TRAVEL | ROAD TRIP PACKAGE



Taylor Dock in Bellingham, Wash. More photos

Oregon to Washington road trip completes a West Coast journey
California already conquered, he finishes off the country's West Coast, one beach scene at a time.
By Christopher Reynolds
The Heceta Head Lighthouse near Yachats, Ore., stands on a seaside slope as spectacular as anything in Big Sur, and there's a bed-and-breakfast in the lightkeeper's home next-door. Be nice, and the innkeepers will let you stand beneath the lighthouse tower after dark. Read more >>

Related:
• Video: Northwest coast confidential
• Road trip diary
• Cost of the trip
• Where to eat
• Places to stay
 Horseshoe Bend near Page. More photos

Uncovering Arizona's overlooked destinations
The Grand Canyon isn't Arizona's only majestic presence: head northeast for such low-key gems as Lower Antelope Canyon and the Petrified Forest.
By Jason La
An Arizona road trip? Why not? Last winter, a college friend and I visited the Grand Canyon, one of the country's most celebrated treasures. In late April, we decided to return to check out Arizona's northeastern corner, which seemed speckled with less-visited wonders and, I hoped, a few hidden gems. Read more >>

Related:
• Planning your trip to Arizona
• Deep inside Lower Antelope Canyon in Arizona
 The Memphis downtown bar scene. More photos

A road trip of sights and sounds suggested by readers
On a cross-country trip, one man rolled with suggestions from Times readers.
By Mark Milian
As I thought about my two-week cross-country road trip this summer, I was wary about going it alone. But I found plenty of people to keep me company on the drive -- or rather, many of them found me.

I solicited tips in the Travel section and on our Travel blog explaining how I was a Times intern moving to Los Angeles to become a full-time writer and asking readers to send advice on stops along the way of my music-themed trip. Read more >>

Related:
• Road trip diary


124 road trips from Southern California


There's nothing quite as all-American as a road trip, especially in the West, where a wealth of culture, natural beauty and excitement unfolds before you. Coyote Buttes (pictured) awaits in Arizona and Utah. Valley of Fire State Park beckons from Nevada.

To help you tap the region's cache of getaways, we've compiled a list of 124 road trip spots. Distance to each destination is one-way from downtown Los Angeles. Cost of gas is for a round trip.*

BAY AREA
Mount Diablo
Distance: 371 miles
Cost for gas: $98
Description: A mountain riddled with myths

San Francisco's Chinatown
Distance: 381 miles
Cost for gas: $101
Description: Intrigue, retail temptation and good cheap food

Half Moon Bay
Distance: 389 miles
Cost for gas: $103
Description: A haven for hikers, bikers and daredevils
CALIFORNIA DESERTS
Hurkey Creek Park
Distance: 113 miles
Cost for gas: $30
Description: Has more than 100 campsites

San Gorgonio Wind Park
Distance: 102 miles
Cost for gas: $27
Description: Take a tour among the turbines

Little Petroglyph Canyon
Distance: 177 miles
Cost for gas: $47
Description: Richest Amerindian rock-art site in the hemisphere
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Ft. Ord Public Lands
Distance: 316 miles
Cost for gas: $84
Description: Over 80 miles of hiking, biking trails

Vision Quest Ranch
Distance: 300 miles
Cost for gas: $80
Description: Home to dozens of lions, tigers and bears

Cachuma Lake
Distance: 118 miles
Cost for gas: $31
Description: Campsites, cabins, fishing and hiking

CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY
Napa Valley
Distance: 398 miles
Cost for gas: $106
Description: The seat of California's wine country

Glen Ellen
Distance: 416 miles
Cost for gas: $110
Description: Small town with more to offer than just wine

Sea Ranch
Distance: 483 miles
Cost for gas: $128
Description: Homes in harmony with NorCal's rugged coast
LOS ANGELES AREA
Abalone Cove Shoreline Park
Distance: 32 miles
Cost for gas: $9
Description: Tucked-away cove beneath cliffs of Palos Verdes

Richard Nixon Library
Distance: 38 miles
Cost for gas: $10
Description: Nixon and his wife, Pat, are buried here

