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The following places are recommended: Big Sur, Jade Beach, Crescent City (CA-1 & US-101), have beautiful shores/beaches. Yosemite (Highway 120), Sequoia National Park, and the redwoods are a must. The Haight-Ashbury (or just "the Haight") district in [[Bay Area|San Francisco]] the famous epicenter of much of the 1960s' drug and music culture is long gone and beat like a drum, but you might meet a few interesting people there. [[Arcata]] is mad cool as well.
== Laws ==
While hitchhiking is traditionally considered legal in California and the cops will rarely harass you, anecdotal evidence has been reported of people being threatened under California Vehicle Code Section 22520.5 which states:
(a) No person shall ''solicit'', display, sell, offer for
sale, or otherwise vend or attempt to vend any merchandise or ''service''
while being wholly or partly within any of the following:
(1) The right-of-way of any freeway, including any on ramp, off
ramp, or roadway shoulder which lies within the right-of-way of the
freeway.
(2) Any roadway or adjacent shoulder within 500 feet of a freeway
off ramp or on ramp.
(3) Any sidewalk within 500 feet of a freeway off ramp or on ramp,
when vending or attempting to vend to vehicular traffic.
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a roadside rest area or
vista point located within a freeway right-of-way which is subject to
Section 22520.6, to a tow truck or service vehicle rendering
assistance to a disabled vehicle, or to a person issued a permit to
vend upon the freeway pursuant to Section 670 of the Streets and
Highways Code.
(c) A violation of this section is an infraction. A second or
subsequent conviction of a violation of this section is a
misdemeanor.
This law is generally only used against prostitution, however soliciting a ride is considered soliciting a service, so if the cops attempt to tell you it is illegal to hitchhike in California it is best to not argue with them.
== Various ==
[[Humboldt]] county is real good. They have a Hoopa Indian Reservation up there that is pretty good. They'll stop if you're walking on the side because they think you're one of them, and then once they stop they feel bad and give you a ride anyway. Lord Ellis peak took me about half an hour to get a ride to Redding.
Route 101, North from [[Bay Area|San Francisco]] and Route 1 South from the bay, towards [[Santa Cruz]], are great roads to hitch, arguably the easiest hitchhiking in the United States. Incredibly beautiful scenery too.
Also, if you are heading down (or up) the coast, try and get to [[Mendocino]]. It's the county in Cali that produces the most marijuana, and there is this awesome communal farm there. Half the rides you get will even offer you a toke or two! Golden Gate Transit will get you up to Santa Rosa from the Bay Area, which is halfway there.
== External links ==
* [http://www.interstaterestareas.com/california Interstate Rest Areas in California]
* [http://law.onecle.com/california/vehicle/22520.5.html]
