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The top 10 things to do on a Pacific Coast Highway road trip along Route 1 in California

An aerial view of Bixby Canyon Bridge in Big Sur, California

By AAA staff

Published February 29, 2020 Last updated: June 30, 2023

You can’t go wrong in the scenery department along the California coast. 

Ideally you’d have the time to drive all of it, from the Tijuana estuary to the redwood rainforest up at the Oregon border. For a bowl-you-over sampler, though, it’s hard to beat State Route 1’s reach between Malibu and Monterey, which gives you not only stunning front-row seats to one of the world’s great oceanfronts but also a taste for the subtle transition between Southern California and the Central Coast.

A map of California Route 1 between Malibu and Carmel

Our recommended route

California State Route 1—certain portions of which are officially called the Pacific Coast Highway, more broadly treated as a rough synonym for all of Route 1—covers some 660 miles between Interstate 5 in Orange County and U.S. 101 in Mendocino County in the north. Our suggested 1- or 2-night road trip from Malibu north to Monterey accounts for about 320 miles, or roughly half the total length.

When to drive it

Given the Mediterranean climate on the route, there’s not really a bad time to cruise the Pacific Coast Highway. Summer’s the dry season with frequent fog, while a winter drive might see some rain, but the beauty of this coast shines through no matter what.

In late winter, by the way, you’ve got a good chance of spotting migrating gray whales from coastal overlooks.

Things to see & do

Exterior of the Mission San Buenaventura.

Ventura gets its name from the Mission San Buenaventura, founded in 1782. Today, you can tour the mission for free, and enjoy lunch across the street at El Zarape Cafe.

Enjoy one of the coast’s iconic beachfronts, a springboard to Channel Islands National Park (which has its mainland headquarters here), and check out the historic Mission San Buenaventura (1782) and Olivas Adobe (1837).

The mission is one of the original 21 established by Franciscan priests in California. Today, the church and a small museum are open for visitors, with the museum containing Chumash Indian artifacts as well as vestments, sacred vessels, books, and other items from the early mission days. The Olivas Adobe is a two-story, 1837 Monterey-style adobe house displaying period furnishings and handicrafts reminiscent of the early California rancho period. Max Fleischmann, known for Fleischmann's Yeast, was the house's last owner. 

2. Santa Barbara

Sample fabulous wines from the Santa Ynez Valley and other Central Coast appellations in the tasting rooms of Santa Barbara, the gorgeous and sun-splashed “American Riviera.” The city—dreamily nestled between the bold front of the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific—also includes a signature Route 1 historical landmark, Mission Santa Barbara, as well as the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and a famously wide-spreading Moreton Bay fig.

If you’ve got some extra time, use Santa Barbara as a launch pad for the Santa Ynez Valley wine country on the other side of the mountains, and soak up the Danish Charm of Solvang.

The Pismo Beach Pier.

The Pismo Beach Pier reopened in 2018 after renovations and is a great spot to watch surfers.

3. Pismo Beach

Stroll or cast a line from the Pismo Pier, watch the surfers, and—if the season is right—marvel at the thousands of monarch butterflies that overwinter at Pismo State Beach. From late November through February, thousands of migrating monarchs alight on Pismo Beach's Butterfly Trees, a grove of Monterey pines and eucalyptus right next to Highway 1. 

If you have some extra time, consider a visit to nearby Avila Beach to tour the historic Point San Luis Lighthouse and visit the farmers market in the spring and summer. A free trolley service runs between Pismo and Avila on Fridays and weekends from May to early September.

4. San Luis Obispo

Fall under the charm of downtown San Luis Obispo, centered on the Mission San Luis Obispo De Tolosa. The nearby Mission Plaza, a developed wooded creek and urban oasis, offers events throughout the year, including a free concert series every Friday at 5 p.m., mid-June to early September. Just steps away, if you can stomach it, is Bubblegum Alley, an urban canyon of dried gum that dates to at least the 1950s.

Farther north, visitors can take a guided tour of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or hike the scenic peaks that overlook it.

Morro Rock with seagulls and boats in the foreground

Morro Rock towers over Morro Bay and can be seen from miles away.

