Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd CALIFORNIA S BEST TRIPS AMAZING 33 ROAD TRIPS This edition written and researched by Sara Benson
SYMBOLS IN THIS BOOK Top Tips Link Your Trips Tips from Locals Trip Detour % Telephone Number h Opening Hours p Parking n Nonsmoking a Air- Conditioning i Internet Access MAP LEGEND History & Culture Family Food & Drink Outdoors W Wi-Fi Access v Vegetarian Selection s Swimming Pool 5 Eating E English- Language Menu c Family- Friendly Essential Photo Walking Tour 4 Sleeping PLAN YOUR TRIP # Pet-Friendly Welcome to California... 7 California Highlights... 8 If You Like... 20 Need to Know... 22 City Guide...24 California by Region... 30 California Classic Trips... 32 Routes Trip Route Trip Detour Linked Trip Walk Route Tollway Freeway Primary Secondary Tertiary Lane Unsealed Road Plaza/Mall Steps Tunnel Pedestrian Overpass Walk Track/Path Boundaries International State/Province Cliff Hydrography River/Creek Intermittent River Swamp/Mangrove Canal Water Dry/Salt/ Intermittent Lake Glacier Route Markers US National Hwy US Interstate Hwy State Hwy 2 Trips Trip Numbers Trip Stop Walking tour Trip Detour Population Capital (National) Capital (State/Province) City/Large Town Town/Village Areas Beach Cemetery (Christian) Cemetery (Other) Park Forest Reservation Urban Area Sportsground Transport Airport BART station Boston T station Cable Car/ Funicular Metro/Muni station Parking Subway station Train/Railway Tram Underground station Note: Not all symbols displayed above appear on the maps in this book ON THE ROAD California s Greatest Hits 1 & Las Vegas...12 15 Days 35 Pacific Coast 2 Highways...7 10 Days 49 Mission Trail... 5 Days 63 3 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...73 Marin County... 2 3 Days 77 4 Bay Area 5 Culinary Tour... 2 3 Days 87 Napa Valley... 2 3 Days 95 6 7 Sonoma Valley...2 Days 107 8 Healdsburg & Around... 2 3 Days 115
CONTENTS Russian River & Bohemian 9 Highway...2 Days 123 Mendocino & Anderson a Valley... 3 4 Days 131 Lost Coast & Southern b Redwoods... 3 4 Days 139 Northern Redwood c Coast... 3 4 Days 147 Trinity Scenic d Byway...3 Days 155 Volcanic Legacy e Byway...3 Days 163 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA... 175 Big Sur... 2 3 Days 179 f Along Highway 1 to g Santa Cruz... 2 3 Days 187 Around Monterey & h Carmel... 2 3 Days 195 Around San Luis i Obispo... 2 3 Days 203 Santa Barbara Wine j Country... 2 3 Days 211 Lake Tahoe k Loop... 2 3 Days 219 Northern California p73 Central California p175 Southern California p289 3
Contents cont. Yosemite, Sequoia & l Kings Canyon National Parks...5 7 Days 227 Eastern Sierra m Scenic Byway... 3 5 Days 239 Highway 49 Through n Gold Country... 3 4 Days 249 Ebbetts Pass Scenic o Byway...2 Days 261 Feather River Scenic p Byway... 3 4 Days 269 Sacramento Delta & q Lodi...2 Days 277 ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS California Driving Guide...361 California Travel Guide... 366 Index...375 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...289 Disneyland & Orange r County Beaches... 2 4 Days 293 Fun on the San s Diego Coast... 2 4 Days 303 SoCal Pop Culture...3 Days 313 t Route 66... 3 4 Days 321 u Life in Death v Valley...3 Days 331 Palm Springs & Joshua w Tree Oases... 2 3 Days 341 Temecula, Julian & x Anza-Borrego...3 Days 349 4 Santa Barbara Bicycle touring in the wine country ED FREEMAN / GETTY IMAGES
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Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd OUR WRITER OUR STORY A beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end broke but inspired they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born. Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Franklin, London, Melbourne, Oakland, Dublin, Beijing, and Delhi, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony s belief that a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse. SARA BENSON After graduating from college, Sara jumped on a plane to California with just one suitcase and $100 in her pocket. She has bounced around the Golden State ever since, including all over the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and the Sierra Nevada, where she worked as a seasonal national park ranger. The author of over 70 travel and nonfiction books, Sara also coordinated Lonely Planet s California guide. My Favorite Trip n Highway 49 Through Gold Country let me wind along some of California s last remaining stretches of highway where smartphones blissfully don t work. Read more about Sara at https://auth.lonelyplanet. com/profiles/sara_benson Published by Lonely Planet Global Limited CRN 554153 3rd edition Feb 2017 ISBN 978 1 7865 722 64 Lonely Planet 2017 Photographs as indicated 2017 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet. com/ip. Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasonable care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use. Paper in this book is certified against the Forest Stewardship Council standards. FSC promotes environmentally responsible, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world s forests.
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