are there a lot of Oppos who know California well? I'm considering travelling there...

"gin-san - shitpost specialist" (gin-san-)
03/14/2018 at 13:36 • Filed to: TRAVELOPNIK

Specifically, I’d like to see LA and San Francisco. After watching Anthony Bourdain go through LA (specifically Koreatown) and San Francisco, they both seem like excellent places.

I’m struggling because my vacation is scheduled in early April but I have finalized no plans. It’s pretty much come down to going to France or California, my only issue with France is the sheer cost due to the Canadian peso being so weak against the Euro.

France also has the added benefit of looking at beautiful old things, but really I just want to eat and drink to my heart’s content, and I know that both places would really fit the bill.

I actually have two weeks off, but I figured maybe a week in LA and a week in SF might be a bit much. Maybe it’s too little?

Anyways, I’ve been to Paris twice but never anywhere else in France (which is what I wanted to do this trip) but I feel like I can have a lot of fun in LA/SF as well - I’ve barely travelled anywhere in the US (Vermont, Florida, D.C., New York City, Detroit) and nothing at all on the west coast. Plus, I like the idea of Cali having recently legalized recreational cannabis.

How do Oppos feel about LA/SF from a tourist standpoint? Is there enough to eat and drink (and do and see)?

DISCUSSION (29)

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 13:54

I Love SF. I hate LA. But LA has the Getty and the Peterson Auto Museum. SF is probably one of the most cultural diverse city’s in the US with some of the best ethnic food I’ve ever had.

That all being said I think 2 days in SF and I would have sensory overload. A good combo might be to do 2 days in SF, one day in Napa on a wine tour and maybe a day in Monterrey/Carmel.

You also have Sears Point (Sonoma raceway) and Laguna Seca, so check for moto and car races during that time frame.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 13:55

Northern California is incredible... Besides the touristy locations in SF, Muir Woods and Muir Beach are beautiful, Carmel and Monterey are close, Yosemite isn’t that far, and wine country is just up the road, too.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
03/14/2018 at 14:00

I found out that my vacation ends on the weekend that MotoGP comes to Austin, so I’ll have to save that for another year.

If sensory overload isn’t an issue, is there enough to do in SF? I figured if sensory overload was a problem for me that I wouldn’t have enjoyed Japan nearly as much as I did since I spent so much time in large, busy cities. The day trips are a good idea, though, especially if I can just hop on with a tour group or something and get smashed while disguising it as “wine tasting.”

gin-san - shitpost specialist > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/14/2018 at 14:01

SF really does sound pretty cool. What’s your take on LA (if any)?

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 14:05

I haven’t spent much time down there, but I’m much more into outdoors & nature than big cities. Have you considered San Diego?

jkm7680 > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 14:06

San Francisco is a nasty shithole, Marin is nice though.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 14:21

SF as a city is not as big as you would think. I could spend three days there and not get board. I would certainly do some day trips though. Even a day at the ocean (point reyes/santa cruz etc...), day in Napa, day in Carmel/Monterrey and your time would be filled. Santa Cruz is close and very cool funky town.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > jkm7680
03/14/2018 at 14:21

What did you find nasty about SF? Curious since my friends that have visited seemed to enjoy it.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/14/2018 at 14:22

Definitely thought about it, too, since it’s pretty close to LA. I’m open to pretty much anything since I haven’t done a lot of research into California. What’s great about San Diego?

B_dol > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 14:23

Lots of good food to eat and places to see in LA and SF, but California is vastly harder to get around when compared to Europe. Things are further apart, rental car needed for sure.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > B_dol
03/14/2018 at 14:26

That was another concern of mine, especially driving in LA which looks... congested.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 14:28

Just a beautiful place. Torrey Pines State Park is really unique, Coronado is beautiful, Balboa Park is cool, Old Town for history... I’m not trying to dissuade you from LA, just giving options.

Personally, I’d still pick Northern California first.

punkgoose17 > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 14:29

Are things cheaper farther east in Europe? I want to go to Prague, so that is my recommendation.

Tapas > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 14:39

California is great!

Im sure youve read and looked up places to go & stuff to do. Here’s my recommendations off the top of my head.

Rent a Turo instead of a regular rental & get the extra Turo insurance.

Dont rent a car/drive inside SF.

Go to Marin. (You’ll need a car)

Attend at least one cars and coffee in SF, LA or SD.

Drive fom SF to LA along the PCH and plan to spend a one extra day to see the sights along the way. There are many.

You have to see the Petersen Museum & the Menil in LA.

LA also has a Porsche Experience center in LA, where you can drive them on the track, or just visit. They have old classics on display & a restaurant & cafe overlooking the track.

If LA gets old, drive further down to San Diego. I haven’t been there so you’re on your own.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
03/14/2018 at 14:40

I do like the occasional park, but I’m very much a city-slicker. Still, I’m thankful for your input!

Torrey Pines does look really cool (when you say State Park, I see the search come up as State Reserve, which I’m guessing is the same thing) and Coronado looks pretty, too.

The funny thing about LA is that if it wasn’t for the awesome food I’ve seen on TV, I probably wouldn’t even consider going there.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > punkgoose17
03/14/2018 at 14:42

I had considered that, too. A colleague of mine just recently visited Prague/Budapest and it sounded pretty nice and cheaper than Western Europe.