5. Morro Rock

(Morro Bay)

A defining landmark of the Central Coast, this 580-foot haystack rock overlooking the Morro Bay beachfront is the last in a line of volcanic cones and buttes marching seaward from Islay Hill: the evocative Nine Sisters, also called the Morros.

Head to Morro Bay State Park to climb Black Hill, one of the other Nine Sisters; go bird watching in the marshes; and visit the park's Museum of Natural History. Later, see Morro Rock in a new light with a sunset boat tour of the bay.

On your way north from Morro Bay, stop into the charming town of Cayucos to sample the Brown Butter Cookie Company's famous shortbread cookies, an excellent culinary keepsake to bring home. 

6. Hearst Castle

(San Simeon)

Check out the grandiose mansion of bigwig publisher William Randolph Hearst, designed by architect Julia Morgan and host in its heyday to a who’s-who of Hollywood elite, including Charlie Chaplin, Greto Garbo, and Clark Cable. And heads up, movie buffs: Hearst Castle served as inspiration for Charles Foster Kane’s Xanadu estate in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane.

Visitors can make reservations to visit the castle through California State Parks system , which offers a variety of daily tours that focus on different parts of the castle's history.

Elephant seals at Piedras Blancas.

Elephant seals gather at Piedras Blancas year-round, with the number of seals depending on the time of year.

7. Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery

Enormous and eccentric-looking elephant seals gather here to rest, mate, and raise their young. Seals are present year-round, but more of them can be seen in these key seasons:

  • December to February : Pregnant females give birth to pups, while older males fight for dominance in impressive (and loud) displays.
  • April to May: Adult females collect on the beach to molt, shedding their old skin and hair for a new layer while basking in the sun.
  • September to November : Known as the fall "haul-out," this period sees lots of younger seals return to the beach after months at sea.

McWay Falls in Big Sur.

Easily among the most celebrated seacoasts in the world, Big Sur sees steep mountains—the Santa Lucias—plunge dramatically to surf-licked headlands and coves. Cross the iconic ravine-spanning Bixby Bridge, see McWay Falls dive directly into the brine, wander Sand Dollar and other world-class beaches, and hike into the interior backcountry of the Ventana Wilderness.

Camping in Big Sur is a classic vacation, but be aware that reservations for campsites typically require reservations that are booked up months in advance. Inns like the Big Sur Lodge also book quickly.

RELATED ARTICLE: 3 wonderful days on a Big Sur road trip

The Butterfly House in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Carmel-by-the-Sea boasts many architecturally significant homes, including the famous “Butterfly House” built in 1950.

9. Carmel-by-the-Sea

Dig into the history of this fabled arts colony—not least at the dramatic stonework of poet Robinson Jeffers’ Tor House and Hawk Tower—and get your boutique- and gallery-hopping on.

To soak in the sights, take a walk down Scenic Road, which boasts the broad white sand Carmel Beach on one side and some of Carmel's most beautiful homes on the other. More rugged vistas are available to the south at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, home to the iconic Monterey cypress. 

Fish and kelp in an aquarium at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

10. Monterey

End your road trip with a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of the world’s best, where you can learn about the unique kelp forests that line much of the coast you’ve just driven along. Another good place to stretch your legs after all that driving is Pacific Grove, just north of Monterey, where you can go for a romantic stroll along the rugged shore.

Possible detours/add-on destinations

If you’ve got some extra time, use Santa Barbara as a launch pad for the Santa Ynez Valley wine country on the other side of the mountains, and soak up the Danish charm of Solvang.

Channel Islands National Park, only accessible by boat, presents stunning offshore scenery and unique ecology.

Where to stay

  • Mar Monte Hotel  ( 1111 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara) Recently renovated and located across from the beach, this upscale Spanish Colonial-style hotel with a AAA Three Diamond designation offers ocean- and mountain-view units, many with private patios or balconies. 
  • Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa  (2727 Shell Beach Rd., Pismo Beach) This AAA Four Diamond hotel enjoys a ravishing bluff-top setting; some units offer direct beach access.
  • Wayside Inn   (7th Ave & Mission Street, Carmel-by-the-Sea) Kick back in downtown Carmel with AAA Three Diamond accommodations at the Wayside Inn, which treats its guests to daily homemade biscuits and breakfast delivered to their rooms.

