An Unforgettable West Coast Road Trip!
Whether you're planning a southern CA road trip to places like Palm Springs, LA or San Diego, or a northern California road trip to San Francisco or Yosemite, this guide will walk you through what the state has to offer.
The Road Trip Lens Series:
Contents at a Glance
Southern California
Death Valley
Death Valley lies at the seat of California's eastern border with Nevada. This very remote area is very inhopsitable during the hot summer months, where daytime temperatures exceed 100 degrees DAILY. It also contains the lowest elevation in North America, at Badwater. The park is immense, and should be given at least two days to visit comfortably. Speaking of comfortable, the best seasons to go are in the late winter/early spring months, when wildflowers are in bloom and the temperatures are much more suitable for hiking.What's Cool: A massive desert landscape that wanders for hundreds of miles, unique salt sculptures at the valley's heart, and remote tranquility that can't be matched in the desert.
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Death Valley National Park
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For over a hundred years, visitors have been flocking to the strange, secluded desert of fascinating Death Valley. Sharing sections of California and Nevada, this massive National Park is the largest in the lower 48 states by far, covering 3.4 millio...
Palm Springs
Palm Springs lies about 5 hours south of Death Valley, and has its own International Airport. This area, known as Coachella Valley, contains the communities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Cathedral City, Indio, and Coachella itself. Palm Springs contains some of the area's best shopping, hotels, and scenic views, like the amazing view from the top of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. They even have their own impressive zoo, the Living Desert, or the historical Palm Springs Aerial Museum. Temperatures in this region also peak very high, above 100, during the months of May-September. Peak time to visit, according to most, is in the cooler winter months, when the mountain peaks are still capped in snow, while the valley remains in a comfortable 70-80 degree range.-
Palm Desert, California 92211
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Located in Riverside County in Southern California, the town of Palm Desert is one of the best places to stay in the Coachella Valley. Read on to find a recommended list of places to stay, things to do, and where to go in this incredible desert commu...
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Idyllwild, California
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Idyllwild, California is a small mountain town near the Palm Springs and Hemet area of Southern California. Idyllwild is huge hiking, camping, fishing, and sightseeing retreat, with unique art galleries, small shops, locally owned eateries, and best...
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Where to Stay in Rancho Mirage, CA
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Rancho Mirage is located in the beautiful desert of the Coachella Valley, east of Los Angeles and west of the Arizona border. Primarily located along Highway 111, Rancho Mirage is home to some of the best restaurants, hotels, and shopping in the dese...
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What to Do, See and Where to Stay in Indian Wells, California
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The beautiful desert community of Indian Wells is in the Southern California region of the Coachella Valley. It's one of the wealthiest areas of America, with the average resident's income near $100,000 annually. It's also a fun place to get away fro...
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Palm Springs, California
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The Coachella Valley of California is in a incredible place to plan a relaxing, warm getaway to a reliably sunny area of the west coast. It rains here only a handful of days of the year! While it may not be directly on the beach, Palm Springs and al...
California's National Parks
Save Money!
Road trips are getting more expensive! But there's good news, you can save some extra cash by doing some simple things....-
Budgeting for a Road Trip
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Gas prices have fallen and there's never been a better time to take a road trip! There are many different ways that you can save enough cash to offset the cost of fuel that aren't too hard and won't put a damper on your road trip. Saving isn't hard -...
San Diego
San Diego is California's most southern major city, and also one of its most beautiful. Only 20 minutes away from the border of Mexico, there's plenty of old Spanish flavor in this historical city. One of San Diego's most popular features are its excellent beaches. You can find them almost anywhere, from Coronado's white sandy beaches, to the more commercial and surfer-friendly Pacific Beach area. Don't miss the Gaslamp Quarter of the city's center, or the beautiful La Jolla cove district.
What's Cool: The Zoo! It's one of the best in the world, you'll never forget. There's no way to see the entire zoo in under a day, so either plan more than one day, or pick the places you want to see ahead of time and plan your route. Nearby, you can also visit San Diego's Sea World.

Panda at the San Diego Zoo
San Diego --> Los Angeles
San Diego and Los Angeles might look close together on a map, but they're about 2-3 hours apart, even more if you encounter traffic (which happens a lot!)...speaking of which, you can find out the latest traffic reports for California here.
Orange County
Orange County has become a way of thinking in California, and has some beautiful towns along the ocean to visit. Famous towns from television like Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, or closer to Los Angeles, Huntington Beach. In the middle of the county, you'll find Disneyland, America's first Disney Park.
What's Cool: The best beaches in southern California lie in Orange County...there's too many to choose from, just pick one and go! Or drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, Route 1, and pick which ones look best to you!

