No Matter Where You’re At, From NorCal To SoCal, There’s A Road Trip For That

CALIFORNIA — With 655 miles of coastal highway, 164,000 square miles and big cities and small villages, California may be the ultimate road trip state. It has world-class theme parks, offers incredible outdoor experiences, is rich in history and, in places, is a little quirky in the most endearing ways.

Driving California Highway 1, the Pacific Coast Highway, would take about at least 40 hours without stopping. An absolutely breathtaking route with mountains, towering trees and expansive beaches, it’s best enjoyed over the period of a week or longer.

For shorter trips, we veer off the famous highway f0r seven road trips, three in Northern California, three in Southern California and one in the middle.

NorCal

See — And Hear — Volcanoes

Lassen Volcanic National Park in the northeast corner of California has all four types of volcanoes and is alive with hydrothermal activity. Numerous volcanoes within the park bubble, steam and roar, but visitors will also find crystal-clear lakes and wildflower-covered meadows.

Some of the highlights include the Bumpass Hell Trail — named for Kendall Bumpass, who burned his leg when he broke through the thin layer of crust and fell into scalding water — includes a section along a boardwalk that offers closeup views of boiling mud pots and vivid turquoise pools. Both Lassen Peak and Brokeoff Volcano are visible.

The 4.2-mile Devil’s Kitchen Trail loop takes hikers through meadows and marshes before reaching the second-largest hydrothermal area in the park. It features mudpots, fumaroles and steaming streams. Side routes off the main trail lead to pristine alpine lakes.

The park has some of the darkest skies in California and is a great place to watch meteor showers and other celestial events.

It’s best to visit after spring snow-clearing operations are complete, and be advised some areas are closed due to wildfires. Operating dates vary by area of the park.

‘Heart Of The Redwood Coast’

The 31-mile Avenue of the Giants winds through southern Humboldt County, passing through forest hamlets, campground, picnic areas and accesses to the Eel River, a federally-designated Wild & Scenic Waterway with fishing, swimming and padding spots. Trailheads lead hikers into the magical redwood forests, which are under both state and federal management in this part of the state.

Humboldt County also has charming towns and villages, including the county seat town of Eureka, the largest coastal city between Sam Francisco and Portland, Oregon. Eureka is the heart of the U.S. redwood coast and has a view of Humboldt Bay. Old Town Eureka is a must-see with restaurants, galleries, theaters, coffeehouses boardwalks and antique shops. Eureka has a vibrant arts scene, too. Be sure to check out the renowned Native American wing of the Clarke Historical Museum.

Located on a rocky bluff overlooking the bay and surrounded by redwoods and spruce, the quaint fishing village of Trinidad is located along one of the most spectacular and pristine segments of the Pacific Coast. Rocks off the coast of Trinidad, a California Coastal National Gateway community, shelter one of the most diverse seabird colonies in the state, with a dozen species and 100,000 breeding individuals. Together, Green Rock and Flatiron Rock account for 25 percent of the most important seabird colonies along the California coast.

Ferndale is like a step back into Victorian times with its beautifully preserved homes. The town features rows of general stores, ice cream parlors, blacksmith shops, saloons, museums, excellent dining and nostalgically new lodging establishments.

Follow Jerry Garcia’s Footsteps

If you want to step back into the Summer of Love, the intersection of Haight and Ashbury streets is its epicenter. A mecca for musicians and artists, it wasnt uncommon in the 1960s and early ’70s to run into members of the Grateful Dead and other rockers, according to San Francisco Travel.

Band members Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan lived for a couple of years at a purple home at 70 Ashbury St., at the time a boarding house. The band eventually took it over. The Grateful Dead House is now a private home, but there’s nothing to stop visitors from posing for a selfie outside the gate on the public sidewalk.

Take a short, 20-minute drive south to McLaren Park, which is near the Excelsior District where Jerry Garcia grew up. In the center of the park is the Greek-style outdoor concert venue, Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre, where Jerry Day takes place every August, this year on Aug. 3. Tribute bands are featured.

When he was in the U.S. Army in 1960, and, before going AWOL several times, resulting in a court martial and his general discharge, spent nine months at the Presidio, at the time a military post. Now, the Presidio is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which supports 19 distinct ecosystems with more than 2,000 plant and animal species. It’s a great place to hike and picnic while learning about centuries of overlapping history, from the state’s indigenous cultures, Spanish colonialism, the Mexican Republic, U.S. Military Expansion and the growth of San Francisco. The The Walt Disney Family Museum is located there, too.

Jerry Garcia’s parents owned The 400 Club, a bar at 400 First St., after their previous bar, Garcia’s, shut down. Jerry Garcia grew up around the drunken sailors who frequented the joint, which was located close to the wharf, and it influenced the band’s music.