Crystal Cove State Park
Distance: 51 miles
Cost for gas: $14
Description: Scenic bluffs and a family-friendly vibe
SAN DIEGO AREA
Point Loma
Distance: 123 miles
Cost for gas: $33
Description: Features the Old Point Loma Lighthouse

San Elijo State Beach
Distance: 98 miles
Cost for gas: $26
Description: One of the state's most well-appointed camp sites

Black's Beach
Distance: 110 miles
Cost for gas: $29
Description: Great-granddaddy of Calif.'s nudist beaches

SIERRA NEVADA
John Muir Wilderness
Distance: 268 miles
Cost for gas: $71
Description: 590 miles of trails, dozens of pristine lakes

Mammoth Lakes
Distance: 311 miles
Cost for gas: $82
Description: For skiing in winter, hiking in summer

Devils Postpile National Monument
Distance: 322 miles
Cost for gas: $85
Description: Formed 100,000 years ago from cooling lava
SANTA BARBARA AREA
East Beach
Distance: 93 miles
Cost for gas: $25
Description: Creamy sand and crafts shows on weekends

Sespe Hot Springs
Distance: 104 miles
Cost for gas: $28
Description: Has a reputation as hottest hot springs in SoCal

Jalama Beach
Distance: 158 miles
Cost for gas: $42
Description: Just the ocean lapping at the raw land
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Crescent City
Distance: 729 miles
Cost for gas: $193
Description: The northern tip of California

Nice
Distance: 498 miles
Cost for gas: $132
Description: Scenic and relaxing with pleasant local shops

Sacramento
Distance: 384 miles
Cost for gas: $102
Description: Dozens of museums, historic parks

TEXAS
Hueco Tanks State Park
Distance: 833 miles
Cost for gas: $221
Description: Challenging boulders and ancient paintings

McDonald Observatory
Distance: 997 miles
Cost for gas: $264
Description: Home to gigantic Hobby-Eberly Telescope

Big Bend National Park
Distance: 1142 miles
Cost for gas: $303
Description: Craggy mountains and miles of Rio Grande
NEVADA
Valley of Fire State Park
Distance: 317 miles
Cost for gas: $84
Description: Amazing sandstone and pastel rock formations

Eldorado Canyon Mine
Distance: 285 miles
Cost for gas: $76
Description: Place where men "chased the vein" for decades

Goldfield
Distance: 338 miles
Cost for gas: $90
Description: Once the richest gold mining town in Nevada
UTAH
Monument Valley
Distance: 654 miles
Cost for gas: $173
Description: Iconic rock formations of the West

Goblin Valley State Park
Distance: 696 miles
Cost for gas: $184
Description: Packed with little sandstone turrets and hoodoos

"Spiral Jetty"
Distance: 790 miles
Cost for gas: $209
Description: Giant sculpture created from basalt and earth

OREGON
Florence
Distance: 881 miles
Cost for gas: $233
Description: A paradise for sand sport enthusiasts

Portland
Distance: 963 miles
Cost for gas: $255
Description: Locally grown food and folklore

Willamette Valley
Distance: 972 miles
Cost for gas: $258
Description: This region belongs to the Pinot grape
NEW MEXICO
El Morro National Monument
Distance: 682 miles
Cost for gas: $181
Description: Much-carved bluff in the high desert

Shiprock
Distance: 741 miles
Cost for gas: $196
Description: 1,800- foot tall formation visible for miles

Chetro Ketl
Distance: 742 miles
Cost for gas: $197
Description: One of the largest Anasazi "Great Houses" in Chaco Canyon
ARIZONA
The Wave
Distance: 521 miles
Cost for gas: $138
Description: Huge, undulating rock formation

Lower Antelope Canyon
Distance: 552 miles
Cost for gas: $146
Description: A maze of abstract shapes and colors

Sedona
Distance: 479 miles
Cost for gas: $127
Description: One of the most scenic cities in the Southwest
* Gas expenses were calculated using $2.756 for a gallon of gas, the average cost of gas in California as of Jun. 2, 2009, and a mileage of 20.8 miles per gallon, the average performance of new 2008 model cars and trucks. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.