6 Stop California Roadtrip Itinerary

Main places to note at this (blank blank cool words) attraction are Fisherman’s Wharf which is one of San Francisco’s most famous attractions, Lombard Street being deemed the most crooked street in the world, the Painted Ladies houses, and last but certainly not least the Golden Gate Bridge.

Quick Note: Make sure to check the weather in order to see the bridge and to make sure you’re not walking the whole day around SF in the rain (which is the mistake we made)

Monterey Bay 2 nights: Main places to note are Old Fisherman’s Wharf (not to be confused with Fisherman’s Wharf), the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, Lovers Point Park, and the Monterey State Beach.

Quick Note: The Aquarium is a perfect stop on a rainy day in the Spring or Winter.

This is reachable from Monterey so a day trip was taken. Main Places to note are Point Lobos State Natural Reserve (this place costs 10 dollars which we were unaware of), Carmel Beach, Ocean Avenue is the main walkway through Carmel, and the Pebble Beach Golf Course.

Quick Note: While the main road Ocean Avenue has many attractions, I would suggest branching out to different connecting streets while exploring the town as they are equally beautiful and have other restaurants and shops.

Main places to note are Mission Drive which is the main road with different Danish inspired buildings, The Solvang Park, The Little Mermaid Fountain, Olsen’s Village Danish Bakery, and Paula’s Pancake House for Danish food.

Quick Note: This place holds a special place in my heart as it feels like a little piece of Europe, but it can most definitely be done in half a day. This could be incorporated on a driving day.

Main places to note are State Street, Stearns Wharf, the Santa Barbara Zoo, and East/ West Beach.

Quick Note: It is so beautiful here and your typical beach town. You will not regret renting a bicycle and riding up and down the beaches. The town itself is very accessible through bike as well.

There are too many places to note in Los Angeles. I would suggest flying in either here or San Francisco since these are huge airports and this means flights will be cheaper. My notes would be to honestly spend more than one day there. If one day is all you have, I would suggest Santa Monica or Malibu beach to peruse the stores right by the beach and taking a walk down Beverly Drive. 

Main places to note here are La Jolla and Del Mar. La Jolla is a more walkable city with the main downtown area having many different sites and being so close to the beach where seals are! Del Mar is a less populated town that is not as walkable. Torrey Pines State Beach has a beautiful hike here and a great place to grab lunch would be in the beautiful shopping center of One Paseo

Quick Note: I would suggest two days here. This is not as walkable as previous cities and San Diego is quite large. If you can extend your stay, it is worth going to either the San Diego Safari Park or the San Diego Zoo. The San Diego Zoo is one of the largest and diverse zoos in the world.