The Open Road to California: The Golden State’s Best Road Trips

When it comes to road trips, California is America’s ultimate playground — a place where vast, ever-changing landscapes unfold mile by mile, from dramatic wave-lashed cliffs and lush wine valleys to towering forests and some of the most beautiful national parks in the country.

In this episode of Wanderlust: Off the Page, our North America Editor, Jacqui Agate, joins host Aaron Millar to map out six of California’s best road trips — and the moments that make them unforgettable.

Watch a perfect sunset from the beaches of the Pacific Coast Highway, hike beneath the tallest trees in the world and get your motor runnin’ on Route 66. This is the ultimate way to play across the Golden State.

Highlights include:

• Vineyards to Waves: Highway One (Pacific Coast Highway)
  This classic drive hugs the California coast for 600 beautiful miles from the wine country of Mendocino County to Los Angeles, and beyond. Expect dramatic ocean views, historic towns, sustainable wine, delicious food and some of the most spectacular driving in the country.
• The Sunny Southern California Triangle
  This classic southern California road trip travels from Los Angeles to Palm Springs, then Joshua Tree National Park to San Diego, hitting up iconic surf towns like Huntington Beach and Oceanside in between. Discover mid-century glamour, desert landscapes, Chicano culture,and some of California’s best beaches.
• Route 66: The California Stretch
  Celebrating 100 years of America’s most famous highway, this route runs from the Arizona border through the Mojave Desert to its finish at the Santa Monica pier. Think classic Americana, retro motels, desert landscapes and the symbolic end of the “Main Street of America” at the Pacific Ocean.
• Forest to Giants: California’s National Parks Road Trip
  Connecting five spectacular national parks — Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon — this route showcases the state’s wild side. From the tallest trees on Earth to volcanic landscapes and granite peaks, it’s a journey through some of the most awe-inspiring nature in America.
• Highway 395: California’s Adventure Road
  Running along the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada, this lesser-known route will take you through stunning mountains, Gold Rush towns, movie history and some of the best hiking in the state.
• The Desert Parks Loop: from Joshua Tree to Death Valley
  This circular route explores California’s desert landscapes, including Death Valley, the Mojave Desert and Joshua Tree National Park. Expect salt flats, sculptural rock formations, vast open skies and some of the most dramatic light and geology in North America.

FIND OUT MORE

Plan your own California road trip at visitcalifornia.com

Read the accompanying feature, The Open Road to California, at wanderlustmagazine.com

Connect with Jacqui Agate on Instagram @jacquiagate and at jacquiagate.com

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CREDITS
This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for