Pacific Southwest Road Trips

This twisting, turning route is full of sights, sounds, smells and tastes found nowhere else in the world. Delighting your senses are mint-infused eucalyptus groves, the sounds of waves and the resplendent beauty of Wine Country’s rolling hills. Here the oenophile (and everyone else) can sip on fine wines and enjoy everything else the region has to offer.

The beautifully stark Mojave Desert serves as backdrop for most of this Route 66 journey through the Golden State. From the outskirts of metro Los Angeles to one-horse desert towns, you'll alternate between vintage two-lane sections of the Mother Road and modern highways I-15 and I-40. Now that you're hip, get set to take that California trip.

Wind-swept sand dunes. Otherworldly badlands. Serpentine stone canyons. The geologic wonders of Death Valley National Park lie within a day's drive of L.A. And this road trip loop offers the chance to see them all—from the lofty peaks of the Panamint Range to the lowest spot in North America (Badwater Basin). In summer, brace for blistering heat.

From Lee Vining, SR 120 climbs some 3,000 feet within 12 miles; the panoramic views at 9,945-foot Tioga Pass are dizzying. The summer display of wildflowers at Tuolumne Meadows, surrounded by lofty peaks, is spectacular. Tenaya Lake's clear blue waters are another postcard-perfect sight. Weather depending, the road is usually open late May-early November.

CR S22, the Borrego Salton Seaway, branches west off SR 86 at Salton City and heads into the heart of the Borrego Badlands, with the rugged Santa Rosa Mountains providing an impressive backdrop. If you have a 4WD vehicle, take the sandy, rutted turnoff road that leads to Font's Point; the vast vista of ridges, hills and arroyos is breathtaking, especially at sunset.

Travelers relish striking vistas of glittering Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada, with several scenic outlooks just past Incline Village. Alpine skiers flock here in winter, while boaters ply the clear waters in summer. The drive winds past Diamond Peak ski resort, reaching its highest elevation at 8,900-foot Mount Rose, then meanders down through high-desert terrain.

From the information center at Clear Creek on SR 2, Angeles Forest Scenic Highway (CR N3) ascends the weathered slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains, characterized by streams tucked away in steep canyons and rocky hills cloaked in chaparral. Picnic areas and trailheads line the highway, which crosses the Pacific Crest Trail at Mill Creek Summit, the route’s highest point.

Once past the San Francisco city limits, I-280 quickly leaves big-city bustle behind for more bucolic views. You’ll see rolling hills—tawny gold in the summer, exuberantly green following the winter rainy season—punctuated by broad, flat valleys. It’s a peaceful contrast to the heavily industrialized, densely populated eastern side of the peninsula.

Entering Yosemite National Park from the south, two-lane Wawona Scenic Road winds through dense forest, passing the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. Emerging from a tunnel miles later, the byway dramatically reveals a spectacular view of Yosemite Valley with Bridalveil Fall close at hand and the granite hulks of El Capitan and Half Dome in the distance.