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From the redwoods to the deserts
Find your road trip inspiration in California
Soaring redwoods, crashing surf, deserts, big cities, and small towns – no matter what type of road trip you are looking for, California has everything you need to make that dream a reality. Set the GPS for “Go!” and head for Big Sur and Santa Barbara, Mount Shasta and Mammoth Lakes, San Francisco and Palm Springs. There are memorable road trips throughout the Golden State, from food and wine to outdoor adventure. Discover where the road leads!
Heading south from the tree-studded Redwood Coast to celebrity-studded Malibu, this greatest-hits road trip covers some of California’s most photo-worthy territory. Allow plenty of time for beach-walking, wine-tasting, tree-admiring, and scenery-gazing along the way – you’ll want to squeeze the most from every bucket-list stop.
Itinerary:
Leggett • Mendocino • Bodega Bay • Marshall • Napa • Shaver Lake • Mammoth Lakes • Lone Pine • Cantil • Malibu
Trip highlights:
- Drive through the Chandelier Tree in Drive-Thru Tree Park
- Picnic on the beach underneath the 100-foot-high Russian Gulch Bridge and hike to Russian Gulch Falls
- Enjoy fish and chips at Bodega Bay and a walk along Sonoma Coast State Park
- Order oysters prepared every which way at The Marshall Store
- Visit some of the more than 400 wineries in Napa
- Stop at Shaver Lake, a sapphire gem in the granite-studded Sierra Nevada Mountains
- See Mammoth Lakes' volcanic forces in real time at Hot Creek Geologic Site
- Visit Old Western film locations and stop at The Museum of Western Film History in Alabama Hills
- Marvel at carved petroglyphs in the vividly colored cliffs at Red Rock Canyon State Park
- Stroll along Malibu's 30-mile stretch of postcard-perfect Southern California coast
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Relive your favorite cinematic memories in this journey that begins in Los Angeles and includes desert and mountain stops.
Itinerary:
Los Angeles • Palm Springs • Pioneer Town • Death Valley National Park • Lone Pine • Mammoth Lakes
Trip Highlights:
- See the iconic domed buildings of the Griffith Observatory
- Take a trip up Angels Flight, the historic funicular seen in La La Land
- Drive through Greater Palm Springs, one of Hollywood’s favorite filming spots
- Walk through the rustic structures of Pioneer Town and stay for dinner and a show
- View Death Valley National Park's mountain-size sand dunes and salt flats
- Stop at the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine and grab a film-set map for a self-guided tour through the Alabama Hills
- Hike near (or up!) Mammoth Mountain, which was used in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
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Head north from San Francisco to experience solitude and a slower pace of life, with stops in Point Reyes, Mendocino, and Trinidad.
Itinerary:
San Francisco • Inverness • Mendocino • Fort Bragg • Humboldt Redwoods State Park • Trinidad • Redwood National & State Parks • Crescent City
Trip Highlights:
- Pedal bikes across the Golden Gate Bridge and enjoy Michelin-starred dining in San Francisco
- Walk along Point Reyes National Seashore with its remarkable wildlife, deep forests, dramatic sea cliffs, and remote beaches.
- Stroll the charming streets of Mendocino and pop in shops selling local artwork, then take a walk along the bluffs
- Take a ride on the Skunk Train in Fort Bragg, which chugs into the redwood forests and visits Glass Beach, a rainbow of sea glass at MacKerricher State Park
- Drive down the 31-mile-long Avenue of the Giants
- Stay in Trinidad, one of Northern California’s prettiest villages, and go kayaking in Trinidad Bay
- Consider a guided horseback ride in Redwood National & State Parks
- See the sea lions and visit Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City
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Steer your car to these tony boutiques, high-end open-air malls, factory outlets, and specialty stores.
Itinerary:
San Diego • Solana Beach • Costa Mesa • Santa Monica • Beverly Hills • Ontario • Palm Springs Palm Desert
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
- Spend all day at Westfield UTC browsing the 150-plus shops and eating and drinking your way around the beautiful grounds.
- Explore the beachy neighborhood of Solana Beach which is dotted with vibrant specialty shops.
- Costa Mesa offers 250 boutiques and 30 restaurants, ranging from the casual eats at Marugame Udon, to the more formal Seasons 52.
- Check out the Third Street Promenade’s colorful street performers and shops brimming with collectibles in Santa Monica.
- Shop at Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive. which is is the pinnacle of luxury shopping experiences.
- California’s largest outlet shopping destination – 1 million square feet! – Ontario Mills houses 200 stores (and counting).
- Dig through the Uptown Design District’s time-capsule shops for retro furnishings and clothing in Palm Springs.
- Shop for art in El Paseo, which is home to one of the largest concentrations of art galleries in Southern California.
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Soak up the sun as you head up the coast, making time for stops in places such as Malibu, Oxnard, and Ventura.
Itinerary:
Santa Monica • Oxnard • Ventura • Santa Barbara • Lompoc • Pismo Beach • Avila Beach • San Luis Obispo
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS:
- Hang out on Santa Monica's broad beach or lively Santa Monica Pier (complete with its own amusement park)
- Take a catamaran to visit craggy Anacapa Island in Oxnard
- Relax in Ventura and enjoy its microbreweries, smart eateries, cool clothes boutiques, and live music scene
- Sip wine in Santa Barbara and stroll down State Street for excellent shops and dining
- Take some time to discover the 40 wineries on the Lompoc Wine Trail
- Dine on chowder as you watch the shimmering turquoise waters of Pismo Beach, a charming, vintage beach town
- Peruse Avila Beach's shops, bistros, and winetasting rooms and go for a walk on the Bob Jones Trail
- Enjoy live music, downtown art galleries, and the nuanced food and wine scene of San Luis Obispo
Connect with your Virtuoso travel advisor to plan this trip
Taking the northern California route? Don’t miss the Chandelier Tree in Leggett, where you can drive right through a 315-foot-tall Sequoia sempervirens with a 70-foot circumference.
