One more thing about the weather...
I found that during my last September trip it was often nice on the coast and not too many miles inland it was scorching hot. You may find the same even in October. Just something to be aware of as a possibility if planning to go over the coastal hills inland even a few miles. I am not a fan of hot weather. I deal with it when I have to, but love cool weather, so for me it is a factor in trip planning.