Tag Archives: road trip

5 Exciting Group Weekend Escapes Near San Diego

San Diego County has several beautiful cities, all of which are along its Coast. They include La Jolla, Solano Beach, Coronado, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Del Mar and Cardiff by the Sea .Each of these beautiful smallest cities have abundant sunshine and lots of great beaches to visit.

San Diego County in California is the southwestern most county in the United States.  With a fast-growing population of more than 3 million, it is currently California’s second most populous County. With a good rainfall and lots of sunshine, San Diego County is one of those beautiful counties in the United States. The city boasts a mild climate along its coast and a nearly year-round gentle breezes and cooler evenings.

San Diego’s also great City for families. There are many Great Schools, and fun activities for families to do, and it is home to the World Famous San Diego Zoo.

Nestled along the coast of Southern California, San Diego is just short drive from countless spas, resorts, and beaches that are perfect for a group getaway. This post will highlight 5 of the best. In fact San Diego has more than 70 miles of coastline, making water activities a primary pastime.

Because of its many wonderful attributes San Diego attracts many tourist groups throughout the year. They rent a charter bus or minibus and come to the city to partake in its abundance of amenities and activities. San Diego County has several beautiful cities, all of which are along its Coast. They include La Jolla, Solano Beach, Coronado, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Del Mar and Cardiff by the Sea .Each of these beautiful smallest cities have abundant sunshine and lots of great beaches.

Here are some of the best San Diego weekend escapes.

Lake Arrowhead

Two hours North of San Diego, High up in the San Bernardino Mountains is Lake Arrowhead that is a year-round vacation destination. During the winter it is one of California’s most popular skiing destinations. Each week hundreds of thousands of people come the ski and Snowboard the trails of Lake Arrowhead and nearby Big Bear. During the summer months, Lake Arrowhead is filled with hikers And bikers on its hundreds a Mountain trails. Lake Arrowhead is a large beautiful Lake and the town of Lake Arrowhead has a wonderful selection of art galleries, small restaurants, and quaint hotels. There’s also a large and luxurious Lakeside Resort call the Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa, it is always ready to pamper guests.

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is the home of the largest trees in the world, the Redwoods.  The Redwood trees in the park or is oldest 3500 years and represent some of the oldest living things on the planet. Mini of the trees are 300 ft tall and some eyes wide is 30 ft in diameter. Some trees are uses tunnels through which cars can drive. The park also has campgrounds, and for lodges with visitors can stay as long as they wish.

The park is located in central California which is about a five-hour drive from San Diego. The park receives visitors from all around the world because of its beauty and also there is another national park called Kings Canyon National Park right next door.

Palm Springs

Only about three hours from San Diego is the oasis in the desert, Palm Springs. Palm Springs County includes the cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and La Quinta and each is a great place to spend some time. The area has more than 100 golf courses of all levels and so it can be considered a golfer’s paradise. Palm Springs is also known for its great spas. With hundreds of top end resorts you can be pampered and pleased during your entire stay here.

Rosarito Beach, Mexico

San Diego is only 30 minutes from the Mexican border camisole it is convenient to take a trip to Mexico from the county. For those interested in a real Mexican weekend getaway, Rosarito Beach provides the perfect location. This small City offers beautiful beaches, lots of fresh seafood, and Mexican music played by mariachi bands that strolled along the sand. Your group can find lots of exciting things to do in the city because it is designed to accommodate American tourists. One popular activity is to go fishing for everything from tuna to sailfish whatever fish you catch, can be cooked and served at many of the restaurants in Rosarito Beach. There’s also a very vibrant nightlife in the city with bars, nightclubs, and discotheques that open till the early morning hours.

Catalina Island

To get a view of island life in Southern Catalina, take a visit to beautiful Catalina Island. Catalina sits about 26 miles off the coast of California and is easy to get to from San Diego. Visitors drive north from San Diego to Dana Point which is about 30 minutes and then take the Catalina Express catamaran service to the island.. The boat ride is about 90 minutes. Catalina boasts an abundance of beautiful small hotels, fantastic restaurants, lovely beaches, and lots of outdoor activities including hiking, scuba diving, snorkeling, in water skiing. It also hosts a world-renowned jazz festival in the month of October. Finally, this great fishing off the Catalina Coast.

05 Jan 2019

Avoid Airports During Your Upcoming Vacation Time and Drive Instead

Road TripWhen pondering vacation plans, most of us involuntarily recall disastrous and stressful experiences flying and nearly missing flights. If you are trying to steer clear of stressful travel this summer, there are many “staycation” options or destinations that your family mobile can easily get you to. Don’t forget to take it into your local autozone for a good spruce before you hit the open road, because there’s nothing worse than a sweet summer day turned sour and getting stuck waiting for your AAA guy to show up.

If you reside on the West Coast region of the county and are pining to reconnect with the great outdoors, a great option for you and your family is Yosemite National Park. From most places in California, you can reach this destination in less than a day by car and, if you’re feeling adventurous, camping in this beautiful park is the experience of a lifetime. For those who need their shut eye indoors, the Yosemite Valley Lodge is quaint and cozy, as well as located just a short walk from the Yosemite Falls trail. In order to get the full experience, I recommend staying for at least 4 or 5 days and if your schedule allows, even a week, giving yourself sufficient time and flexibility to enjoy relaxing breaks in the valley in between hikes.

