Southern California Road trip in southern california

[ArielseekingEric]

Trying to plan a week road trip with a friend to Southern California. Thinking of flying into San Diego staying for a few days then driving up to Orange County and flying home from Los Angeles. Any thoughts on what to do. I am getting overwhelmed. Want to go to San Diego zoo and possibly Temecula for the wineries. Looking for decent reasonable places to stay, things to do. Thanks.

 

[sonnyjane]

Trying to plan a week road trip with a friend to Southern California. Thinking of flying into San Diego staying for a few days then driving up to Orange County and flying home from Los Angeles. Any thoughts on what to do. I am getting overwhelmed. Want to go to San Diego zoo and possibly Temecula for the wineries. Looking for decent reasonable places to stay, things to do. Thanks.

Usually when I think of a "road trip" I think of a long distance trip with stops along the way. San Diego to LA is only about two hours, so were you thinking of heading up the coast and stopping along the way or just having a home-base that you return to each night after visiting local attractions?

 

[ArielseekingEric]

I was originally thinking of San Diego to San Francisco napa valley, but wanted to spend time doing touristy things along the way. Also want some beach/downtime. Don't need to have every moment planned but wanted to book hotels before we left.

 

[sonnyjane]

I was originally thinking of San Diego to San Francisco napa valley, but wanted to spend time doing touristy things along the way. Also want some beach/downtime. Don't need to have every moment planned but wanted to book hotels before we left.

I would stick with your plan to do a week and maybe fly home from SF instead of LA. That is if you want to do the scenic Rt. 1 drive that everyone comes to CA to "road trip". If you want to just come to San Diego for a week vacation, that's completely possible too, I guess I'm just still trying to figure out what you'd prefer.

By "touristy" would you include amusement attractions like the zoo, Disney, Universal, etc. or just landmarks and stuff? In San Diego I'd do La Jolla Cove for sure, if you DO go to Napa then you could skip Temecula. Santa Monica pier and Hollywood (but just for half a day) in LA. Santa Barbara. Hearst Castle and elephant seals in San Simeon. You could to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, then up to SF and do touristy Alcatraz and stuff.

If you just wanted to stick around San Diego/Orange County/LA then you could do La Jolla, Temecula, beach day on Coronado or La Jolla, Long Beach Aquarium, Santa Monica, Hollywood for a quick stop of sites, etc. With that plan you could take the 1 up the coast for a bit (it starts 60 miles south of LA), but you won't get the same vistas you would if you kept following it north.

Basically just depends on if you want to do the "famous" drive up the coast or just want to turn it into an SD/LA vacation.

 

[Purrkins]

I was originally thinking of San Diego to San Francisco napa valley, but wanted to spend time doing touristy things along the way. Also want some beach/downtime. Don't need to have every moment planned but wanted to book hotels before we left.

Like National Parks? Lots to see in CA, from San Diego heading north to LA -

Joshua Tree

From LA to San Francisco -

Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Pinnacles and Yosemite (ok, technically North of SF).

But driving to these destinations is mostly long flat boring farmland driving.

The 1 is considered by many to be the definitive "Road Trip" - and worth the drive.

I could see

San Diego to Disneyland, Disneyland to San Luis Obispo (to see Hearst Castle), SLO to Monterrey for the Aquarium and Point Lobos, Monterrey to San Francisco, San Francisco to Napa and then Napa to Oakland for your departure.

Another cool road is old highway 395 which takes you from Hesperia through the desert and into the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

Man, now I want a roadtrip...

 

[ski_mom]

The 1 is considered by many to be the definitive "Road Trip" - and worth the drive.

I could see

San Diego to Disneyland, Disneyland to San Luis Obispo (to see Hearst Castle), SLO to Monterrey for the Aquarium and Point Lobos, Monterrey to San Francisco, San Francisco to Napa and then Napa to Oakland for your departure.


Man, now I want a roadtrip...

Is there a way to see any sequoias on the 1 road trip? We're planning on driving that way, but would love to see sequoias as part of our trip.

Thanks!

 

[usnuzuloose]

Temecula is way out of the way. San Diego is great for enjoying the beach. Napa has just nice winery's as teem ulna and not get off the beaten path. They have gallo, berringer. They have Zinfandel , char dooney. These are considered the finest wineries in napa.

 

[ArielseekingEric]

Now I'm thinking flying in and out of San Diego. Maybe spending 3 days in San Diego area and 3 days in the Dana point/Newport beach area. Any affordable hotels out there with possibly ocean view or close to beaches?

 

[Purrkins]

Is there a way to see any sequoias on the 1 road trip? We're planning on driving that way, but would love to see sequoias as part of our trip.

Thanks!

There is a grove in Monterrey County but I believe requires some back country hiking.

If you're heading up the 1 see Point Lobos for nature. It's a fair trade off.