Southern California Road Trip Done Right
An Insider's 3-Day Guide to San Diego County (From Someone Who Went Looking)
Most people come back from San Diego saying the same thing: “Yeah, it was great.”
Not exactly a ringing endorsement for one of the most visited destinations in the country; in fact 32.5 million people made their way here in 2024 alone. The infrastructure exists to handle the crowds. The problem is, most itineraries hand you straight to those crowds and call it a trip.
I wanted to find the version of San Diego County that actually delivers. So I went deep: the hidden hikes, the skip-worthy Instagram traps, the hotel mistake I won’t make again, and the one morning that completely changed how I see this place. That last one involves a 5am alarm, a desert slot canyon, and a decision most visitors might not make.
This is what I found…and what I’d do differently. As always, make sure you are subscribed so you don’t miss future insider guides:
First: Consider When to Go
San Diego’s famous “perfect weather” has a caveat: from roughly mid-May through June, a marine layer can blanket the coast in overcast skies. Locals call it “May Gray” and “June Gloom”. The clouds do tend to burn off by early afternoon most days, but some days stay gray all day.
The real sweet spot for visiting San Diego County is spring (March–May) and fall (September–November). You can expect milder weather, smaller crowds, and noticeably cheaper accommodations. July is peak season, with approximately 4 million visitors hitting the city that month alone.
If May is your window, it’s still a great trip. Just plan your desert day early, and don’t expect blue skies before 10am on the coast.
Where We Stayed (and Why I Wouldn’t Do It Again)
We based ourselves out of the Mission Bay Resort. On paper: central location, waterfront, family-friendly. In practice? It didn’t work.
The beaches felt small and functional rather than scenic. Campground fireworks went off way later than you’d want with kids. And every great part of San Diego required getting back in the car. By day two, we were already planning our exit north.
If you’re researching where to stay in San Diego County, I recommend skipping both Mission Bay and La Jolla proper. La Jolla is incredible to explore, but it’s crowded, chaotic, and not where you want to decompress at the end of the day.
The sweet spot for this itinerary: Del Mar.
Quieter, still central to everything, and just removed enough from the tourist machinery to feel like you’re actually in it. If you want to do it right, L’Auberge Del Mar puts you exactly where you want to be. It’s a splurge, but a justified one, and where we would look to stay whenever we next head down this way.
The Drive Down from Northern California (Make It Part of the Trip)
We broke the drive into pieces, and that ended up being one of the smarter calls of the trip.
Dana Point Harbor and the Bluff Top Arches makes an easy, scenic stop on the way in, just enough coastal payoff to reset everyone before the final stretch.
From there, we headed to Annie’s Canyon Trail near Solana Beach. If you’ve seen it on Instagram, you might be expecting a dramatic slot canyon experience. That’s not quite what it is; with most of the hike winds through a coastal lagoon, and the canyon section shorter than the photos suggest. But it’s still a fun, low-stakes stop, especially with kids. Manage expectations and it delivers.
Day 1: La Jolla Without Wasting It
The key to La Jolla is sequencing. Get it right and it’s one of the best days you’ll have.
We started at PopUp Bagels. They do one thing: hot bagels, straight from the oven, and they nail it. Fast, simple, and the right fuel for the morning.
From there, we headed straight to the Ho Chi Minh Trail (also known as the Saigon Trail).
It’s one of those hikes that feels more adventurous than it actually is, with ropes, a narrow canyon, a little scrambling. It has that “nobody knows about this” energy without requiring any technical skill. Turn it into a loop by climbing back via the road; worth it.
The Mushroom House: You’ll hear about it. Skip it.
Better-looking online than in real life and not worth wasting your time, even though its near the bottom (south end) of this trail.
Lunch was at Jeff’s Beach Burgers; simple, fast, and ideal post-hike.
Then we spent the afternoon at La Jolla Shores, our best true beach day of the entire trip. Wide, swimmable, and super enjoyable.
