California is a state with a very pretty coastline and the weather is usually nice there.
There is a place called Humboldt Bay in Northern California that I find highly amusing. There are two main towns on the bay: Eureka and Arcata. Eureka is the most disgusting town I've ever seen. It's mind-boggling how ugly this town is. The streets are named A St, B St, C St... and 1st St, 2nd St, 3rd St... twice as utilitarian as New York City, but instead of interesting skyscrapers, it's just a festering stretch of used car lots, fast food places, and laundromats. Then, on the other side of the bay there is Arcata, home to Humboldt State University. This town is the single greenest place I've ever been to. Their grocery store is a Whole Foods and there was a genuine decorated VW bus in the parking lot. We ate at a vegetarian restaurant there, and bikes passed us on the road.
I think those towns are California in a nutshell.