Landscape locations in Northern California?

[freddyco]

I'm stuck in northern california for the memorial day weekend. Looking for suggestions for landscape, mountains, rivers, nature. Small hikes etc. Hopefully 2 to 3 hours or so drive from San Fran.

Any suggestions for nice shot locations that might not be crammed with people on the holiday weekend?

[PhotoJourno]

Ok, quick shot locations, go up on 101 until you hit Novato (First city up after San Rafael - Ahh, make sure to take photos of St. Quentin Prison, you will see it, cannot miss it), and then when in Novato (get off in the cit's main exit) use a map/gps/google maps to drive to the coast line. You should be hitting Point Reyes and the pacific, and then you can drive south on Hwy 1, shoreside, all the way down to the bridge. It is a spectacular drive, with cliffs, hills, beaches, beautiful oceans, and if you get into some of the residential areas (Tiburon, Corte Madera) on the hillside, you can spot some of the biggest most expensive homes around (makes hollywood look like the ghetto). Agassi and Steph had a home up there, veeeeeeeeery nice. This is a two to three hour drive from start to finish.

Another -longer- but adventurous drive would be to hit Sonoma (just north on 101 and then Hwy 12), wine country all along Hwy 12 on the way to Napa. This is more like a four to six hour drive total.

The Reedwoods are further north, You would love to see Ukiah and turn left onto Fort Bragg, extremely beautiful places, but we're talking a day trip for that one.

Best of lucks, and do give the Golden gate a try. Very challenging to photograph right.

[jptsr1]

+1 on Nappa/Sonoma. Its just beautiful up there. Its half the reason i moved to the Bay Area.

J.

[solinger]

Ok, quick shot locations, go up on 101 until you hit Novato (First city up after San Rafael - Ahh, make sure to take photos of St. Quentin Prison, you will see it, cannot miss it), and then when in Novato (get off in the cit's main exit) use a map/gps/google maps to drive to the coast line. You should be hitting Point Reyes and the pacific, and then you can drive south on Hwy 1, shoreside, all the way down to the bridge. It is a spectacular drive, with cliffs, hills, beaches, beautiful oceans, and if you get into some of the residential areas (Tiburon, Corte Madera) on the hillside, you can spot some of the biggest most expensive homes around (makes hollywood look like the ghetto). Agassi and Steph had a home up there, veeeeeeeeery nice. This is a two to three hour drive from start to finish.

Another -longer- but adventurous drive would be to hit Sonoma (just north on 101 and then Hwy 12), wine country all along Hwy 12 on the way to Napa. This is more like a four to six hour drive total.

The Reedwoods are further north, You would love to see Ukiah and turn left onto Fort Bragg, extremely beautiful places, but we're talking a day trip for that one.

Best of lucks, and do give the Golden gate a try. Very challenging to photograph right.


Sonoma isn't that far from the city... Sonoma County in general is a great place to take pictures. Further north on 101 past Santa Rosa you get up to Dry Creek. There are a lot of nice backroads all through that area. Lot's of good wineries too :)

[freddyco]

Thanks for the suggestions. Very kind.

I actually hit Sonoma/Napa on my last trip back in March. It was beautiful. Caught the leaves just budding on the vines.


I was thinking to return there again at first. Then realized my trip is over a 3-day weekend and thought I would venture out further. Look for a motel not too far from a Nat'l park or something. I could use some clean air, open space, and an early morning hike. Not easy to find in my current living location!

Anyway, before I read mjgravina's suggestion to go north. I kind mapped this short trip (http://www.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&saddr=Mountain+View,+CA&daddr=Pinnacles+National+Monument+to%3AKing+City,+ CA+to%3AJolon,+CA+to%3ABig+Sur,+CA+to%3AMountain+V iew,+CA&mrcr=4&sll=36.688794,-121.458664&sspn=0.478483,1.071167&ie=UTF8&ll=36.743286,-121.099548&spn=1.912517,4.284668&z=9&om=1) for two days one night drive and shooting. Anybody have feedback on shooting at Pinnacles Nat'l monument?

I'll map some northbound trips next. I was thinking Redwoods was even a longer drive. I have been there before in the teenage days. And I do really like coastal photography.

[solinger]

Have you been to the Marin Headlands? Just over the golden gate to the north. I mean just over too.

[freddyco]

Only the very southern part. I parked on the north east tourist area and walked under the bridge and up the hills for a bit. I didn't have much luck with the fog though. How good is that area further north and west? It eventually turns into Muir woods right?

[PhotoJourno]

keep on going north through the shoreline, amazing landscapes.

Just my .02 , you seem to be quite the connoscieur of the North Bay Aera. :)

[solinger]

Only the very southern part. I parked on the north east tourist area and walked under the bridge and up the hills for a bit. I didn't have much luck with the fog though. How good is that area further north and west? It eventually turns into Muir woods right?

Also from March


That's the place.

Here is one I took near there.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y291/tborquez/May2007/101006bridge01.jpg

[freddyco]

Just my .02 , you seem to be quite the connoscieur of the North Bay Aera. :)

You know me well... somehow.

