Road Trips from San Diego

California is the quintessential roadtrip state. There’s something so classic about cruising the highways of the Golden State, preferably in a convertible with the top down. But if you have neither a convertible nor the luxury of time – allow me to suggest ! You get the charm of California with a mix of desert glam. 

Save the serene coastal drive down the Pacific Coast Highway for another trip and enjoy the stunning mountain views from San Diego to Palm Springs. Taking road trips from San Diego is where you really get to enjoy California’s topography. We had a chance to visit two different in California during our trip. 

Start in San Diego

We started our trip by flying into San Diego. As one does in California, we wanted to hit the beach right away for some sweet Pacific breeze. We took a short drive to La Jolla to grab some coffee at Better Buzz (legit some of the best coffee we’ve found on any of our trips so far) and dig our toes in the sand.

As an added bonus we got to see California Sea Lions basking right in the surf at Children’s Beach. You can actually get pretty close, but remember to give wild animals their space and view respectfully! 

After getting our nature fix for the day, we had a short drive to our FabStayz. It was really cool to watch the landscape change for beaches and coastal cliffs to forests and mountains to deserts all in the span of only two hours. Our destination? Borrego Springs. 

First Stop – Borrego Springs 

Never heard of it? You’re missing out. Borrego Springs is a sleepy little desert town nestled in the middle of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Home to under 3,500 people, this town is a quiet desert oasis. The perfect location for an LGBTQ-friendly FabStayz getaway. 

The drive in is spectacular. Mountainous winding roads through the desert make for a fun drive; it is definitely recommended to ford the roads during the daylight hours as they could be pretty tricky at night (plus you wouldn’t want to miss the views!).

We were fortunate enough to get to stay at . Our FabHosts Warren and Tammy’s property is a vintage lover’s dream, full of uniquely themed trailers and miles of sprawling desert trails. When you walk out of your trailer, you are right in the desert and the views are stunning day or night. 

We stayed in the Zulu trailer, named after Warren and Tammy’s home country of South Africa. The trailer had everything we could have needed, two bedrooms, a bathroom, bunk beds, a kitchen, air conditioning. It was the coziest stay! The property also has wifi and a pool to cool off from the SoCal heat. Needless to say, we were spoiled. 

You would think being such a small town, there wouldn’t be much to do, but you’d be pleasantly surprised to find that there is actually quite a lot to do in Borrego Springs. Being in the middle of a state park, there are miles of hiking trails like Slot Canyon, Cactus Loop Trail, and Palm Canyon.

With so much wilderness around, it’s easy to soak it up! Borrego Springs is a designated dark community, meaning the sky is free from light pollution. On clear nights, you can see the Milky Way Galaxy and thousands upon thousands of stars. Unfortunately for us during our visit, the skies were cloudy. Twist our arms, we’ll have to go back. 

Borrego Springs also has a surprisingly vibrant art scene. Galleta Meadows is a collection of 130 large metal sculptures surrounding the town of Borrego Springs. Ricardo Breceta, the sculptor, fashioned prehistoric animals as well as desert animals like big horned sheep, scorpions, and a 350 foot dragon. There too is an art institute where you can take classes and view the current exhibitions.

The sleepy vibe of Borrego Springs is perfect if you’re looking to soak in some nature and just unplug for a while. We spent two luxurious lowkey days in Borrego Springs before moving onto our next destination. 

Pit Stop – Salvation Mountain

Along your road trip from San Diego to Borrego Springs to your next destination, take a pit stop to check out Salvation Mountain. Leonard Knight crafted this quirky outdoor art piece into a mountainside right outside of the slab city artist commune and a few miles east of the Sulton Sea. If you can stomach the smell of fish, it’s worth a stop to take in the views. 

Salvation Mountain’s message may be religious but the aesthetic is full gaudy rainbow glam. Bible verses are displayed in such a fun colorful way that even the most agnostic of folks can appreciate this work of art. 

Second Stop – Palm Springs 

Keeping with the desert theme, we took another stunning two drive through the desert and mountains, past the Salton Sea, and straight to the oasis of Palm Springs. Our FabHost Gene at our stay, , filled us in on all the glamorous history of Palm Springs. From being a starlet’s playground to just the simple beauty of the desert, it’s easy to see why Palm Springs is heralded as such a getaway.  

Our second FabStayz of the trip is located in La Quinta, a small city just outside of Palm Springs. Casa Carranza felt just like home. This charming 3 bed/2 bath open concept home. With nearby attractions like La Quinta Resort, Indian Wells Tennis Stadium, Coachella Festival, and a short walk to hiking & biking trails through the Santa Rosa Mountains, there’s so much to do or just stay put and take a dip in the saltwater pool or lounge around the spacious great room.

Obviously we did a bit of both, we hit the pool and took in the surrounding local owned boutiques, the famous Saguaro hotel for some rainbow photos, and a kooky art installation called RoboLights (I mean just look at these photos!).

If you don’t find enough things to do in Palm Springs proper, just a short drive away is Joshua Tree National Park, famous for its Joshua Trees and stunning desert views.  Check another off your list and take in a sunset and stargazing like you’ve never seen! 

We had so much fun driving all over SoCal taking road trips from San Diego. We checked off plenty from our bucket lists. With literally so many roads to explore, no matter what turns you take, there’s an adventure waiting for you in California with many comfortable FabStayz along the way.

Have any other suggestions for where to go and what to see in road trips from San Diego? Let me know in the comments below!