Most of what you're reading online is oriented to northern climates where the ripening process culminates in the die-back of the vine. In southern climates you can harvest the fruit whenever you feel it's ready (basically once it turns orange).

I live in northern california too. Harvest your pumpkins when you feel like it and let your vine continue to thrive and grow more pumpkins until late winter. Unless you have been using fungicide, your vine will probably be mostly destroyed by mid winter from powdery mildew though. You can put christmas lights on the vine to protect it from frost if the vine is still alive at the first frost (this is the first time I am going to try this this year, so dont expect it to work). If the bees stop coming you may want to help your pumpkin vine pollinate its flowers so you get more pumpkins through the fall and winter!

Thanks so much for your help. I kinda figured all the information posted about harvesting was not going to apply to NorCal, but one never knows.