That Cool Travel Couple

Brought to you by a couple of Southwest local roadtrippers. We absolutely love taking road trips in the Southwest, and are excited to share with you our favorites. We’ll loosely be using LA as a starting point, but you can pick up these road trips wherever you need to!

1. Take PCH Up the Coast.

Disclaimer: PCH is our favorite highway, like, ever. We love coasting up and down this freeway but our favorite direction is north. From LA you can connect with PCH in Santa Monica and head up towards Malibu. You’ll be treated to absolutely spectacular views over the Pacific until you get to Santa Barbara.

If you have a little longer, head even further north until you get to Pismo Beach and the San Luis Obispo/Paso Robles area. This area is great for wine tasting and we have a complete guide to this area here. If you keep heading north you’ll hit Big Sur which is absolutely stunning. You’ll wind up and down the cliffside with spectacular views over the rocky central Californian coast.

2. Take PCH Down the Coast.

We love taking PCH down almost as much as we love taking it up the coast. There are definitely a few notable stops along the way, and lots of great camping options if you like to camp! Try to head to ReserveCalifornia as soon as you know your road trip dates to see if you can reserve any beach camping. The weather in southern SoCal makes it totally doable pretty much any time of year, but these reservations are pretty hard to come by.

Make a detour inland once you’re about halfway to San Diego and check out Temecula. There’s a lot to see and do here and know that it is the heart of Southern California’s wine country!

Keep heading down PCH to get to San Diego, the jewel of the south. You’ll be treated to balmy temperatures and spectacular beach weather. It makes for a perfect relaxing road trip.

3. LA to Phoenix to Sedona.

This dreamy Southwest road trip will visit not one but TWO national parks! For this road trip, you’ll take the 10 East towards Arizona. Definitely stop off along the way at Joshua Tree National Park. Even if you’re only here for a short period of time, you should make sure to check out the cactus garden and get in a short hike or two. If you’re traveling at night, stop in the park for some out-of-this-world stargazing! We also like to stop at Blythe and take in the beautiful Colorado River crossing.

As you’re approaching Phoenix you’ll take a detour to the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. It’s slightly south of the ten highway and is definitely worth the stop – FYI it is FREE to visit! Here you’ll see various plants and animals that are native to the southwest while hiking on trails. It’s also a great for boondocking.

Once you get to Phoenix, check out our Scottsdale/Phoenix itinerary here. Then head up north to check out Sedona! Try to visit the Grand Canyon National Park as well as it is close by!

4. LA to Albuquerque.

Get your kicks on Route 66! This is definitely on the longer side of a road trip, but that makes for more fun! You’ll essentially follow the above itinerary to Phoenix, but keep heading east instead of turning north. The 10 highway will take you straight to the heart of Albuquerque. In our opinion, this is the very BEST Southwest road trip idea as New Mexico truly is what one pictures when you think of the Southwest. Check out our in depth itinerary of what to do in Albuquerque here.

By the way, there’s plenty to explore from Phoenix to Albuquerque! If you want to add on a National Park, check out the Petrified Forest National Park. Here you’ll be treated to expansive views over the Painted Desert (it really does look like a painting!). It doesn’t take too much searching to find pieces of petrified wood – these are actually fossils! Don’t miss this awesome rock formation at the Arizona-New Mexico border either. You’ll be able to spot some critters on the rocks if you look closely!

5. LA to Las Vegas!

Viva Las Vegas! This is a relatively quick road trip idea, as it only takes about four hours each way. We have an in depth guide to enjoying Las Vegas here. For this Southwest road trip, you’ll take the 10 east to the 15 north to get to Vegas. There’s plenty to stop by along the way. Plug Mormon Rocks into your GPS and check out these awe-inspiring rock formations in the middle of the desert. If you’re into shopping, check out the outlet shops in Barstow. You’ll also see the famous ZZyzx Road exit – make sure to snap a photo on the way! You’ll also come fairly close to Death Valley National Park as well as the Mojave National Preserve, which are awesome places to stop and enjoy the desert. That being said, make sure to pack plenty of water and try to avoid traveling in the peak heat of the day!

P.S. Once we drove through Amboy on a detour back from Vegas. If you do this, make sure to stop at Roy’s Motel & Cafe. It’s a throwback to the space age and definitely has awesome Southwest road trip vibes!

By the way, we have tips on how to beat the heat on any road trip here!

And finally…the Southwest has the best sunsets out of anywhere we’ve visited in our opinion. Yes, that includes internationally – and same goes for clouds. No matter where you are – make sure to look out the window at sunset to be treated to glorious dramatic orange, gold, red and violet hues.