Huntington Beach Pier
Los Angeles
So much to see, such a huge area! Los Angeles isn't your typical city...it's broken up into sections. There's the downtown area, which is actually just a financial center and kind of boring, and then there's the sites along the coast, like Long Beach and Santa Monica (which can easily be accessed again via Pacific Coast Highway Route 1). This city is a world city, meaning it is a huge influence on the entire world, economically and culturally. Visit Hollywood for part of the LA experience, or Beverly Hills for a cool drive across some of the richest roads in the country.
What's Cool: There are so many smaller cities in LA to visit that you'll have plenty of stuff to keep you occupied for days! LA is a huge place and everything is very spread out, so you're definitely going to need a car in this city.
L.A. Lenses....
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Eagle Rock, California
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Nestled between the southern California communities of Pasadena and Glendale, Eagle Rock was one of the first homestead settlements in Los Angeles. Though it officially became a city in 1906 and was incorporated in 1911, Eagle Rock was settled by far...
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Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim MLB Baseball Team
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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a Major League Baseball franchise based in Anaheim, California, and aligned in the Western Division of the American League. Because of the unusual length of the team's official name, most news organizations (nota...
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Cool Places in Los Angeles
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This lens is about cool places that I like in and around Los Angeles. I am a native of Los Angeles and have lived here for almost all of my 40 something years. You probably won't find all of the places that you would find in a t...
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Things to do in Los Angeles
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There's plenty to do in Los Angeles. From tourist attractions to sporting events to concerts, Los Angeles will never leave you bored.
Be Prepared!
Don't leave home without this road trip/long vacation checklist!-
Road Trip & Long Vacation Preparation
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Nothing can ruin a vacation than having something happen to your home, finances, or pets while you are away. The best way to prevent this situation is with careful planning. A checklist of things that you must do before you leave is a great idea. At...

The Massive Urban Sprawl of Los Angeles
Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara is right in the middle of California's long 3,427 mile coastline. It offers a unique scene that is all its own, but very California...a relaxed surfer attitude, with great sites, palm trees, sandy beaches, small shops, piers, high mountains and rolling waves. Santa Barbara has a unique shopping area in its downtown center, as well as along the waterfront...even on the pier! It's a great city to get out and walk around in.
What's Not Cool: The month of June. Typically, this month is gray, gloomy, and kind of cool. Odd weather, considering the rest of the country is very warm during this time of year!
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Mission Santa Barbara
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Mission Santa Barbara was the tenth of the California missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans. It was established on the Feast of St. Barbara, Dec 4, 1786. Padre Junipero Serra, who founded the first nine missions, had died 2 years earlier....
Northern California
Big Sur
After heading north along Highway 101, you'll discover many amazing scenic shots along the coast. Highway 101 will veer further inland after the Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo area. One of the first towns you'll encounter along the Pacific Coast Highway is Morro Bay. This quaint village has its own gigantic mountain in the water known as Morro Rock, and a small fishing village lined with shorefront shops and dining. To the north, you'll find the beauty of San Simeon and Hearst Castle, which should be a must on your Pacific Coast Highway road trip.
Note:Be sure to gas up before you leave San Luis Obispo...gas stations are very far apart on the Big Sur coastline of Route 1!
This long stretch of highway along the coast offers some of the very best scenery the country has to offer, especially for road trips. Towering cliffs have been carved with thin roads that offer breathtaking views of the Big Sur coastline and Pacific Ocean. The views go on for miles. There are many pull-offs that afford some excellent photography. One spot you'll want to go to is Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park, where a gigantic waterfall surrounded by palms comes crashing into the ocean, or onto the beach, depending on what tide you hit.
What's Cool: The views! It will last a lifetime, and you'll be begging to come back. Take your time.

Big Sur
Pacific Coast Highway
Most of the best things to do and see on California's coast revolve around the Pacific Coast Highway, or are very close by! You can pretty much guarantee that at any given point on Hwy 1 that there's only excellent hotels to stay at, along with some of the best views.
Monterey
Only a few miles from the end of Big Sur is the peninsula of Monterey. The entire peninsula has a strangely European/Mediterranean feel, which you'll notice along the coast and in the small towns like Carmel. Here you'll see famous sites like the "Lone Cyprus" jutting out into the Pacific, and famous golf courses like Pebble Beach. This area, too, was made for road trips, with its memorable 17-Mile Scenic Drive. This drive circles the entire coast of Monterey Peninsula, and is worth the toll. In the town of Monterey, you'll encounter one of the best aquariums in the country, Monterey Aquarium. Areas like Cannery Row offer some of the most fresh seafood you can find in the area, while nearby Pacific Grove has some of the best restaurants around.
What's Cool: The Monterey Bay Aquarium isn't something you should skip by. The exhibits are some of the newest and most impressive you'll ever see, like the jellyfish exhibit.
