JAileen, previously, I would have gone for an open-in-front style too, but recently, I've been annoyed at things sliding down my shoulders during active pursuits.
Nadya, that would be the classic, wouldn't it? It would do the job nicely, butI think I would feel really inauthentic in a baja hoodie. If I wanted one, though, I bet I could find plenty at Olvera Street! (I had heard the term "drug rug" before (perks of being the parent to a college student.)
shevia, there's no way I'll make it through without motion sickness, but I'll survive.
Sloper, we've done bits and pieces of this trip before. We lived in Seattle for three years, so have explored the area from there down to Portland pretty well. We've also been to the Bay area, and from LA up to about Santa Barbara. Cambria sounds lovely! All of Big Sur and the NorCal Coast will be new to us, so I'm looking forward to that. Our plan is to skip the big cities (except for Seattle) this time around and focus on all those in-between places you only really see when you drive.
I did check Athleta (they're one of my go-tos) but didn't find anything that grabbed me. And good call on the cap!
bonnie, my layering game used to be so strong, but I'm out of practice since moving to LA! Thanks for the reminder of how it's done.