I was in SF about two years ago. You are right about that.
SF area is nice, at least once you get out of the city areas, but the really beautiful scenery, in my opinion, is even farther north near the Oregon border. Amazing forest areas with beautiful, lush, green scenery.
The Santa Cruz Mountains are pretty cool too though. They are about 2 hours south of SF.
The Sierras are amazing too, and Northern CA beaches are beautiful. BEG, I will warn you that our ocean water tends to be very, very cold.