Where to eat

  • Stella Mare’s   (50 Los Patos Way, Santa Barbara) This Three Diamond bistro, built in 1879, has attractive decor and provides diners with delicious and creative cuisine. Sit outside on the shady patio, which provides views of a bird sanctuary and walking path. 
  • Madeline’s Restaurant  (788 Main Street, Cambria) This warm, welcoming Three Diamond restaurant serves up everything from garlic mashed potatoes to Louisiana seafood gumbo.
  • Nepenthe  (48510 CA-1, Big Sur) This casual clifftop restaurant has become its own Big Sur landmark, beloved for its unbeatable backdrop.

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My Favorite Road Trip: California’s Giant Redwoods

Forest bathing among giant redwoods.

Take a road trip with AAA Washington’s Jeanine Ollivier Rollins from her home in Seattle to Humboldt County, California, to walk and ‘forest bathe’ among the giant redwoods. Read why a calming walk in nature is one of her favorite ways to spend her vacation.

Sometimes you just want to feel small.

That’s why AAA Member Travel Counselor Jeanine Ollivier Rollins recommends visiting the forests of giant redwoods in northern California. Rollins, who has lived and traveled widely in the United States, says visiting nature is the most refreshing of experiences.

“I have been on most of the major interstates and roads in the United States,” says Rollins. “But one that’s closest to my heart because of where I grew up is the northern California redwoods along Highway 101.”

The region is one of the most unique in the world, she says. The route goes like this: Travelers can depart via Interstate 5 from, say, Seattle, and head south into Oregon. Then they can pick up Highway 199 by Grant’s Pass and head west to connect with Highway 101 near Crescent City in California.

“It’s extremely scenic,” Rollins says. “You can look at the elk herds everywhere. There’s also Fern Canyon. You also pass through Jedediah Smith State Park, where they filmed ‘Return of the Jedi.’”

Jeanine Ollivier Rollins in Klamath

Bathed in Redwoods

Rollins quotes the Japanese term “forest bathing” to describe a walk among the redwoods, which can grow upwards of 300 feet tall. A person is bathed in the sights and smells of the old growth while surrounded by the mist and moisture of the forest.

“Redwood trees are majestic,” Rollins says. “They make you feel like this little-bitty person.”

It takes around 10 hours to drive from Seattle to northern California, but Rollins and her husband like to “dilly-dally.” They often stop at Grants’ Pass in Oregon to spend the night before heading out on the rest of the journey to the redwood hubs. And for those who enjoy oysters, Rollins says, you’re in for a treat.

“As a kid growing up in Humboldt County,” she says, “I had to learn all the different types of trees in history class. We learned about the ecosystem in the area. For example, there are Kumamoto Oysters, I just love those little pillowy oysters from Humboldt Bay.”

To get to the national parks, Rollins says travelers can take an RV, traditional cars or even motorcycles. There are a few dicey areas along the drive between the border of Washington and Oregon, but if one is careful there should be no problem traversing them. And while travelers may not want to plan to take their RVs too far into the parks, there are plenty of mild hikes that go deeper into the woods.

“You can take your time,” Rollins says. “There are lots of pull-off areas, trails that are easily walkable to go see ferns as big as you are and trees of massive size.”

One favorite of Rollins is Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. It is a little lesser known than its southern counterpart in Humboldt County, offering a bit of “the road less traveled,” Rollins says. Visitors can venture there year-round — including January and February when the weather is mild and sunny. Rollins likes to go in spring when the azalais and rhododendrons are in bloom.

“This is one place I can go where I feel I can unwind,” she says. “I don’t need a five-star resort. I like to go back to nature and see the ocean, walk through the forests and enjoy the rivers. You’re surrounded by water and greenery. It’s very calming. I feel my most free when I’m out on the open road.”

