on craigslist, pics can be deceiving

Going off the cities you have listed, i have lived at least for a little while in most of 'em and each have their own individual style. Without knowing her and what she's into I guess she would be the one who would best be able to determine which city best relates to her. i can give you my outlook on each and maybe you guys can start from there

I know i am prob gonna receive heat for these generalizations but here it goes: Starting from the south and going north...

San D: Fun to party, amazing weather, depending on where you go it can range from drunkin frat boys everywhere to a pretty mellow scene. Ocean beach can be a good place to start if she burns...

L.A: Well what needs to be said... If i was coming from across the counrty it wouldn't be the first place I would move. Unless of course she's into self centered people, traffic, and of course bomb smoke and good weather. The San fernando valley could be a good place to start here because the rent is a little more reasonable, but it can get HOT 100 degrees +

Santa Barabra: If it were up to me this is where I would go. Great balance of amazing weather, cool people, good smoke all around chill vibe. But it is EXPENSIVE... Maybe try Ventura about 30 miles south, more reasonable with similar vibe, weather just isn't as nice.

S.L.O / Santa Cruz: Both super chill and not as expensive to start out as the metro areas, but as far as work goes it maybe a little harder for her to find something in the feild she went to school for.

S.F: To me is up there with SB. The weather isn't as nice but you start to loose that So Cal attitude that L.A seems to breed. If she is into art and good food here is the place to be. Haven't lived there in a while but, recommendations on where to start here... The whole city isn't that big sqr mile wise, I would keep her outta of Oak and San jose, maybe look at berkley, mission district or East bay. Plan to spend at least a couple of days here. You won't be dissapointed.

Bay to Santa Rosa: Beautiful scenery once you go over the bridge into wine country but kinda boring if your young also prob kinda hard to find a job.

Ukiah to Oregon: What can I say.... Its nor cal baby, home of the redwoods and greenbud. Beautiful up there but not much in the way of work unless she like to cut hair, if you know what i mean. Ukiah, Arcata, Eureka are a little bigger and might be a good place to start



When it comes to starting from the south and driving north, there isn't much in the way of airports that don't cost an arm and an OZ. once you pass the Bay, so maybe fly into Portland and drive south then you could fly outta San Diego for the return

I feel like a CA travel agent but I hope this helps.

 

[HighDesertJoe]

A HISTORY degree? well good for her..decided where to live, get a job and do your sightseeing on the weekends..Good Luck to her

 

[j242]

First of all let me start by saying that California welcomes you, your sister and your whole dang family! IMO, it should be 2 separate trips, one to NorCal and one to SoCal. They really are 2 different microcosms . Be ready though, California is HUGE. If you plan to do some driving than def see the coastline but you better stay alert or you can drive straight off a cliff and that will be the end of your trip lol.

Oh and it is def worth it to come here!

-Tip - If you are in the Bay area use San Jose airport if at all possible. It is MUCH, MUCH faster and less congested but flight times are limited as are carriers.