We stayed in the hills above Pillar Point Harbor (near Half Moon Bay, CA)

Used the rental cottage as a base and went into San Francisco for day trips, including sights like the Maritime Museum at Fisherman's Wharf

and the Japanese Tea Garden

and the Conservatory of Flowers

along with a side trip to the Filoli estate (this is just the garden room, and I totally want one)

Went lots of other places, but I didn't want to turn this into a captive blog audience vacation slideshow. Hopefully this little taste is enough to inspire you in your writing somehow--I know it did for me!