–Written by Jake Uitti –Top photo is of giant redwood trees at Jedediah Smith State Park. By Lance/AdobeStock

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HERE’S YOUR ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP CHECKLIST, FROM THE BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY TO ROUTE 66 AND BEYOND

April 15, 2024 | 7 min read.

Erica Bray

Road trips invite a sense of freedom and openness for spontaneity that structured group tour vacations simply cannot emulate. You’re able to move at your own pace, stopping and going as you please—and those stops along the way often lead to chance encounters that ultimately become precious souvenir memories.

Ready to make some road trip memories of your own? Here is a curated collection of road trips across the USA that may inspire your next adventure.

Route 66 mural

HISTORIC ROUTE 66 Where: Chicago, IL, to Santa Monica, CA Distance: 2,448 miles Time Needed: 10 days to 2 weeks. If you’re pressed for time, you could also focus on shorter chunks of the famous drive, i.e. Albuquerque to Santa Monica or Chicago to Oklahoma City.

Route 66 is one of the world’s most popular bucket-list road trips—for good reason. Once upon a time the Mother Road served as the main artery of travel to the West, and that legacy lives on in the form of beloved relics sprinkled throughout the drive, such as Roy’s Motel & Cafe and Tower Conoco & U-Drop Inn Café . As Route 66 weaves through eight states and some 200 small towns, you’ll be exposed historic, folksy, quirky, and haunting slices of Americana, each one begging you to stop and explore. You’ll also experience diverse geography—plains, mesas, mountains, desert, and forest—plus natural treasures such as the Painted Desert and the Grand Canyon (an easy side-trip).

Overseas bridge in Key West, FL

THE OVERSEAS HIGHWAY Where: Florida – Miami to Key West Distance: 166 miles Time Needed: This 4-hour drive (without stops) deserves at least 4 days. Even better: Extend your road trip to a few weeks to truly sink into island time.

Turn up the Jimmy Buffet tunes while making the drive from Miami to Key West. The highway that connects mainland Florida to the far-flung Keys is an engineering marvel that stretches across open ocean into tropical paradise, no passport required. Start in Key Largo , where underwater reefs will lure you from the road to explore ocean waters by diving, snorkeling, and glass-bottom boating. End in Key West , where outlandish joie de vivre and tongue-in-cheek kitsch are colorful mainstays.

San Juan Skyway, The Million Dollar Highway

SAN JUAN SKYWAY LOOP Where: Southwestern Colorado Distance: 235 miles Time Needed: You could drive the entire loop in 6 hours, but carve out several days to sink into the beauty and history that this mountainous landscape offers.

This road trip of thrilling twists and turns fuses together an Old West pioneer spirit with spectacular mountain beauty. The drive weaves through dense forest framed by 13,000-foot peaks, stringing together mountain towns each worth an overnight stay. Among them Durango , Telluride , Silverton and Ouray (a Victorian-era mining town nicknamed “The Switzerland of America”). The canyon-clinging part of the drive between Silverton and Ouray is part of The Million Dollar Highway , nicknamed either for its costly construction or the figurative price for its stunning San Juan Mountain views.

Oregon Coast Highway 101

OREGON COAST HIGHWAY 101 Where: Portland, OR to Astoria, OR to Crescent City, CA Distance: 363 miles Time Needed: Budget at least 3 to 5 days, depending on how many stops you intend to make.

Highway 101, also known as the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway , features breathtaking views of rocky coastal formations and gorgeous beaches throughout the journey down Oregon’s coast. Aside from these postcard-perfect panoramas, attractions that beg for a stop include whale watching excursions in Depoe Bay and dune buggy tours on the Oregon Dunes in Florence. More than a dozen craft breweries dot the drive, helping to quench your thirst along the way. Tack on northern California to extend the road trip to see the Redwood forest and wine valleys north of San Francisco.

Bixby Bridge

PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY (PCH) Where: California – San Francisco to Los Angeles Total Distance: 500 miles Time Needed: This trip can be savored in the span of 3 days or stretched out over 2 weeks, especially if you opt to travel further south to San Diego.

