Weekend Road Tripping Along the California Coast

Summer time, for many, means a road trip. Time to hop in the car and head out of town, stopping at odd road side attractions, singing along with the radio and playing silly car games to pass the time as you drive for days, crossing state line after state line.

You don’t need a lot of vacation time to take a road trip, though. In fact, in many places, if you plan right you can still see and experience all the joys of a long road trip in just a few days.

California is one of the best places for a weekend road trip. Whether you live in San Diego or San Francisco, you’ll have dozens of options for weekend escapes all year round. Near San Francisco, you can road trip along the California coast south to Monterrey, head north to see the towering Redwoods, or go east to the beautiful blue waters of Lake Tahoe. You can go far, making it a true road trip, or stay a little closer to home to minimize time in the car. With an hour’s drive you can explore lakes, check out the rugged coast of California or visit wine country in Napa or Sonoma.

In addition to using up less precious vacation time, a shorter road trip has other added benefits. You’ll spend less in gas by covering less distance and less time in the car makes for happier kids if you’re taking a family trip. Plus you won’t have to worry about how to
convince your partner to do the driving – when the trip is just an hour or so, most people are happy to drive!

Photo by Amy the Nurse