San Francisco
The city by the bay has a much different feel than any southern California city. When you've arrived to San Francisco, you'll notice the huge difference in climate, culture and scenery the city has to offer. Famous sites like the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman's Wharf, and Chinatown are some of the most visited parts of the city, but leave plenty of time for areas like Golden Gate Park, which has some of the best sightseeing in the area. Also, don't miss the sole surving remnant of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Worlds Fair, the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, or the Exploratorium.
This city has massive hills, so make sure you're ready to walk! One of the most unique views of how steep the roads really are lies on Lombard Street, "the crookedest street in the world."
What's Cool: An amazing bunch of sites to see in one of the coolest cities on the west coast. Try visiting Alcatraz or Sausalito, which are right across the bay.

The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco
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City By The Bay: San Francisco City Guide
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San Francisco, aka the City by the Bay, sits at the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay. It connects to Marin via the Golden Gate Bridge on the North, and to Oakland via the Bay Bridge on the East. Pictured her...
California Poll
The Big Three
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite deserves its own lens here! Beautiful granite backdrops for a relaxing vacation to one of America's favorite National Parks will be an unforgettable experience. You won't be disappointed by the sites Yosemite has to offer. It's only 2-3 hours east of San Francisco, but plan to encounter traffic heading into the park during peak summer months of operation.-
Where to Stay In and Near Yosemite National Park
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Yosemite National Park is one of America's premier National Parks, known for its majestic granite cliffs like Half Dome, the rushing Merced River, and the stunning valley view. Yosemite is relatively far from any major city, the closest being Fresno....
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Yosemite National Park
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The Crown Jewel of the Sierra Nevada There are over 3.5 million visitors yearly that come to take in the awe-inspiring panorama of Yosemite National Park. The California National Park of the High Sierras is one of the best places to camp, kayak, sig...
Yosemite, The Complete Guide
Yosemite, The Complete Guide: Yosemite National Park
Amazon Price: $15.61 (as of 07/10/2009)![]()
List Price: $22.95
For such a hugely popular National Park, there's surprisingly little information about the hotels in the area, as well as what else is around the park. That's where this guide comes in. You'll find out what luxury lodges are worth the bucks, maps for hiking from difficult to easy, and stunning photography of one of America's most favorite parks.
Napa & Sonoma
Napa and Sonoma Counties lie only about 45 minutes to an hour northeast of San Francisco. The valleys are known for some of the best, most renowned wineries in the world. They put many of France's wines to shame! If you're not a wine lover, don't worry, there's plenty of other things to do here as well. There's balloon tours, or the hidden Old Faithful Hot Spring Geyser in Calistoga (worth the trip!). Sprawling vineyards on the valley floor are surrounded by high mountains, making the ideal climate for grape growing. The area also has some of the best dining in California!
What's Cool: Try driving along the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley for winery after spectacular winery, or travel up some of the back mountain roads in Napa or Sonoma to encounter some of the lesser-known but equally excellent wines the area has to offer.
Wineries
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Visiting A Winery
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By Sharon Stajda, In the case of wine— that means a visit to a winery. You will be able to first hand stroll a winery , and inspect the fermentation tank, take a nice walk through the vineyard. See the different grapes in stages of ripenin...
Point Reyes
North of San Francisco, this large peninsula area of Point Reyes National Seashore is very close to the city, but feels like a different world. Undulating hills lead to the ocean in all directions, and some amazing, unique California beaches, excellent for hiking and beachgoing. It's also home to some unique marine wildlife, and the famous Point Reyes Light Station.
What's Cool: Impressive solitude can be found only miles from the city...it's strange that an area so close to the city is not packed with visitors!
Find Yourself in California
California (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
Amazon Price: $19.80 (as of 07/10/2009)![]()
List Price: $30.00
What's there to miss in California? Think you know everything about the Golden State? How about this...do you know the temperature can shift drastically in only 50 miles? It can be 50 degrees in San Francisco, while to the south, it can be 105 in Palm Springs! Or did you know about the Museum of Contemporary Art on Kettner Blvd in San Diego? How about the Sunset Strip, do you know how to get there, and what's there? A great guide book will give you a little further insight on what this state has to offer, beyond the tourist favorites.
What Should you Bring?
Confused on what to bring on your road trip? Find out what the essentials are for any road trip, not just in California, in this handy lens.-
What to Bring on a Road Trip
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There are the necessities for road trips, and there are the items that will improve the quality of your road trip. Both can be equally important to have a good time on your trip...from technological help like navigation systems to old, trusty road at...
Muir Woods/Redwoods
You'll never encounter a forest quite like Muir Woods. An area that contains the oldest trees in the world, these gigantic trees block most sunlight to the floor below. This makes for some unique photography and hiking, and it's only miles from San Francisco. Fog from the Pacific regularly rolls in to this National Monument, helping plant growth thrive like the Redwoods have been for centuries.
