Two Epic California Road Trips
At Service King Park Cities in Dallas, TX, we hope that maybe someday you will be able to experience one or both of these incredible California road trips:
Explore the Pacific Coast Highway (8 hours/475 miles): Known as California’s most popular road trip of all time, the iconic Pacific Coast Highway (also known by many as Route 101) offers a little piece of everything that’s made the Golden State special.
To take this journey, you must exit Los Angeles early in the day to beat the crazy morning rush-hour traffic and make stops in natural hippie haven, Ojai, and the symbolic west coast beach town of Santa Barbara. Then it’s on to San Luis Obispo (SLO) where you can spend the afternoon sipping on some artisanal craft beers, doing a little wine tasting, exploring the bizarre Bubble Gum Alley or hiking throughout the nearby nature reserves.
Check out Hearst Castle on your way out of SLO before hitting the southern starting point of legendary Big Sur. Here the road winds along the celebrated California cliffs with astounding views of sites such as the Bixby Bridge, the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park & McWay Falls, Rettig Round and Garrapata State Park.
After soaking up Big Sur, spend 1-2 days in Monterey exploring the Old Fisherman’s Wharf, quaint seaside villages such as Carmel-by-the-Sea, and wandering on down to Cannery Row. Finish this road trip in San Francisco, the City By the Bay, where the funky cool culture, shopping, and beautiful architecture will keep you captivated for days.
From San Diego, California all the way to Joshua Tree National Park (2.5 hours/64 miles) : Leaving sunny San Diego behind is never easy, so consider a few stops on your way out before embarking on the open road. Enjoy a brisk morning hike in La Jolla’s Torrey Pines or shop the thrift shops and dine on creative vegetarian bites in Encinitas. After these San Diego pit stops, head east towards the Joshua Tree National Park.
Stop in little Temecula, San Diego’s premier wine-tasting destination, and then treat yourself to a luxurious day in stress-free Desert Hot Springs, soaking in those hot mineral water pools or indulging in spa treatments. Then it’s onto the grand finale – Joshua Tree National Park, featuring plenty of long walks and drives within the park that showcase all of Joshua Tree’s bizarre rock formations, other-worldly landscapes, and stunning pink-sky sunsets.
Spend a few days and nights here stargazing, rock climbing, camping, horseback riding, or mountain biking one of the nation’s most revered National Parks.
Service King Park Cities in Dallas, TX 75209
Sources: Sunset and AAA
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