This is the classic California road trip. Beginning at the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll wind down the PCH  to a magnificent menagerie of beauty: gorgeous vistas, seaside villages, laid-back wineries, interesting wildlife, and world-class farm-to-table and ocean-to-table dining. The opportunities for stops range from the totally breathtaking, such as exploring Big Sur , home to a majestic stretch of rocky oceanfront cliffs, coastal redwood forests and panoramic beaches, to the totally bizarre, such as adding your wad of chewed-up bubblegum to Bubblegum Alley in San Luis Obispo, a cute gateway town to Central Coast Wine Country, which boasts more than 250 wineries.

Grand Ole Opry

THE BLUES HIGHWAY Where: Nashville, TN to New Orleans, LA Total Distance: 630 miles Time Needed: Give yourself at least a week to truly savor the sights, sounds, and cuisine.

The roots of jazz, blues, soul, Cajun, zydeco, country, gospel, and rock ‘n’ roll are woven into this road trip. Start in Nashville, a.k.a. “Music City,” where more than 120 live music venues (including the legendary Grand Ole Opry ) will inspire toe-tapping to some of the country’s best talent, before heading down to Memphis, a recording launching pad for legends such as Elvis and Johnny Cash, as well as home to Graceland and some of the country’s best BBQ. The route then follows the Mississippi River and Route 61 down to New Orleans, weaving through Mississippi towns such as Tunica and Clarksdale , which produced greats like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker and where you’ll find authentic bluesmen playing in real juke joints to this day. Along with an appetite for music, bring an appetite for food: southern culinary delights await, from fried catfish and crawfish to biscuits and beignets.

Bay Harbor, Maine

COASTAL MAINE Where:  Boston, MA to Bar Harbor, ME Total Distance: 275 miles Time Needed: Give yourself 3 to 7 days to savor this New England experience.

Lobsters, lighthouses, and loads of quaint seaside hamlets await you on this journey up the coast from Boston to Acadia National Park . New England towns like Kennebunkport, Portland, Camden, and Bar Harbor are just a few gems to visit along this route. Enjoy stunning fall foliage by timing the drive for autumn, when the forests that hug Maine’s coastline explode into brilliant hues of red, orange, and gold. If you can add the Schoodic National Scenic Parkway , a 95-mile roundtrip loop from Bar Harbor, you’ll be rewarded with uncrowded coastal views in a much quieter part of Acadia National Park.

Canyonlands National Park

THE LAS VEGAS LOOP Where: Roundtrip from Las Vegas through Arizona, Utah, Nevada Total Distance: 1,100 miles Time Needed: This 19-hour loop deserves at least a week of vacation time.

Sin City is a launching pad to a road trip filled with national park adventures. Spend time exploring the otherworldly geological formations and red-hued canyon trails of national parks such as Zion National Park ,  Arches National Park , and Canyonlands National Park  before returning to neon and glitz of Las Vegas for world-class cuisine, entertainment—and perhaps a spa day to soothe tired muscles and feet.

Fog over the Great Smokey Mountains National Park

BLUE RIDGE PARKWAY Where: Virginia & North Carolina – Waynesboro, VA, to Cherokee, NC (although many use the cities of Charlottesville and Asheville as start and end points, respectively) Total Distance: 469 miles Give yourself at least 3 to 5 days—more if you plan to spend substantial time exploring the national parks.

This road trip connects two national treasures, Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park . The winding blacktop follows the backbone of the Appalachian Mountains, a.k.a. the Blue Ridge, through the forests of western Virginia and North Carolina. On this slow meander (the speed limit is mostly 45 mph), you’ll encounter dramatic viewpoints of misty mountaintops, roaring waterfalls, and curious rock formations. Hiking opportunities abound, as does the chance to learn about Appalachian heritage at stops such as the Blue Ridge Music Center and Folk Art Center . With a melody of banjos, fiddles and guitars as your soundtrack, consider visiting this Smoky Mountain attraction founded by the region’s most beloved musical heroine: Dollywood .

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  1. AAA Road Trip Planning

    AAA road trip resources. No one knows road trips better than AAA. For more than 100 years, AAA Travel has been helping members get where they want to go—from weekend getaways to cross-country road trips. ... California sectional maps are available for Northern California, Central California, Coast and Valley, Southern California, Southern ...

