Going to California on vacation!!! I need some advice, please (Page 4): Go to the capitol in Sacramento and visit the rose garden on the capitol grounds. I spend hours in that rose...

DK Loc: SD

Go to the capitol in Sacramento and visit the rose garden on the capitol grounds. I spend hours in that rose garden. Wineries are always interesting to visit (Yes there are photo ops there, of course the wine is the main attraction.) I found it interesting to photograph homeless people sleeping on benches on the capitol grounds. The old governor's mansion in Sacramento is interesting.

PaulB Loc: Alabama

If you are going to the San Francisco are, I recommend getting on one of the boat tours of the bay. Lots of photo ops of the SF Bridge and Alcatraz. THe SF Trolleys and Chinatown are also interesting.

CamObs Loc: South America (Texas)

You are only 1.5 hours from the Napa and Sonoma valleys. Napa itself sucks, but the area is beatiful. About now the mustard will be in bloom which will make for some good photo ops. If you can get to Artesa winery, the view is wonderful. Take a wide angle lens. Also, East out of Sacremento is another wine district in the foothills. Don't miss the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield.

thegrover Loc: Yorba Linda, CA

FullmoonRoses wrote:

Ooops!!! Sorry, I should have given more details. I will be flying into Sacromento to stay with my daughter and her family about 40 miles west of there. We want to go to the beach of course!! And maybe to Reno, LA, etc. I've been to Oregon alot and loved it there, but not to Califormia. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!

What you list cannot be done in a week. You could easily spend a week taking pictures in the Sacramento area. In the Sacramento area beside the wilderness photography, there is old town Sacramento, the Train Museum, Downtown Folsom. The Sacramento River Trail. Google Sacramento.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/sacramentophotographers/discuss/72057594080122931/

The list for LA is even larger.

JacLee Loc: Chico CA

I am so glad someone finally suggested the Big Trees, i.e.: Red Woods and Sequoias. My favorite trip is up Hwy. 1 along the coast. Breath taking views

Chmielel

FullmoonRoses wrote:

Ooops!!! Sorry, I should have given more details. I will be flying into Sacromento to stay with my daughter and her family about 40 miles west of there. We want to go to the beach of course!! And maybe to Reno, LA, etc. I've been to Oregon alot and loved it there, but not to Califormia. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!

I would suggest a few day trips- use your daughter's home as a base. 1st I think that you should see the Napa Wine Area which is 65 miles west of Sacramento visit a winery head up to St Helena visit a hot spring spa in Calistoga. 2nd San Franisico which is 90 miles west of Sacramento. Head accross the Golden Gate Bridge visit Sausalito. Go to the the redwood at Muir Wood National Park. Drive out to the beach and bar-b-que Oysters at Tomales Bay Oyster Company at sunset. 3rd trip instead of visiting Reno you could go to Lake Tahoe they have beautiful scenery and a couple of Casinos like Reno. 4 th trip visit the Gold Rush towns of Nevada City & Grass Valley and tour the Empire Mine. 5th and it would be a very long day. I would drive out to see the Yosemite Valley. Other ideas would be Santa Cruz, the California Missions ( there are sereral in the area) Big Sur. I would skip LA a make that a different trip it's a very long drive.
Any of these day trips could fill a coffee table book full of gorgeous photos. Enjoy your visit.

hamtrack Loc: Omaha NE

If you like wine, Paso Robles is devine. If you like the sea, Big Sur-Carmel is the place to be.

Herbnapa Loc: Napa, California

"Napa itself sucks, but the area is beatiful. About now the mustard will be in bloom which will make for some good photo ops."

It's too late for the mustard in the vineyards. It's been mowed.

billwassmann Loc: Emerson, NJ

Harvey wrote:

Please understand we are trying to add humor here. "))

Ohhh, is that what is!? Keep it up.

FullmoonRoses Loc: western UP of Michigan

frederdane wrote:

FullmoonRoses wrote:

I am going to California next month for a week's vacation and would like some advice about taking pictures - pictures I just HAVE to have, don't waste my time on - that kind of things. It's my first visit to the state. Now I'm just a simple country girl and am a little nervous about a big city, so what would you suggest?

California isn't a city, it's a state.

Yes, I know. By city I was talking about the big cities IN California.

FullmoonRoses Loc: western UP of Michigan

hamtrack wrote:

If you like wine, Paso Robles is devine. If you like the sea, Big Sur-Carmel is the place to be.

Oh, how beautiful!!! I love all the colors!!

blacks2 Loc: SF. Bay area

You will be close to San Francisco, Golden Gate, Marin Headlands, Muir woods, also drive up to Yosemite for sure, Reno is a waste of time photography wise. Enjoy our beautiful state.

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

FullmoonRoses wrote:

Ooops!!! Sorry, I should have given more details. I will be flying into Sacromento to stay with my daughter and her family about 40 miles west of there. We want to go to the beach of course!! And maybe to Reno, LA, etc. I've been to Oregon alot and loved it there, but not to Califormia. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!!

Sacramento is more or less in the middle of the state. You can get to San Francisco from Sacramento, theres a lot to see there. You could always go south from sacramento and go to the Mono Lake area and theres a lot to see in that area. Near Mono Lake theres Yosemity, Bodie ghost town, Mono Lake of course. If you like to visit cities go to San Francisco, easy trip and theres a lot to see there.

hiker60 Loc: Northern Idaho

Humor. I like humor. My advice: Please come to CA; we'd love to have ya. Please, please spend lots of $$$ as the state treasury is a bit in the hole. :-D

hamtrack Loc: Omaha NE

Robert Hall vineyard @ Paso Robles, Cabernet- buy a case. I should have bought 10. Big Sur on a calm day.