Hop in your Nissan and get on the road with our top 5 San Diego Road Trips:
Pacific Coast Highway: Roll down your windows, crank up your favorite road tunes, cruise through Malibu with the wind in your hair, and remember why you love living in the Golden State. We recommend taking Highway 1 from Malibu to Santa Barbara for a classic California experience. And dinner at La Super Rica, Julia Child’s favorite Mexican restaurant, makes a classic end to an oh-so-SoCal day.
Grand Teton National Park: The lonely highways and breathtaking vistas of this photogenic national park are only an hour from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and all the more beguiling in the lingering twilight of a midsummer evening. Signal Mountain Road is a classic 1,000-foot climb to a sweeping overview of the Tetons and surrounding valley. Bring binoculars to spot the wildlife in the valley (they like to drink from the alpine lakes).
Cascade Loop Scenic Highway, Washington: This gorgeous 440-mile highway loop starts a half-hour north of Seattle and winds through snow-peaked mountains, quaint towns, glacier-fed lakes and the heart of Washington apple country. cascadeloop.com.
Denver: Surprisingly, the Mile-High City clocks more annual hours of sunshine than San Diego does?—?all the more reason to take advantage of its 200-plus city parks, 850 miles of urban bike trails and close proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park. After a day in the great outdoors, take advantage of Denver’s buzzing new restaurant scene with a focus on local cuisine. We love the bison ribs at upscale BBQ house Big Hoss, and the salumi bar and Italian small plates at Osteria Marco. denver.org.
California’s Gold Country: Whitewater rafting on the American River, hiking and camping in Yosemite, fishing in serene lakes in the Sierra Foothills and other wholesome fresh-air pursuits await in the region that put California on the map. calgold.com.
Southern Oregon Coast: Spend your weekend on the People’s Coast, where you’ll find sunny weather, rocky sea cliffs, windswept vistas, Rogue River rapids, 150-foot sand dunes and classic beach towns serving up fish-and-chips, saltwater taffy and local microbrews. Make the fishing town of Newport your home base and spend a night at the Rogue Brewery B&B (“bed & beer”), where rooms come with complimentary bottles of ale. One of Oregon’s most popular breweries is right downstairs. Don’t miss a stop at the original location of Mo’s, an Oregon chowder-house chain that’s become an institution. visittheoregoncoast.com.
