A trip to California-north or south?

I am planning a trip with my fiance.

I looked all over the place within the United States that we could go.

I settled on California and now I am struggling on where to go exactly. California is such a big state. Do I want to go north or south? I could go north and fly into San Francisco and then travel a bit south to Carmel by the Sea and Big Sur. I also could fly into Los Angeles and be in southern California and enjoy Tarzana and Santa Barbara. I am leaning towards the south I think. My fiance and I are flying in during the winter months and it should be warmer there. I also think the southern portion offers what we want. I can see the bustling city of Los Angeles, the tourist sites of San Diego and also enjoy parks, fun and relaxing times in Tarzana. I know I want to base a few days in Tarzana because there are fun restaurants, bars and it is outside of the city. It makes it a little cheaper and is a good bouncing off point. From the airport to Tarzana is only 40 minutes. I can drive two hours to get to San Diego or go the other direction to Santa Barbara. I hate changing hotels on a trip. I might only need to a few times if I make my main base camp Tarzana. Another pro to this area is I did find some really great cannabis dispensaries nearby. It could make it a fun day to walk around Tarzana and use recreational weed.

Cannabis Store Tarzana CA