California Dreaming: A Road Trippers Guide to California

California is easily one of our favorite states to road trip to. We’ve been to California several times on various road trips and still haven’t covered many of the must-see attractions. Last week I was chatting with another road tripper about some of our California adventures. She was quite surprised to learn we’ve never been to Yosemite National Park yet. Not to worry, it’s near the top of our road trip bucket list; we just haven’t made it there yet.

With winter fast approaching, many road trippers turn south for their road trip adventures, and California is a great destination for this. To help you plan a fun California road trip adventure, here are some of our favourite things to see and do in California:

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The Redwood forest

Although driving through the famous redwood tree isn’t an overly exciting attraction, the drive through the forest is nice, and it’s a good break between road trip destinations.

Salvation Mountain

Looking for an off-beat attraction in California? Look no further. This quirky attraction in Niland, CA provides a little something for everyone. Leonard Knight, the creator of Salvation Mountain in Slab City, spent the past 20 years constructing this man-made mountain out of straw bales and various donated material in tribute to his faith. The structure now stands two stories tall and is covered with bible verses.

Whether you’re religious or not, this is a fun off-beat attraction to see in California. Knight is also a wonderful man to speak to about his religious views and life experiences.

Badwater Basin – Death Valley

Fall/winter is probably the best time to head to Death Valley, as temperatures in the summer time average around 115°F (45°C). Known as the land of extremes for its record heat during summer months, Death Valley is an awesome place to explore in the off season.

Down in the middle of Death Valley, you’ll find the Badwater Basin, a lakebed of sea salt stretching for miles. The Badwater Basin is actually the second lowest point in the world below sea level. Just past the parking lot, you’ll notice a sign high up in the rockface that says “sea level.” This will give you a good idea of how far below sea level you actually stand.

Lava Beds National Monument

In Northern California there is a string of dormant volcanos and lava tubes waiting to be explored. During the months of December-March, the ice crystal caves in Lava Beds opens to a small number of tourists interested in exploring underground crystal formations in lava tubes.

As long as you’re not claustrophobic, this is an awesome adventure unlike anything you`ll ever experience. Pay the park entrance fee of only $10 and have a professional guide take you down into the ice crystal caves on a three-hour tour.

Alcatraz

Alcatraz is a creepy yet unique attraction to explore. It’s a little eerie walking through the old prison, listening to a guided tour about the different section of Alcatraz. But the island itself offers an amazing view of downtown San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. The ferry ride over also offers stunning views of Alcatraz and downtown San Francisco.

San Diego

You really can’t go wrong exploring the different attractions that San Diego has to offer. This city alone has a long list of fun attractions to see, from the Cabrillo National Monument, Coronado Island, La Jolla beach and Del Mar, Old Town San Diego for an amazing historic tour, and even Sea World and the San Diego Zoo. You almost need a week minimum in San Diego to see some great attractions.

Disneyland

A California list wouldn’t be complete without including Disneyland. I recently went to Disneyland for the first time, and it really is the most magical place on earth. We road tripped to Disneyland, spent a few days exploring the park, then off we went on the last leg of our road trip adventure.

Next spring we plan to head back to California. We hope you explore Yosemite National Park and a few other attractions. What do you recommend we see on our next California adventure? Leave your comments below.