Some of our adventures take us on planes for half a day to find an exotic tropical island to spend a weekend. Others take us to the far and frozen north, to watch the northern lights and enjoy a cozy experience in an ice hotel. Still others see us trekking through national parks, camping in the backcountry, and enjoying the great outdoors.

Despite all of that, we’re not above a good road trip. In fact, several of our most enjoyable adventures have been road trips, whether it’s seeing the sights in Scandinavia, exploring the east coast in New Hampshire, or visiting the temperate forests of Washington.

Today, though, we wanted to talk about a place a little closer to home, at least for us. For those of you who are visiting California as a vacation or who just want to get outside of your neighborhood and travel through the great western state, we put together this brief road trip itinerary.

People who don’t live in California might tend to think of the big cities as part of one huge mass of metropolis stretching along the coast. While that’s kind of true, cities like San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are all distinct metropolitan areas, and there can be quite a lot of distance between them. Distance means things to do, and there’s plenty to see and enjoy along the California coastline.

So, if you’re taking a trip between San Francisco in the north and Los Angeles in the south, what should you plan to do along the way? Here are eight of our favorite stops to make on this drive. It’s around 400 miles from one to the other, which means a solid day of driving, so you might plan a stop-over midway through so you have plenty of time to do everything you want.

Picking a Route

Before getting into the specific stops you can make, let’s talk about the routes you have available to you. The three main routes you can take between these two great cities are:

• Highway 1
• Highway 5
• Sequoia National Park Route

All three of these will get you from city to city, and your choice largely depends on what you want to do and see along the way.

Highway 1 is the Pacific Coast highway and, as the name implies, takes you all along the shore, where you can see the ocean pretty much the whole time. It’s such an iconic and beautiful route that we have a whole post dedicated to a Highway 1 road trip guide. It’s one of our oldest posts because it was actually our first road trip together, and it lives on forever in our memories because of it.

The Sequoia National Park route is pretty much the exact opposite. Instead of swinging west and bringing you along the coastline, it swings you east and takes you through Sequoia National Park, as well as parts of Yosemite, the Angeles National Forest, and more. It’s the longest of the three routes, almost double what the shortest route will take you.

The shortest and most direct route (other than something like a flight) is taking Interstate 5. It’s right in the middle of the other two, as straight as it can be given California’s landscape, and much less interesting unless you go out of your way to find things to see and do along the way.

Since we’ve already covered Highway 1 in detail, and there are quite a few posts on our blog about the national parks, this post largely covers things you can do along the Highway 5 route. Finally, we’re starting from L.A. and making our way north with this itinerary; you can easily reverse it if you’re driving in the other direction.

#1: Vista Del Lago Visitor Center

Located just a short hop north of the Los Angeles area, the Vista Del Lago Visitor Center is a facility run and managed by the California Department of Water Resources. It’s perched on a great view over Pyramid Lake and is full of exhibits with interactive explanations of water usage, the state’s history with water resources, and the impact climate change is having on the world around us. From the visitor center, you can walk down to the lake’s beach or down to a pleasant little picnic site.

A short drive a little further north can bring you to the Pyramid Lake Recreation Area, adjacent to the W.E. Warne Power Plant. It’s not huge – and it’s mostly designed as a boat launch for the lake itself – but it can be a nice little extension to your stop before you get underway for more of the trip.

#2: Tejon Ranch

Tejon Ranch can refer to many different things, all collectively operated under the same name. Tejon Ranch as a whole is a land conservancy, operating hundreds of acres of land encompassing a wide range of landscapes and vistas throughout the area. A large part of that area is taken up by an active, working cattle ranch, also known as Tejon Ranch.

For landscape lovers, wildflower connoisseurs, and bovine aficionados, a trip to Tejon can be a very enjoyable stop. From guided hikes to birdwatching, it’s actually a very fun thing to do if you live in L.A. and just want to get out of the city for a while. You’d be surprised at how distant city life feels when you’ve spent a bit of time on the Ranch.

Tejon Ranch also refers to one more thing: the Outlets at Tejon. This is a strip of outlet malls making up the commercial center of Tejon, and it’s one of the most frequently-visited malls in the area because it’s pretty much the only place you can stop for miles around to pick up anything you forgot to pack on your trip. It’s not quite a tourist attraction all on its own, but it’s worth a stop along the way.

#3: Kern County Museum

One of the larger towns you pass as you leave Los Angeles is Bakersfield. It’s a little bit out of the way off the highway, but if you’re up for a stop, you can make your way into town and visit the Kern County Museum.

