Sounds like perfect route articles
I've got to look into these routes -- thanks for posting!
Mark
One-tank trip from Orange County, CA
This may be a nice side trip for those visiting Disneyland or other attraction in Orange County.
Day 1 (total driving time: approx. 2 ½ hours)
Head east on CA-91 to I-15 south to Temecula. Temecula is Southern California’s wine country, and wine tasting opportunities abound. As drinking and driving don’t mix, it’s best to eat lunch here and keeping the wine tasting within reasonable limits. If you avoid rush hour traffic (roughly between 3:00 and 7:00 PM) it should only take an hour to get from Anaheim to Temecula.
The next leg of the trip from Temecula to Borrego Springs is about a 1 ½ hour drive through oak-studded hills on CA-79 south. Spring is the ideal time for scenery as the chaparral comes alive with colorful wildflowers. Right beside the road in Oak Grove is the last complete Butterfield Stage station.
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From 1857 through 1861 the Butterfield Stage ran between St. Louis and San Francisco, and this California historic site reminds us of times when travel took longer and lacked comforts we take for granted. Passing through Warner Springs you will see a sailplane field and golf course. When you head east on San Felipe Road and Montezuma Valley Road you will gain a bit in elevation before descending into the desert climate of Borrego Springs.
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Anza Borrego State Park surrounds the town, and the park offers many hiking and sightseeing opportunities. Campgrounds and a nice B&B are near the park’s visitor center, and you can expect to easily spend an hour at the visitor center learning about the area’s history, climate, flora and fauna.
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Day 2 (total driving time: 2 ¾ hours)
Take Borrego Springs Road south to Yaqui Pass Road south, and then head west on CA-78. As you head west you will climb from the desert through chaparral and up into evergreen forests by the time you reach Julian. This is about a 45-minute drive. Julian once attracted gold miners in the 1870s, but now it is mostly known for its apples and antique stores. Take a mine tour, stroll through town, and eat lunch and a slice of pie before heading down CA-78 west toward the coast.
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After you pass the town of Ramona you will see citrus groves near San Pasqual County Park. Citrus groves used to blanket Southern California, but now they stand out as scarce reminders of an agricultural era from the 1880s until the 1960s housing boom led to their demise. A small group of American soldiers and Marines under the command of General Stephen Kearny suffered defeat at the hands of Californios at San Pasqual in one of the few battles of the Mexican American War in 1846.
Take CA-78 west through Escondido and into the city of Vista. Turn right on El Camino Real and head north to San Luis Rey Mission Expressway. Turn right again, and in about ½ mile turn left onto Rancho de Oro Drive. This will take you to Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, about a 1 ½ hour drive from Julian. Franciscan missionaries built it as the 18th of 21 missions in 1798, but the current structure was built in 1811. After a brief tour it will be dinner time.
Follow the San Luis Rey Mission Expressway (CA-76) west into the city of Oceanside. It’s only about a 10-minute drive to the pier in Oceanside, and there are many places to eat nearby. If you want to eat on the pier itself, there’s a Ruby’s Diner at the end. The drive back to Anaheim will take a little over an hour if I-5 north isn’t crowded, so you may want to spend some time on a stroll along the beach before heading back.
The trip takes about 275 miles, and that is well within the range of my Subaru Outback.
More photos taken by shirohniichan from this trip here.
