[StanIROCZ]

I know there are quite a few CA folks on the board here. The wife and I have 2 passes for free round trip airline tickets to anywhere in the continental US and we thought CA might be a fun place to go since neither of us have been there before.

Where should we go and what are the best attractions? Suggestions?

We're thinking early July for about a week.

[Blainefab]

Cruise around on Google Earth, with 'places of interest' and 'geographic web' enabled. Lots of camping/hiking. Monuments/State parks that I've enjoyed: Pinnacles, Big Basin, Henry Cowell, Nisene Marks, Henry Coe. Lots of smaller wineries in the Paso Robles and Santa Cruz areas with free tasting, but limited hours. Monterey Bay Aquarium would be cool, or a 1/2day ocean fishing jaunt - any town with a harbor will have boats with all the gear for rent. In my experience, the fishing gets better the further north you go. The views of the SF bay sights are great from a boat out of Berkeley - the fishing in the bay sucked, tho, and I'm not sure I'd eat a bay fish. The swell outside of the Golden Gate is 'interesting' if you're into roller coasters.

Hiking - hot, dry, lots of elevation change, so be prepared. Driving - we're putting you on the twistiest backroads we know, hopefully no issues with carsickness. Some of the surfaces are going to crap, but the grading of a lot of CA's secondary roads is great! Smooth radii, nicely cambered, up/down makes for satisfying driving even at legal speeds. Pick your rental car accordingly.