La Jolla Cove ranked #5 Best Beach in the U.S. , and while the Cove is beautiful to photograph, it absolutely stinks (literally) while La Jolla Shores is where you actually swim.
End the afternoon aiming for the sea caves at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, but here’s the key: the caves are only accessible at low tide.
Check conditions in advance. Ours didn’t line up, so I shot what I could from above and moved on.
Dinner: I’d skip Bernini’s Bistro. Great atmosphere, but we were served still frozen meatballs. Tough combination to recover from.
Day 2: The Unexpected Highlights
Morning: Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
If you’re coming from Northern California, yes, you’ll compare it to Monterey Bay Aquarium, and yes, it’s smaller. But it earns its keep in different ways: the touch tide pools, the ocean views, and (genuinely) featuring the smallest penguin species. It’s a different kind of experience, and a better one than I expected.
From there, we headed to the Torrey Pines Gliderport.
Watching paragliders launch off the cliffs while eating surprisingly cheap, good food was one of those unplanned moments that stayed with us. Put this on your list.
On the way back towards another beach afternoon at La Jolla Shores, we stopped at the Sea Cliff Coastal Bluff Trail, which is renown for sea lavender and overlooking Torrey Pines State Beach while the Pacific Surfliner rolls by.
Easy hike; must see views.
Dinner: We stopped at The Taco Stand in La Jolla. One of the longest lines of the trip, and still worth it.
Day 3: The Split Day
The kids and my wife went to the San Diego Zoo (one of the best zoos in the world for a reason). I went the opposite direction entirely.
At 5am, I was driving toward Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the largest state park in California, at 600,000 acres. Within two hours, I’d gone from coastal cliffs to total desert silence.
I hit a ‘The Slot’ canyon at sunrise and had it completely to myself. No crowds or noise; just that specific feeling you only get when you realize you’re genuinely the only person out there.
From there, I took the longish drive out toward the mud caves. One of the best hidden gems I’ve found in months.
You’re navigating through cave systems carved entirely from compacted mud. Bring a high-clearance vehicle, a headlamp, and a helmet if you have one.
On the way back, it logistically made sense to check out the Desert View Tower near the In-Ko-Pah Gorge.
A quirky roadside stop with hand carved rock formations and more character than most “must-see” spots on any list. Worth the pull-off.
Back in San Diego with time to spare before reuniting with my family, I turned the Spruce Street Suspension Bridge into a full loop through Maple Canyon.
Build this into a future San Diego trip.
I also stopped at Harper’s Topiary Garden. You can skip it. Another Instagram-better-than-real-life stop.
The one place I genuinely wish we’d built more time into: Balboa Park. The rose garden, the architecture, the Botanical Building, the museums…it deserved a half-day, not a walkthrough. Put this on your priority list if you’re extending the trip.
The Exit Day: Del Mar to Carlsbad
Don’t blow your last morning rushing home. We stopped in Del Mar for a delicious breakfast at The Cottage before one final stop: The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch.
The property spans over 50 acres with nearly 80 million flowers at peak bloom, typically open from early March through early May. If you’re catching it in season, this is a real stop, not just a photo op, especially with kids. It’s more developed than you might expect, in a good way.
Your Optimized San Diego County Route
Day 0 – En route to San Diego County: Link to Google Map
Day 1 – La Jolla Loop: Google Map Link
Day 2 – La Jolla → Torrey Pines → La Jolla: Google Map Link
Day 3 – Desert + City Split: Google Map Link
Exit Day – Del Mar → Carlsbad: Google Map Link
The Bottom Line
San Diego County isn’t hard. But doing it right takes intention. Build your days around flow, not proximity on a map. And at least once, wake up at 5am and drive the other direction.
That’s the version of this trip that goes from “that was nice” to “That was one of the best trips we’ve done.” You can find all of the trail links and GPS tracks on my California Map (plus hundreds of others across the state)!
For my paid subscribers, I have all the GPS tracks and AllTrails links below.
As always, I hope to see you on the trails.