I just haven’t really felt that compelled to visit those cities, though, as nice as they both seem.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 15:39

San Francisco and Los Angeles are much further apart than you probably realize.

There is plenty to eat, drink, do, and see in California to last a lifetime if you really wanted to explore the entire state. They’re both very different cities, though, with Los Angeles more of a really sprawling major city (think New York City, only car dependent), while San Francisco is more the magnet of a metro area (think DC.). Los Angeles defines culture like NYC (with inner bubbles), while SF is a bubble that ignores reality like DC.

I’d tend to avoid spending excessive amounts of time in SF simply because it’s really expensive and you run out of touristy things to do pretty quickly. I usually only allot it a single day when I go through the area, then tend to end up doing something I’ve done before. Parking is expensive or a nightmare in much of SF (but public transit is decent, unlike LA, where you’ll really need a car but parking is usually free). On the upside, it’s near Sacramento, wine country, and historic gold rush areas, if those interest you. With LA, you could very easily fill two weeks with just tourist activities without ever getting bored or leaving the metro. The nearest major city outside the metro is San Diego, which could sink around the same amount of time as SF (maybe more, since it does have amusement parks), but also has the benefit of more reasonable parking.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 15:41

It is, but not 24/7. LA freeways tend to move pretty well when traffic clears a bit. It’s a weird place to drive due to the unique driving style of the residents.

jkm7680 > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 15:42

Needles, human feces everywhere. Just felt disgusting.

San Francisco is an absolutely disgusting, overpriced hellhole.

Oh, and this is coming from a New Orleans native.

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Human-waste-shuts-down-BART-escalators-3735981.php

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 15:43

It’s dirty. Literal human excrement on some sidewalks (in fact, there’s even an app for reporting it). A lot of it is really run down, too, contrary to what you might imagine.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 15:44

Have fun deciding, and have a great trip, wherever you go!

gin-san - shitpost specialist > jkm7680
03/14/2018 at 16:02

Fuckin animals.

Then again, the Paris subway smells like a urinal.

I’ve taken a shit outside once, and that was when I was in a forest and I really didn’t have a choice.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Eric @ opposite-lock.com
03/14/2018 at 16:06

The fact that there’s an app for it is really saddening. That’s too bad.

RPM esq. > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 16:14

I go to both frequently. Both are fun. There’s plenty to do and to eat to keep you busy. Great food, lots of museums and other sights to see. You’ll want a rental car in LA, and then you’ll want to plan your wandering to avoid rush hour. In SF, use Uber and BART rather than dealing with parking.

RPM esq. > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 16:16

These are all just reasons not to live there, not to avoid visiting. It’s a great place to visit—I’m there several times a year and always enjoy it.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 17:35

I live in Los Angeles and have visited San Francisco now on three separate occasions. It’s definitely of value to visit both since they are entirely different places. I think San Fran is much more “visitor friendly” while LA takes a bit more exploring to adequately enjoy. A lot of this is due to the way that LA is spread out and impossible to get around without a car whereas SF can be explored on foot and by bus VERY efficiently. Either way, both have at least a week’s worth of activities for you easily.

It doesnt really matter which one you start in but either way make sure your transit in between includes taking the PCH. It will double the travel time but trust me it is well worth it! There is a huge closed section right now until approximately September but its worth taking it and detouring around that part. If you like the outdoors at all, stopping in Big Sur and exploring a bit is a MUST.

When you plan to come to LA, I would be happy to show you some awesome mountains to drive around and hike up. Some of my favorite places to explore. If you are into hiking there are SO many places I have found truly spectacular for minimal effort. I can probably make specific suggestions too for other things like food/areas to stay/other things to do if you ask.

For San Fran, the first time I went there I spent 5 whole days in the city. That was just enough time to see just about everything. I had a 7 day transit pass and used that to go everywhere. My girlfriend and I rented bikes and rode over the Golden Gate, we ate every cuisine we could find, and saw just about every neighborhood. Cool place, kind of reminded me of NYC but so much nicer and being that it was 70 degrees in Feb, much warmer. People talk about SF being “dirty” clearly havent spent enough time in NY lol.

I’d say also to explore San Diego, Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and some other places but those are best saved for their own dedicated trips. Trying to cram those in here would be too much. You say San Diego is “close to LA” but with traffic its really not at all (2 hours from LAX to SD with no traffic going about 85 the whole way, easily 4-5 hours at the wrong time). Do not try to day trip to San Diego lol.

gin-san - shitpost specialist > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
03/14/2018 at 18:40

Very helpful advice. Nothing is set in stone yet, and even if I don’t get to do California this year I know I will at some point in the future.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/14/2018 at 19:38

Yup. It’s definitely a lovely place to visit. Haven’t learned yet how it’s really like to live there but I’m finding out as I go along. It reminds me a lot of my home state of NJ, except the weather and people are just nicer all year round. It’s funny the effect weather seems to have on people. I really think cold plus the fast pace of NYC/Philadelphia makes people awful. Not everyone of course but just in general.

CaptDale - is secretly British > gin-san - shitpost specialist
03/16/2018 at 20:05

I would take LA area over SF any day. I went to SF in November and while it was a fun trip, there was shit, piss, needles, and bums on all but the nicest of streets.