33 Attractions to Visit
⚡️ A 3-Day Road Trip Exploring Southern California's Spectacular Scenery
Starts from
Los Angeles
Transportation
Electric Car
CO2 Savings
112 kg
Guidance
Self-Guided
Attractions
33
Duration
3 Days
Length
747 km
Guide details
Starts from
Los Angeles
Transportation
Electric Car
CO2 Savings
112 kg
Guidance
Self-Guided
Duration
3 Days
Length
747 km
Price
Created By:
Erin Lindholm
Travel Expert
Highlights
- Get those toes in the sand at Huntington Beach, aka Surf City, U.S.A.
- Stop in for a tasting at San Diego County's most award-winning winery.
- Don't miss a photo op with one of Wyland's famous oceanic murals.
- Finish lunch in Julian with a slice of warm apple pie "a la mode".
- Meet the desert's most famous Marilyn — as in Monroe.
- Cool off with one of Coachella Valley's famous date shakes.
This route includes CCS charging stations. For Tesla Superchargers, follow this link.
Step aboard the historic Queen Mary ocean liner. Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway through Orange County's famous beach towns. Catch a spectacular Pacific Ocean sunset. Discover the charms of the mountain town of Julian and some of the wonders of Southern California's desert terrain, from Anza Borrego to Palm Springs. One thing's for certain: Southern California has no shortage of beautiful destinations worth discovering.
This 3-day round trip drive from Los Angeles covers a lot of ground, avoiding the major freeways as much as possible for slower-paced scenic routes along the coast, through rolling hills where orchards and vineyards grow, into the mountains and the desert beyond. Pack a nice camera, if you own one, as the photo opportunities of scenes and landscapes along the way are nothing short of iconic. Cruise with the top down, if you can — in this generally temperate climate, you won't regret it.
Step aboard the historic Queen Mary ocean liner. Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway through Orange County's famous beach towns. Catch a spectacular Pacific Ocean sunset. Discover the charms of the mountain town of Julian and some of the wonders of Southern California's desert terrain, from Anza Borrego to Palm Springs. One thing's for certain: Southern California has no shortage of beautiful destinations worth discovering.
This 3-day round trip drive from Los Angeles covers a lot of ground, avoiding the major freeways as much as possible for slower-paced scenic routes along the coast, through rolling hills where orchards and vineyards grow, into the mountains and the desert beyond. Pack a nice camera, if you own one, as the photo opportunities of scenes and landscapes along the way are nothing short of iconic. Cruise with the top down, if you can — in this generally temperate climate, you won't regret it.
This route includes CCS charging stations. For Tesla Superchargers, follow this link.
Step aboard the historic Queen Mary ocean liner. Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway through Orange County's famous beach towns. Catch a spectacular Pacific Ocean sunset. Discover the charms of the mountain town of Julian and some of the wonders of Southern California's desert terrain, from Anza Borrego to Palm Springs. One thing's for certain: Southern California has no shortage of beautiful destinations worth discovering.
This 3-day round trip drive from Los Angeles covers a lot of ground, avoiding the major freeways as much as possible for slower-paced scenic routes along the coast, through rolling hills where orchards and vineyards grow, into the mountains and the desert beyond. Pack a nice camera, if you own one, as the photo opportunities of scenes and landscapes along the way are nothing short of iconic. Cruise with the top down, if you can — in this generally temperate climate, you won't regret it.
Step aboard the historic Queen Mary ocean liner. Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway through Orange County's famous beach towns. Catch a spectacular Pacific Ocean sunset. Discover the charms of the mountain town of Julian and some of the wonders of Southern California's desert terrain, from Anza Borrego to Palm Springs. One thing's for certain: Southern California has no shortage of beautiful destinations worth discovering.
This 3-day round trip drive from Los Angeles covers a lot of ground, avoiding the major freeways as much as possible for slower-paced scenic routes along the coast, through rolling hills where orchards and vineyards grow, into the mountains and the desert beyond. Pack a nice camera, if you own one, as the photo opportunities of scenes and landscapes along the way are nothing short of iconic. Cruise with the top down, if you can — in this generally temperate climate, you won't regret it.
Erin Lindholm
Travel Expert
- Get those toes in the sand at Huntington Beach, aka Surf City, U.S.A.
- Stop in for a tasting at San Diego County's most award-winning winery.
- Don't miss a photo op with one of Wyland's famous oceanic murals.
- Finish lunch in Julian with a slice of warm apple pie "a la mode".
- Meet the desert's most famous Marilyn — as in Monroe.
- Cool off with one of Coachella Valley's famous date shakes.
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Travel Itinerary
11 Attractions to Visit
Day 1
170 km
Los Angeles to San Diego County, via the PCH Through Orange County
Freeway traffic in Southern California is not anyone's idea a fun vacay, which is why today's route heads due south to the beach — Long Beach, that is. From here, the route continues south hugging the curves of the coastline, connecting with the Pacific Coast Highway through Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, and Dana Point. You will have to hop on the freeway again to cross from Southern Orange County to San Diego County (between which there's a large coastal military base) — but then it's back to the Pacific Coast Highway, which will take you straight into Carlsbad, in time for one of those epic Pacific Ocean sunsets.
22:00
12 Attractions to Visit
Day 2
174 km842 m
From the Coast to the Desert, With Stops in Encinitas, Julian, and Borrego Springs
Today's drive starts with a leisure cruise south along the PCH into the coastal town of Encinitas, where the EV will charge in a highly-rated city-managed lot within walking distance of a number of breakfast and coffee shop options. Shortly after, it's time to cut away from the coast, to destinations more inland, including an award-winning local winery and the quaint mountain town of Julian — which is famous for its apple pie. The day winds down driving through the Anza-Borrego Desert en route to Borrego Springs for some surprising local art, dinner, a desert sunset, and hopefully an exceptionally starry night.
22:00
10 Attractions to Visit
Day 3
404 km310 m
Discover the Wonders of the Desert on the Return to Los Angeles, via the Salton Sea and Coachella Valley
There's a lot of road to cover today, starting with an hour's drive to the next EV charge point — one of 2 lined up for the day — and a visit to the Salton Sea, one of California's most beguiling natural landmarks. Stop for lunch at a historic Coachella Valley date farm before cruising into downtown Palm Springs via side roads to "meet" the famous Marilyn Monroe statue and explore a bit.
A visit to Greater Palm Springs wouldn't be complete without a ride to the summit of the Palm Springs Aerial Airway, which ascends some 6,000 feet from the base to the summit. Finally, the return route to Los Angeles takes a foothills freeway that's much more scenic and typically less busy than the 1-10, plus California’s oldest highway (and 3rd oldest in the country) the Arroyo Secco Parkway. There's a stop for dinner in a historic Pasadena Craftsman abode along the way.