Central California

Take A ‘Sideways’ Road Trip

Take a “Sideways” road trip. The 2004 movie took the responsibility-avoiding protagonists through wine country on their road trip from Santa Barbara to Santa Rosa. One option is to visit all 18 filming locations, or be more selective.

A ton of “Sideways” locations are found on a loop from Santa Barbara, through the Santa Ynez Valley to Los Olivos and Solvang, a pair of small towns oozing charm. Two historic Franciscan missions — the Old Mission Santa Barbara, a Spanish mission founded in 1786, located in Santa Barbara, and Old Mission Santa Inés, founded in 1804 — are on this route.

Before you leave Santa Barbara, check out MOXI The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation, with three floors filled with hands-on exhibits focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Los Olivos, Travel + Leisure’s 2023 pick for America’s best small food and culture town, is filled with local shops, restaurants and, of course, wineries.

Road trippers who want to spend the night should consider the Inn at Mattei's Tavern, which opened in 1886 as an overnight stay on the Pacific Coast Railroad, but reopened in 2023 as a 64-room resort celebrating the past.

In Solvang, the Elverhøj Museum of History & Art explores the city's Danish heritage through personal stories and photographs, and the Solvang Vintage Motorcycle Museum has dozens of American, Japanese and European motorcycles.

Extend the trip a little and head west from Solvang to see the wild horses at the Return To Freedom - Wild Horse Conservation Sanctuary in Lompac. It’s about 30 minutes away.

SoCal

Explore Joshua Tree National Park

The Mojave and Colorado deserts come together at Joshua Tree National Park, named for its twisted trees and offering a fascinating variety of plants and animals. Sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain, the vast, 792,6230-acre wilderness has surreal geological features, dark skies and a rich cultural history.

Musicians from Jim Morrison to Bono have found inspiration in Joshua Tree proper, a small enclave popular with musicians and artists and the most popular entrance to the park.

Some of the highlights of the park include Skull Rock, a granite rock that, over eons of erosion, took on the appearance of a human skull with hallowed-out eye sockets.

The Desert Queen Mine Trail is a relatively easy 1-mile loop, transports hikers back to the Gold Rush. The mine was one of the most productive in the area between 1895 and 1961. An optional extension goes to Eagle Cliff Mine.

The 3-mile Ryan Mountain Trail is tougher with a steady climb to the top, but offers panoramic views that aren’t possible on the desert floor. The best times to take this hike are around sunrise and sunset, because the canyons perfectly reflect the sky and make the landscape appear purple and orange.

Get A Bird’s Eye View

Palm Springs, a laid-back city in the Sonoran Desert, is known for its hot springs and mid-century architecture. Teeming with stylish hotels, golf courses and spas, is an easy trip from Los Angeles. Its core shopping district along Palm Canyon Drive has vintage boutiques, interior design shops and restaurants.

Once you’re there, park the car and take the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, which travels over 2½ miles of cliffs on Chino Canyon to the pristine wilderness of Mt. San Jacinto State Park. The 10-minute journey offers spectacular views of the valley floor and ends at Mountain Station, where there are a couple of restaurants, observation decks, a natural history museum, two documentary theaters, a gift shop and more than 50 miles of hiking trails.

Also, take a 2-mile hike to the Tahquitz Canyon waterfall in Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians reservation. The Palm Springs Air Museum is a living history museum featuring World War II and combat aircraft from the wars in Korea and Vietnam. The than 40 flyable and stationary planes include everything from the B-17 flying fortress to the F-4 fighter jet. It’ll cost you and the schedule is limited, but flights are available aboard a half-dozen warbirds, including the C-47 Skytrain and P-51 Mustang.

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Take In A Pink Sunset In Ojai

Ojai in Ventura County is famous for its pink sunsets and is home to The Ojai, the oldest amateur tennis event of its kind in the United States. The small town of about 8,000 residents about 15 miles inland from the Pacific Coast has a walkable downtown village with shops, restaurants and Ojai Valley Museum, which has an exhibition hall inside a historic former church, St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.

There are plenty of outdoor activities, including Jeep adventure tours, golf, tennis, camping, fishing, horseback riding and hiking. The area is teeming with farmers markets and stands featuring fresh produce, including the Ojai Pixie Tangerine, and other citrus fruits. The Mediterranean climate makes Ojai a prime avocado growing area as well.

You never know what might be going on in Libbey Park, from the Ojai Storytelling Festival to Art in the Park to the Ojai Lavender Festival. The acclaimed Ojai Music Festival every June brings together the world’s great conductors, composers and performers. Libbey Bowl also hosts multiple concerts throughout the year.