  2. 5 Classic California Road Trips

    This pirate-themed resort opened in 2009 atop 1,100 acres of Colorado riverfront near the California-Arizona state line. A far cry from the accommodations of yesterday's Route 66ers, Pirate Cove's 2-story, loft-style cabins and campsites overlook the Colorado River and the marina inlet, where you'll find water play and off-road activities.

  3. Affordable California road trips

    Drive from San Diego: 12-13 hours. For the ambitious road-tripper, the town of Eureka awaits on California's North Coast. It's about as far from San Francisco as Big Sur is from Los Angeles, so this is no mere daytrip, but a visit offers a trip back in time to California's 19th-century colonial past.

  4. AAA Road Trips

    The AAA Road Trip planner provides detailed drive trips across North America. The road trip routes feature AAA inspected hotels and restaurants and must see attractions along the way. ... TourBooks Travel Tips & Articles AAA TRAVEL GUIDES AAA Vacations. AAA Road Trips. The open road can be a fun and exciting place, and who better to help you ...

  5. AAA TripTik®

    American Automobile Association. Please enter your home ZIP Code so we can direct you to the correct AAA club's website. AAA is a federation of independent clubs throughout the United States and Canada. Use a AAA TripTik to plan your next road trip. TripTiks are available to AAA members online, in a branch, or through the Auto Club App.

  6. Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

    Road Trip. California's SR 1, also called the Pacific Coast Highway, is one of the most scenic drives in the nation. Stunning ocean vistas all but define this coastal route. Don't drive SR 1 if you're in a hurry (that's what I-5 is for). Most of this nearly 656-mile-long roadway is two lanes, narrow and winding, which means you'll want to slow ...

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    Laid-back beach towns. Coastal bluffs. The Anza-Borrego desert badlands. The quaint mountain hamlet of Julian. Wine tasting in Temecula. All this, plus a stop in San Diego, makes for a sweet slice of the SoCal scenic pie. If heat's not your thing, take note: Summer temps in Borrego Springs routinely top 100 F, meaning this is a trip best done in spring and fall.

  8. The Top 10 Things To Do On A Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip

    1. Ventura. Enjoy one of the coast's iconic beachfronts, a springboard to Channel Islands National Park (which has its mainland headquarters here), and check out the historic Mission San Buenaventura (1782) and Olivas Adobe (1837). The mission is one of the original 21 established by Franciscan priests in California.

  9. Best Road Trips in the USA: California

    San Francisco. A good place to begin your California road trip is in San Francisco, the Golden Gate City. This Northern California metroplex is known for its hilly terrain, winding roads and gorgeous architecture. Walk or bike across the famous 1.2-mile-long Golden Gate Bridge, which opened in 1937. Another renowned landmark worth a visit is ...

  10. Route 66

    Hotel + Flight. 63.0 miles: 3 hours, 27 minutes. Route 66 enthusiasts won't want to miss this trip across southern California from the road's westernmost end. You'll leave the glittering Pacific Ocean behind, trading Los Angeles' urban sprawl for serene scenes of small town life in the San Gabriel Valley. Echoes of the old Route 66 ...

  11. Road Trip Daydreams: Favorite California Drives

    AAA Travel Vacation planning services included with your AAA Membership. Plan a Trip. Automotive ... Road Trip Daydreams: Our Favorite California Drives When it's safe to travel for leisure, the Via team plans to hit these spots in California. By Via Staff Published June 25, 2020.

  12. TripTik Travel Planner

    Plan your next road trip with AAA TripTik Travel Planner, a comprehensive tool that helps you find the best routes, destinations, discounts and more. You can save and share your trips with the AAA Mobile app, access millions of points of interest, locate electric vehicle charging stations and get insurance quotes. Whether you want to explore national parks, scenic drives or local attractions ...

  13. Discover Unforgettable Road Trips to Southern California, CA

    Embark on the ultimate road trip adventure through Southern California, CA with AAA's curated selection of popular routes and scenic drives. Explore diverse landscapes, iconic landmarks and hidden gems on these unforgettable journeys. Plan your next great escape today!

