Los Angeles RV Micro-Adventure Series
A short RV escape from Los Angeles can be a great adventure, showcasing miles of scenic beauty. You will see the landscape change before your eyes from a shimmering coastline to a vast desert. You will also get to visit historic towns along the highway and explore the high, pine-covered mountains. RVing Southern California allows for manageable travel distances. With a short commitment of time you can experience great new locations with each of these six itineraries that will take you from Los Angeles.
Two Days, One Night, Joshua Tree National Park and Salvation Mountain
This short trip offers a mix of Joshua Tree National Park, known for incredible rock formations, and Salvation Mountain, a unique landscape built with folk art. This adventure offers a quick getaway in the desert with a chance to experience the vast desert, unique art installations, and the beauty of Joshua Tree without taking a lot of time.
California Highway 1: Three Days, Two Nights
Day One: Los Angeles to Santa Barbara and Solvang
Santa Barbara is a city located along scenic route 1. It has beautiful beaches with a colonial Spanish influence. You will love the relaxing beach towns with their cafes. After that you will cross into Solvang, a quirky, storybook California town with traditional Danish windmills and other themed architecture that is a fun change of pace from the beach towns.
Day Two: Carmel and Monterey
In the morning you will travel through beautiful hillside and ocean views and arrive at Carmel which is another art town with numerous theaters, galleries, and art festivals. After that you get to enjoy the beautiful views of Monterey where you’ll get to spend the night.
Day Three: Monterey to Los Angeles
On your way back to Los Angeles, take some time along the coast to enjoy the 17 Mile Drive with incredible views of the Pacific Ocean, Pebble Beach Golf Links, and lovely waterfront homes. You can also stop at Fisherman's Wharf to enjoy the harbour vibe of Monterey, then head back to Los Angeles.
The Route 66 Pilgrimage: Kingman, Seligman, and Williams In Three Days, Two Nights
Day One: Los Angeles > Route 66 Ghost Towns > Oatman
We will travel from Los Angeles to the ‘mother road’ of the United States, Route 66. This road symbolizes migration, struggle, and reinvention. While the road may have some ghost towns that symbolize its earlier times, it is filled with a sense of freedom and possibility. We will make a stop at one of the ghost towns which feature abandoned service stations, empty mailboxes, desert and an open and clear road. We will then make our way to Oatman, an Old West town with wandering Burros, Harley Davidson motorcycles, and weathered storefronts.
Day Two: Kingman > Seligman > Williams
Start your day with a drive to Kingman to experience another part of the history of Route 66. Continue to Seligman, one of the last surviving towns of the original Route 66. Vintage cars, motorcycles, American flags, and Route 66 signs decorate the streets bringing a playful yet historic atmosphere to the town. Our last stop of the day is Williams, a small town named after William Sherley Williams, a hunter and guide. His rail road museum and cowboy performances give a glimpse of frontier America while the route 66 imagery is ever present.
Day Three: Bottle Tree Ranch and Back to LA
We will stop at the Bottle Tree Ranch which features an amazing collection of creatively-decorated trees made from glass bottles and various metal structures. Additionally, there are the old typewriters, carousel horses, owl figures, antlers, musical instruments, propellers, and all sorts of other unique objects artfully turned into surreal roadside art. On the way back, we will stop at the McDonald’s museum located inside the original McDonald’s to check out some of the history of American fast-food restaurant culture.
Joshua Tree, Salvation Mountain, Potato Chip Rock and San Diego: Three Days, Two Nights
Day One: LA to Joshua Tree National Park and Salvation Mountain
We begin the journey to Joshua Tree National Park, which beautifully combines desert, mountains, boulders, dry river beds, and canyons. Giving the area its unique charm are the Joshua trees and various other cacti.
We will start at Hidden Valley, where there is inspiring scenery made up of desert vegetation and tall rocks that will be a good start for the rest of the day. On the opposite end of Jumbo Rocks is a boulder formations that appears to have been sliced by some giant tool. Nearby, there is a short, well defined trail that is perfect for an easy stroll, and there is a picnic area that is a great place to have lunch among the boulders. Arch Rock is another essential stop and is a great place for photos and climbing as it is a naturally-formed stone arch.
Next, head for the Cholla Cactus Garden, famous for its always changing landscape of dense Cholla cactus. Remember to stay on the paths, and do not touch the spiny plants. Then go to finish your day at Keys View. The desert and mountain view offers some great scenes, and when the sun sets, it gets even better. You can see the Salton Sea and the fault lines that divide the area.
Day Two: Salvation Mountain and Old Town San Diego
Salvation Mountain is your next stop. This mountain is the work of Leonard Knight, and is an enormous outdoor piece of art made of adobe, straw, and a ton of paint. It is covered in a type of religious graffiti that has biblical quotes painted onto it, and other declarations of love. What many don't know is that Knight believed, that to make the world better, everyone needed to share love.
Old Town San Diego is next. This city is known as the first city in California. It features some authentic Spanish architecture, has a few churches and museums, and a collection of Mexican restaurants. It has a lively historic atmosphere. You can stroll through the pedestrian streets, and shop in the smaller stores. It all has a great vibe similar to a Mexican town from the 1800s.
Day Three: Potato Chip Rock and LA
On your way to breakfast, begin heading towards Mount Woodson in San Diego. This is where you will do your Potato Chip Rock hike. At the top of this rock formation is a very thin, and famous rock ledge that photographers love. From the parking area nearby, plan for about an hour to do the uphill walk to the rock, and then come back to LA.
Three Days, Two Nights: Moving Rocks, Zabriskie Point, and Death Valley National Park
Day 1: Death Valley National Park from Los Angeles
The drive is to Death Valley National Park from Los Angeles. Golden sand dunes, massive plains of desert, sharply cut canyons, high mountains, and low valleys. Known for extreme heat and dryness, but the overall beauty is still memorable. After sunset, when conditions allow, enjoy the night sky. Continue Racetrack Playa.
Day 2: Death Valley National Park
Southern Death Valley National Park is explored. Canyons and desert, large rocky areas, and then head towards Racetrack Playa.
Day 3: Los Angeles and the Moving Rocks
The racetrack playa is visited. The rocks move and leave trails behind. This natural phenomenon has intrigued visitors for many years. After that, return to Los Angeles.
Yosemite National Park in More Detail: Two Nights, Three Days
Day 1: Yosemite National Park from Los Angeles
Leave Los Angeles for Yosemite National Park's giant cliffs, waterfalls, and valleys. Every stop feels oversized. Start at the Wawona area and continue to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. These ancient trees are thousands of years old and rise to an extraordinary height. Their massive trunks seem to support the sky.
Day 2: Yosemite Valley:
Get ready to drive into Yosemite Valley!
We will pass through winding mountain roads and a popular tunnel. When we reach the viewpoint of Yosemite Valley, get ready for an amazing view! You will see El Capitan, Half Dome, Glacier Point, Bridalveil Falls, and the Merced River!
You will take a chance to experience Bridalveil Falls up close and personal. Stay safe, as the falls create a large amount of mist that may come your way! Afterwards, visit Yosemite Falls and walk through Sentinel Meadow. Here you will experience the sights and sounds of nature surrounded by the valley.
Day 3: Tenaya Lake and Los Angeles:
After having breakfast, we will travel to Tenaya Lake! Tenaya Lake is named after an Indigenous chief! Tenaya Lake is around 2,450 meters above sea level! The Tenaya Lake is absolutely stunning. It is crystal clear and surrounded by beautiful mountains. To end your Yosemite experience, we will walk along the shore and take in the beauty before heading back to Los Angeles'.