Looks like I will follow advice and head north, where I left off last time at Marin Headlands. :-)

[KirkHMB]

Another place to visit is the Big Basin Park, just south of SF

http://www.bigbasin.org/

Unfortunately, its in my backyard, and I've never been. I've heard it can be spectacular, and much less crowded than Marin Headlands will be. Redwoods, views and maybe waterfalls. The trip from the south end of the park back to SF via Hwy 1 can be fun, but not as spectacular or as crowded as going S from Carmel on 1

Re: Pinnacles, its a mecca for hikers and climbers, and that weekend will be very popular as well. No decent hotels nearby (Motel 6, Best Western in King City), so it won't be a posh trip by any means. Sunset magazine did an article on how to make a great drive out of it, but their website is taunting me right now (I'll track it down and try to post a link later). And I'm not sure about the quality of the road going from Greenfield to Jolon to Big Sur, make sure you talk to knowledgeable residents before you try it, we don't want a repeat of a recent Oregon fiasco.

[20droger]

A little further out, but for beautiful and unusual landscapes you can't beat Mt. Lassen and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Go north on I-5 from Sacramento, to Red Bluff, then take 36 east to the park. Highway 89 (Lassen Park Road) winds through the park itself.

As I said, it's a bit further, but definitely worth the trip. Some of the most unusual and striking scenery to be found in the west.

http://www.nps.gov/lavo/

[freddyco]

Thanks 20droger. I was looking at that on the map myself. I'm trying to find big open spaces. I'll give it a few more days of searching before I make my map final and find a cheap roadside hotel to crash in. :-)

[20droger]

For lots of big open spaces, you might try just driving along highway 49, which runs along the western edge of the Sierra Nevada. Many, many beautiful vistas of the valleys.

Also, if your path takes you anywhere near Fairfield (actually, Siusun City), northeast of Vallejo, you should make a point of visiting the Jelly Belly factory. They have lots of tours, and it is a really fun place. And you get free Jelly Belly jelly beans.

A similar tour stop is in Oakdale, on hwy 120 due east of Manteca and northeast of Modesto, where the west coast Hershey factory and vistor ceter are located. And you get a free, super fresh Hershey bar at the end of the tour. Mmmmmm.....

If you go through Oakdale, just stay on hwy 120 and you can pick up hwy 49 just south of Sonora. Then go north on hwy 49 for lots of scenery and small touristy towns.

[KirkHMB]

Also, if your path takes you anywhere near Fairfield (actually, Siusun City), northeast of Vallejo, you should make a point of visiting the Jelly Belly factory. They have lots of tours, and it is a really fun place. And you get free Jelly Belly jelly beans.

A similar tour stop is in Oakdale, on hwy 120 due east of Manteca and northeast of Modesto, where the west coast Hershey factory and vistor ceter are located. And you get a free, super fresh Hershey bar at the end of the tour. Mmmmmm.....



Call before you go to either place, it's really disappointing to get there, and find out they aren't running while you're touring. And Oakdale will be closed down soon early next year, bummer for many school kids.

http://www.mercedsunstar.com/local/story/13538328p-14142414c.html

[Clearlight]

Here's a few places that I recommend:

a) The wreck of the "Point Reyes" in Inverness, which is about a 45 minute drive from the north end of the Golden Gate bridge.

http://tinyurl.com/2lzzv2

b) For off-the-beaten-path redwoods, in my opinion their is no place better than "Montgomery Woods State Reserve" which is about 2 hours north of the bridge, west of Ukiah. Multiple groves of coastal Sequoia as well as a beautiful fern forest.

http://tinyurl.com/32cfuu

c) Regarding Pinnacles National Monument, I was just there this past week and while the drive there, down CA Route 25, is one of the nicest drives in the state, it's starting to get hot there and probably not your best bet for the holiday weekend. I would recommend saving that trip for the late fall, or next spring.

[brunester]

i like the cityscape from treasure island looking at San Fran. kind of a wierd intersection to get off at but worth it. go at dusk and grab a night shot.
i have only been there once with a camera and this is one of the shots i came up with. i wanna go back soon :)
http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/769/snafran0004webdh4.jpg

[freddyco]

BTW, brunester, clearlight, kirkhmb, 20droger, thanks for the advice. I checked all your recommendations.

In the end I waited too long to book a motel/hotel for Saturday. Wanted to stay up the coast north but hard to find anything between Stinson beach and Fort Bragg. Not in the mood for an overpriced romantic B&B without my wife there. :-)

I will start at the bridge and go north on 1. Head to San Raphael after sunset.

Are there any particularly great spots for sunsets in that area on the coast? Between Stinson beach and Gualala? Thinking anything with beach and foreground stuff, like big (ala Cannon Beach) rocks, pirate ships, or whirling Dervishes...

[freddyco]

Thanks for the advice. I drove north on 1. I liked Muir woods the best. Also hit Napa again, but no luck finding a good red. :-)

http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w40/freddyco/muir3a.jpg