  14. Route 66

    115.1 miles: 1 hours, 57 minutes. Leaving Ludlow, a lonely stretch of old 66 leads past an extinct cinder cone (Amboy Crater) to tiny Amboy, home to an iconic Route 66 café. The road proceeds to the north side of I-40, where the beautiful Mojave National Preserve warrants a detour. The drive ends in the city of Needles, which harbors a few ...

  15. The California Road Trip of a Lifetime

    With a vacation package like this one from AAA Vacations, you can make your dreams of a coastal California road trip a reality! From the great cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego to Mother Nature's masterpiece, Yosemite National Park, you'll see the amazing sights and landmarks that make California so unique and unforgettable.

  16. Why you should plan your next road trip with AAA

    Why AAA TripTik is the ultimate road trip planner. For a basic drive, simply enter a starting point and destination to map your route and get turn-by-turn directions, or enter up to 25 stopovers to create a complete road trip. Use the points of interest icons to locate and get information about nearby restaurants, attractions and events, and to ...

  17. Road Trips

    Great Stops Along California's Quirky Highway 99. Known for its Dust Bowl history, Highway 99 offers travelers a quirky drive down an important road. From Route 66 to California's Highway 1, discover the best road trips in the West. Get road trip ideas, plan your route, and learn about road trip essentials to make your journey as epic as the ...

  18. California Road Trips for Food Lovers

    Well, break out that cooler, because it's time for a culinary road trip. California is a food-lover's paradise, with the state growing a third of the United States' vegetables and two-thirds of the country's fruits and nuts. Few of us actually see the behind-the-scenes activity producing our food, but California farmers, ranchers, and ...

  19. California Highway 49 Road Trip

    Here the real Highway 49 begins. In the valley, trees surround the churning waters of the American River. For the next few miles, popular hiking trails crisscross the road in the Auburn State Recreation Area, a spectacular 42,000 acres of parkland along the North and Middle Forks of the American River. Within the Auburn SRA, two and a half ...

  20. Real California Coastal Road Trip

    AAA Vacations® Best Price Guarantee and 24/7 Member Care are applicable to AAA members only. If you book a qualifying AAA Vacations® cruise or tour package and find a valid better rate for the exact itinerary within 24 hours of your booking, AAA will match the lower rate and send you a $50 AAA Vacations® future travel credit certificate.

  21. The Ultimate Guide to Great American Road Trips

    California dream on a budget with AAA's nature-centric sample itineraries for exploring the Pacific Coast Highway, with optional stops in L.A., San Luis Obispo, and more. ... Here are three ways you can make that road trip magic happen with tickets from AAA: Take a Silver Screen break with advance-purchase tickets for new releases at local ...

  22. Road-Tripping To California's Giant Redwood Forests

    Take a road trip with AAA Washington's Jeanine Ollivier Rollins from her home in Seattle to Humboldt County, California, to walk and 'forest bathe' among the giant redwoods. Read why a calming walk in nature is one of her favorite ways to spend her vacation. Sometimes you just want to feel small. That's why AAA Member Travel Counselor ...

  23. AAA Travel

    AAA's travel expertise means you'll have access to exclusive discounts and recommendations to ensure your trip is the best it can be. Whether you're a seasoned road-tripper or a first-time explorer, TripTik® is the perfect tool to make your journey smooth and stress-free.

  24. 9 Must-Do U.S. Road Trips

    Where: Chicago, IL, to Santa Monica, CA. Distance: 2,448 miles. Time Needed: 10 days to 2 weeks. If you're pressed for time, you could also focus on shorter chunks of the famous drive, i.e. Albuquerque to Santa Monica or Chicago to Oklahoma City. Route 66 is one of the world's most popular bucket-list road trips—for good reason.

  25. Golden California

    Begin in the beautiful San Francisco taking in the elegant architecture, take a scenic drive along the California coast through Big Sur, take a day for yourself in Los Angeles, experience 24-hour entertainment in Las Vegas, and more! Travel Insurance . For your protection AAA recommends travel insurance. Pre-existing medical conditions may be ...