From South (San Francisco) to North California border with Oregon):
San Francisco (Xmas 2009) is one of the few nice cities to visit in the US.
Point Reyes National Seashore (Xmas December 2009) main feature were the elephant seals.
Bowling Ball Beach (June 2011): directly opposite Schooner Gulch Road is the entrance to Bowling Ball Beach. A small parking can support just a few cars. The northern trail leads to Bowling Ball Beach, there are no signs. The southern trail leads to another beach, with no access to Bowling Ball Beach. When reaching the shore, some climbing is necessary to descend. The balls are about 10 minutes walk to the north, and invisible from the beach-entry.
Glass Beach and MacKerricher State Park (June 2011) are located a bit north of Fort Bragg. The colored beach originates from the waste of a glass factory. The sea has polished the glass, and deposited some on the beach. In the last years, a lot of glass has been collected, so it is a bit disappointing to see how few remnants are left. On MacKerrichers beach seals can be seen. A board walk leads to location where often sea lions are resting.