Northern California beaches are generally too cold for swimming, all year. There is a stretch of Southern California, between Los Angeles and San Diego, where they get a warm tropical current and swimming is more possible. But in Northern CA you have surfing (in a wetsuit) but not so much serious swimming.

The beaches go from sandy and nice (like Florida or anywhere) to rocky and picturesque. It’s nice to walk on the beach and watch the surf, or walk on the cliffs above the beach, or climb on the rocks. Some places you can see seals or sea lions sunning themselves on the rocks.

The redwoods are incredible! One of the best things about California. They are very tall and they have no branches for the first 100 feet or so. Above that the branches all sort of join together in a big canopy, so it’s really dark, like being in a big cathedral or something. They smell wonderful too. Humboldt Redwoods is a ways south of Crescent City, maybe 50-75 mi., but that is the biggest remaining redwood forest. But driving south on Hwy 101 you go through groves of redwoods and it suddenly gets dark, like going through a tunnel.

Sure you can swim, if you like really cold water, or have a wet suit.