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The Kern County Museum is a historic museum with interpretive experiences, historic buildings, and a unique set of exhibits that help showcase both the county and the state. The museum grounds are essentially a small town full of historic buildings, including everything from an oil exhibit to a historic vehicle garage to a blacksmith shop and a railroad jail. There are also several authentic railcars in segments of track to view.

While you’re in town, you also have the option to hang around and do things in Bakersfield, including the Museum of Natural History, the California Living Museum with a reptile house and a touch tank, or even just more mundane pursuits like stopping for a meal and a bit of shopping.

#4: Bravo Farms Kettleman

Bravo Farms and Bravoland is a set of old west shops, restaurants, and attractions right off the I-5 corridor. Whether you want to stop for a meal, get out and stretch your legs, or shop for some artisan cheese, there’s enough to do to occupy some time, some energy, and some brain power while you recover from time on the road.

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The Kettleman City location of Bravo Farms also has an ice cream shop and a BBQ to enjoy, alongside the traditional cheese and fudge factory and the vintage shoppe.

It’s not all precisely historical, shall we say, but it’s certainly something you can do to build up that ambiance. It’s also one of the handful of more civilization-adjacent stops along our way. Don’t worry, nature lovers; there’s plenty for you out there as well.

#5: Benitoite Mining Company

Do you like cool rocks? How about gemstones?

California’s state gemstone is benitoite, a blue gem that can be as clear and flawless as a great sapphire or cloudy and crystalline in unique and interesting formations. It was first discovered in 1906 in San Benito County, hence the name. Well, guess where you’ll be driving through as you take the I-5 between San Francisco and Los Angeles? That’s right: San Benito.

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The Benitoite Mining Company is the company that was formed to manage the mine where benitoite was discovered and where it can still be found today. You can visit, see the mine, learn about its history and the composition of the gemstone, and see some of the most spectacular specimens. You can shop for stones right there at the mine.

You can also dig for gemstones yourself if getting more hands-on with the rocks is what you’re into. It’s a little pricey – most of these mines are – but you get to keep the rocks you find, and there’s always the chance you find something really, really cool. Just keep in mind that you do need to make a reservation to do a gem hunt, so plan that bit in advance.

#6: Mercey Hot Springs

There are all sorts of places you can choose to stop along the way. It’s only about a six-hour drive along the I-5 between San Francisco and Los Angeles, but if you’re stopping to do a bunch of cool things and have adventures along the way, you quickly find it’s more than you can do in a single day. So, finding a place to spend the night might end up a priority.

Depending on the direction you’re coming from, Mercey Hot Springs might not be the ideal stop-over point, but if your itinerary allows it – or if you’re making this a two-night, three-day trip – it can be a nice place to stop.

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Mercey Hot Springs is a full-service resort with a variety of options for overnight lodging, including cabins, RV spots, and a campground if you want to set up your own lodging. It’s also home to a geothermal hot spring that powers much of the pleasant swimming and soaking you have available to you. Overall, it’s a very pleasant place to spend a night in the middle of a road trip, especially if you end up stiff and sore from hours behind the wheel.

#7: Your Choice of State Parks

As we get closer to San Francisco, there’s a stretch where you have a handful of different state parks and wildlife areas you can explore. They all have their own unique and compelling reasons to visit, and some are closer to I-5 than others, so feel free to make your choice based on how you’re feeling as you get close.

Options include:

• Pacheco State Park
• Los Banos Wildlife Area
• Los Banos Creek Reservoir
• San Luis National Wildlife Refuge
• Great Valley Grasslands State Park

If you’re not quite in the mood for a park, there are also more museums and other attractions in the same general area, around Los Banos, Santa Nella, Gustine, and as far out of your way as Merced, if you’re feeling like a detour. This part of the trip is really flexible, so see how you feel and play it by ear!

#8: Brushy Peak Regional Preserve

If you’re starting your trip from San Francisco, leaving the cityscape and encountering the vast expanses of nature in the area can leave you yearning for a chance to run free in the fields, almost before you’ve even begun. If you’re coming from the other direction, seeing the city looming in the distance might make you want to stretch your legs and enjoy the fresh air one more time before the metropolis takes over.

Either way, one great option to stop is the Brushy Peak Regional Preserve. Rolling hills with scattered brush, a handful of looping trails throughout, and a staging area to park and wander dot the area. Brushy Peak itself is restricted as a resource protection area, so you can’t climb to the top without special permission and an escort, though you’re free to arrange that if you want. Either way, it’s a great bit of greenery to round out or start your trip.

Have you taken the trip along I-5 before? Do you want to add to our itinerary? Feel free to leave a comment below!