California Dreamin': 10 ideas for your next road trip to The Golden State
Photo Tim Mossholder / Unsplash
“Driving in the sun, Looking out for number one, California here we come.” (Phantom Planet, California, 2002)
From Hollywood to the streets of San Francisco, to the Baywatch beaches, snow-capped mountain peaks and arid desert, The Golden State is road trip nirvana. Whether you’re after hipster hotspots, quirky pit stops, venerable vistas or just great driving roads check out Detour’s California collection before you plan your ultimate West Coast adventure.
Photo Alex Bernstein
Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway
This 600-mile coastal drive from San Francisco to San Diego is one for the bucket list. Starting like Steve McQueen in Bullitt you pass by motoring Meccas Laguna Seca and Pebble Beach and the drama of Big Sur where giant redwood trees overshadow the craggy coast. Through cool coastal towns like San Luis Obispo you’ll travel, before reaching the outskirts of L.A. If the bright lights of Sunset Boulevard or the tanned bodies on the beaches of Orange County don’t tempt you then you’ll continue carry on to San Diego and the end of the road. Find out more.
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Embrace the madness at the Madonna Inn
With its Alpine chalet exterior and its Romance room and Caveman suite the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo is one of America’s most eccentric motels. Each of the 110 rooms is individually-themed, and a far cry from your average Motel 6. Find out more.
Photo Nik Berg
Bag Brunch at Duke’s
Duke’s of Malibu sits in an envious location right at the edge of the Pacific ocean where its namesake Duke Paoa Kahanamoku brought surfing to the West Coast. The Sunday brunch is hugely popular for good reason, but it’s also the perfect spot for a romantic sundown dinner. Find out more.
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Tame The Snake
The Mulholland Highway which winds its way through the Santa Monica Mountains is known locally as “The Snake”. It’s a great place for car spotting as enthusiasts head up here to escape the Interstates and take on its challenging 20 miles of tricky twists and turns. Find out more.
Photo Isaac Garcia / Unsplash
Get your ‘Gram on at Grimes Canyon
California 23 at Grimes Canyon is one of the most photogenic roads in the state. It’s as dramatic to drive as it is to shoot and, although it’s just a few miles from the millionaires of Malibu it feels like a world away. Find out more.
Time travel on Route 33
Driving California 33 is like taking a step back to the 1950s. Over 170 miles it meanders through an almost empty landscape. It’s also where James Dean met his end, so drive safely! Find out more.
Photo Stephen Leonardi / Unsplash
Admire the artworks at Anza-Borrego
Giant metal dinosaurs, lizards, serpents and sheep are among 130 sculptures dotted around Galleta Meadows Estate in Anza-Borrego. There’s also plenty of real wildlife to watch in this beautifully barren wilderness. Find out more.
Photo Hassan Saleh / Unsplash
Celebrate the strange at Salvation Mountain
This bizarre man-made mountain in the desert outside Nilan was the vision of local artist Leonard Knight who began building a small monument in 1984 that spiralled in size to this multi-storey mayhem. Find out more.
Photo Spencer Davis / Unsplash
Sense the speed at Mrs Orcutt’s Driveway
Just about half way between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, not far from Barstow in the Mojave desert is a long-abandoned stretch of road that acquired legendary status with American drag racers. It was here on Mrs Orcutt’s arrow-straight driveway that magazine road testers and speed freaks accelerated to over 200 mph. Find out more.
Photo Pietro de Grandi / Unsplash
Feel the heat in Death Valley
It’s the hottest place on the planet, so make sure your car’s air conditioning is at full strength before crossing the spectacular salt flats of Death Valley. It’s 160 miles from Olancha to Pahrump in blistering heat with just the road for company as few living creatures can survive the temperatures. Find out more.