What's Cool: The towering Redwoods have been in existence for hundreds, and this is one of the last old growth forests of sequoias left in the United States.
Kings Canyon & Sequoia National Parks
These two National Parks are often lumped together since they are directly adjacent to one another. These two immense parks contain some of the best scenic views in any National Park, but lack the huge crowds that you might see at Yosemite National Park. The secluded nature of these parks mean they are slightly hard to get to from the major coastal cities, but are well worth the drive. You can find these parks directly east of Fresno.
What's Cool: Unforgettable siteseeing, hiking, fishing, camping and photography opportunites that will make you wonder why these parks aren't as well known as Yosemite!
Lake Tahoe
North of Yosemite National Park and east of Sacramento lies Lake Tahoe. This immense lake is shared with the state of Nevada, and is very close to the city of Reno. It's a huge tourist attraction for its skiing, mountain views, and crystal clear alpine water.
What's Cool: So much to do in a small area! There's mountain biking, restaurants, hiking, driving, nature walks, water sports, skiing, and even gambling all nearby!
A LakeTahoe Hiking Guide
Afoot & Afield Reno-Tahoe: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/10/2009)![]()
List Price: $19.95
Lake Tahoe is huge. It covers two entire states, and offers some excellent scenery of the High Sierras, as well as some memorable inlets and bays like Emerald Bay. Of course, the area is well known for its skiing, but it has also amazing hiking opportunities. With 191 square miles of surface area, the alpine lake covers an enormous area, surrounded by some of the most diverse wildlife and scenic views in the state. Don't get caught without a guide, there's too much to see!
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Sierra Mountain and Lake Tahoe Photography
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I'm Brandon aka "flowski" a Lake Tahoe photographer with a digital photography website. Take a photo tour of the Lake Tahoe and surrounding mountains with me! Love the Sierra Mountains? The classic old trees growing out of rock, fields of w...
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Towering up above the Cascade Mountain Range of California is Lassen Peak, a still active volcano dome in northeast section of California. This unique formation makes for excellent viewing, and some scenery unlinke any other. The area also has a Yellowstone-like geyser system and even a nearby cinder cone. You can read more info on Lassen Volcanic National Park here.
What's Cool: Lava beds, geothermal activity, volcanoes, mountains, streams and wildlife make this a great alternative to far-away Yellowstone.

Lassen Volcanic National Park
Recommended Tour Guide Books on California
California Links
- Welcome to the State of California
- The official site of the state of California. If you're visiting or if you live there, you'll find some good links.
- California on Wikipedia
- Find out the history of the state up until present day, ecology, population, climate, geography, culture, economy and more on this informative page.
- California Map
- Download a huge map of California in PDF format.
- Visit California
- Explore the state region by region, it's very easy and clear. It's very detailed, and they did a great job with this site. It's broken down by activities, wine & dine, outdoor recreation, family fun, winter recreation, golf, and arts & culture. Highly recommended to plan your trip!
- Everything California
- Mottos, slogans, lowest elevation, nicknames, state bird, state flag, you name it, it's all here!
More Road Trip Lenses...
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Grand Circle Road Trip
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The area of the United States that includes northern Arizona, northwest New Mexico, southern Utah, and southwest Colorado is often known as the "Grand Circle" of the southwest. The Four Corners region of these states provide a concentration of some o...
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Planning a US Road Trip: The Southern Route
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If you love warmth and sunshine, this is the perfect US road trip for you where you'll get to see 8 different states. Some of the most unique areas of the country are all easily accessible from I-10, a highway that begins in Los Angeles and ends in...
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I-95 Road Trip
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I-95 runs right down the east coast of the United States, hitting major cities like Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Miami, as well as some of the best sites the country has to offer! A trip from Boston to Miami is approximately 1500...
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Northern U.S. Road Trip
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When planning a road trip in the United States, there are two popular options: the northern route and the southern route . We'll be analyzing the northern route here, covering the states from Maine to Washington state. If a road trip is in your futur...
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How to Plan a US Road Trip
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There's nothing like taking a road trip across the USA. Going by car gives you a greater appreciation for the vastness and wide array of parks, forests, cities, museums, beaches and cultures the United States has to offer. By taking a cross country r...
Guestbook
LindaJM wrote...
There's so much to do and see here in California . . . you did choose some great destinations.
BarbRad wrote...
in reply to CCGAL WE also camped at Jedidiah Smith Sate Park and it was lovely. But the park in this area we loved most was Prairie Creek, which in in the midst of the redwoods. We were entertained by raccoons around our campfire every night.
KPetit wrote...
You did a very nice job; California is huge! I live near Monterey. I will include this lens as a great California lens.
Tiddledeewinks wrote...
I'm on the east coast. I guess I'll stay here away from the earthquakes, although it is cold here in winter!
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