Some tips for your upcoming road trip can really help it to go over as ideally as possible. First off, clean and check your car before departing. Even if you clean your car before, try cleaning it out when you stop at gas stations in order to avoid an uncomfortable environment. Second, pack light so that you can save some room for souvenir shopping and any other treasures your travels may place in your path. Third, take a real map and a sharpie on board. Though it is extremely easy and practical nowadays to just type the destination into google maps, track your trail on a big traditional map and when it’s all said and done, you’ll have a cool keepsake to hang up on your wall. Additionally, consider getting a gas card so that you can reap the benefits of all the gas guzzling you’ll be doing on your trip, accumulating points you can use in hotel stays and the like. Last but not least, plan but don’t over plan. It’s important to have an idea of what stops you will make and of course your key destinations, but the awesome thing about road trips is that you are allowed the flexibility to make your itinerary as you go. Be spontaneous and don’t forget to take pictures of even the unexpected moments as they come.

Take into account the pros and cons of traveling on four wheels this summer and look into unique and famous sights across the country that can help you check off a few bucket list items and have a summer that will go down as a memorable one.

26 May 2017

Ultimate petrol head vacations!

There are more vacations than ever designed to attract specific groups of people. For petrol heads, depending on your budget, you could drive a dune buggy in Dubai or drive a high performance car around the Nürburgring in Germany. Let’s take a closer look at what’s available, how to get there and where to stay.

NASCARNEXTELCupFieldTexasMotorSpeedway

NASCAR driving

Why not get a group of friends together and spend a day driving a NASCAR stock car at one of 13 of the country’s major speedways?

A number of options are available, such as Ride Along, which includes three laps at racing speed, driven by a professional; a Three Hour Experience driving a NASCAR car for a five minute timed racing session; and the Premium Drive 8 Minute Timed Racing Session – this three hour driving experience includes either one eight minute timed session or multiple, back-to-back sessions.

The three-hour sessions feature a driver’s meeting with the Crew Chief, instruction and training, followed by timed laps on the speedway. In-car radio enables an instructor to offer advice as you drive, but there are no restrictions; overtaking is allowed and you drive yourself. At the end of the session you receive a souvenir racing license and a graduate certificate.

As all the speedways hold major events there will be plenty of nearby hotels/motels to choose from, not to mention eateries and entertainment.

Drive the Nürburgring, Germany

One of the most challenging and by far the longest racetrack in the world, the 12.944 mile Nördschleife or North Loop is used as a test track by numerous motor manufacturers. Home of the German Formula 1 Grand Prix until 1976, the F1 record of 6min 58.6secs, is held by Niki Lauda in a Ferrari 312T.

The Nördschleife is open for tourist drives throughout the year. Tickets are available for one, four, nine and 25 laps of the circuit, each limited to 15 minutes. There are campsites within minutes of the circuit and a number of nearby hotels.

If you are flying into Germany with Delta Air Lines, the nearest international airports are Frankfurt-Main (100 miles), Frankfurt-Hahn (80 miles) or Cologne-Bonn (60 miles). All the major car rental companies have desks at these airports, but if you are looking for a seriously rapid vehicle for your laps of the Nürburgring, you are advised to carry out a search of specialist car rentals at the circuit. Cars range from Renault Clio RS200s and Porsche GT3 991 PDKs to full race Lotus Exige S V6s

While in Germany, why not pay a visit to BMW, VW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi or Porsche? All offer factory-tours and have their own museums.

Road trip from Pikes Peak to Bonneville Salt Flats

Start by taking a drive up the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb course, around ten miles west of Colorado Springs. The 12.42-mile, 156 turn course winds its way to an elevation of 14,110ft, a height gain of 4,720ft.

There is a good cross section of accommodations to be had in Colorado Springs, along with a choice of restaurants and shopping.

Pikes Peak to the Bonneville Salt Flats is a drive of around 720 miles through Wyoming and into Utah. Take a couple of days for the trip and book yourself into a motel at one of the small towns along the I80 between Cheyenne and Salt Lake City. The nearest town to the salt flats is Wendover, a distance of around 87 miles; there are several accommodations to choose from, along with casinos and bars.

The only safe time to take to the salt is July. At all other times of the year there is a real risk of water on the surface, making driving hazardous. Make sure you sort out your visa to the states before attempting to enter as they are pretty strict.

Dune buggy driving in Dubai

For something a little different, search online for dune buggies in Dubai and book yourself a flight; Flights.com has some great prices.

Each rental company in Dubai offers its own packages; they typically last for between three and four hours and involve fully equipped buggies featuring roll cages, helmets, bucket seats, seat belts, night lights, fire extinguisher and back-up vehicle to minimize mechanical delays. Convoys are usually headed by a qualified safari driver. Minimum driver age is 18 and a valid international manual-driving license is required.

Whether you decide to stay close to home or take a trip to the other side of the world, there is sure to be a vacation to suit your pocket. What are you waiting for? Get online and start planning your next petrol head inspired trip.

09 Oct 2014