It’s time for a cross country road trip to California. We miraculously kept on track with our itinerary taking us from California to Florida to see the family over the holidays. Okay, we were pretty much packed into the SUV like sardines with the kids and our dog Doug. But at least we were able to unload some gifts in Florida for a little extra space.
We had such a wonderful time seeing our family, and exploring Amelia Island, one of Florida’s most unique places. It was sad to leave. But at least we had a fun-filled road trip on the return — hitting up some of the United State’s most iconic cities like New Orleans, Austin and Phoenix. Then wrapping up our travels with a few days in our favorite place to unwind, Joshua Tree National Park. It was the perfect spot to ease our way back into the work world and every day life.
Check out our incredible itinerary with our top recommendations on where to stay and what to do along your road trip to California. One thing is certain — you won’t be bored following this itinerary.
Day 1 of the Road Trip To California: Driving from Jacksonville to New Orleans
I’m not going to sugar coat it. The drive from Jacksonville to New Orleans is a little dull. But luckily, we discovered a few things along the way that helped break up the trip — including a great lunch spot and a museum in Mobile, Ala., with some spectacular Mardi Gras costumes. One thing to note is that you’ll also get an extra hour of time on this drive, as you travel from Eastern to Central time.
Total driving time today from Jacksonville to New Orleans: 8 hours
- 9 AM, Drive from Jacksonville to Tallahassee.
- 11:30-12:30 PM, Lunch at Backwoods Crossing, Tallahassee. There are plenty of outdoor seating options at this farm-to-table restaurant. It is literally a farm in the middle of it all.
- 12:30 PM, Drive to Mobile (3.5 hr drive); change time zones. Mobile is in Central Time (1 hour behind EST)
- 3 PM, Arrive in Mobile and visit the Mobile History Museum.
- You’ll find over 117,000 objects weaving together the rich and turbulent history of Mobile. We recommend seeing the history exhibits on the first floor (the best part of the museum) then quickly peruse the elaborate Mardi Gras costumes on the top floor. Mobile is where the first Mardi Gras celebration was held in the US (though New Orleans would debate this!). The museum closes at 5 PM.
- 4:30 PM, Before leaving Mobile, Ala., we recommend taking a quick peek inside the impressive Battle House Hotel, originally built in 1851. We bet there are some ghost stories here. If you’re here during Christmas, you’ll want to snap some photos of the Christmas tree in the lobby.
- 5 PM, Depart Mobile, Ala.
- 7 PM, Arrive in New Orleans (Central Time Zone, same as Mobile). Check into your Airbnb. We enjoyed our stay at the Musicians Village Home for 2 nights.
- 8:30 PM, Enjoy a romantic dinner at Café Amelie.
- Nestled in the historic 150-year-old Princess of Monaco Courtyard and Carriage House on Royal Street in the French Quarter, Café Amelie is a rare combination of superb Louisiana fare served in a lush, enchanting New Orleans courtyard setting. It was one of our favorite meals during our travels.
- Reservations are essential; a quick 10 minute drive from the Airbnb. Parking is tight in the French Quarter, so factor in some extra time.
Day 2: A Full Day Exploring New Orleans
New Orleans makes a nice place to stop and spend some time. We decided to do just 2 nights here, but we could have easily stayed longer. If you’re short on time, we suggest a walking tour and sampling some of its most famous food stops, which we cover below.
- 8 AM, Wake up
- 8:30 AM, Depart for swamp tour with Airboat Adventures
- Location: 5145 Fleming Par Road, Lafitte, LA 70043
- 9:15 AM, Arrival dock for Airboat Adventures
- 9:45-11:30 AM, Small Airboat Adventures Tour ($80 pp)
- Specialty airboats get you up close and personal with flora and fauna not found anywhere else in the country. Encounter alligators, exotic wildlife, and endangered birds.
- 11:30 AM, Drive back to the French Quarter in New Orleans. It won’t take more than 20 minutes but parking is always a challenge.
- 12:15 PM-1:15 PM, Pick up New Orleans’ famous coffee and a Beignet at Café Du Monde. Insider tip during COVID — there are multiple lines. Skip the longest one and head towards the back of the market where you will wait a mere 5 minutes (vs 30 minutes). We learned this the hard way!
- Kevin and I also tag teamed while I went to pick up a Muffuletta Sandwich from Central Grocery and Deli.
- 1:30-3:30 PM, Presbytere Museum (1 min walk from Café du Monde).
- We suggest coming here to learn about the efforts to clean up post Hurricane Katrina. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans’ badly engineered levee system, it resulted in one of the worst disasters in American history, leaving 80 percent of the city flooded and hundreds dead. Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond exhibit tells of the rescue, rebuilding and renewal.
- 3:30-5:30 PM, Wander around the French Quarter, stroll down Bourbon Street or maybe check out one of the Voodoo shops in town such as Voodoo Authentica.
- 7-9 PM, New Orleans Ghost, Voodoo & Vampire Walking Tour ($25 pp)
- New Orleans is infamous for its spooky past, filled with tales of voodoo, vampires, ghosts, and witches. During this walking tour, save time with a guide who knows the quickest routes around the Big Easy and brings the folklore and history of the city to life, all during the creepiest time — the night.
- 9 PM, Grab a late dinner at Muriel’s Jackson Square. The restaurant offers a wide variety of seating options — from outdoors to indoor patio dining.
Day 3: New Orleans to Austin, TX
Today’s drive is broken up by a stop in Houston. It’s a nice halfway point to stop, explore the NASA Space Center and grab dinner before the final stretch to Austin, where we’ll spend a few days.
Total driving time today New Orleans to Austin: 8 hours
- 9 AM, Depart New Orleans
- 2:30 PM, Arrive in Houston Space Center
- Space Center Houston is one of the only places on Earth where visitors can see astronauts train for missions, touch a real moon rock and take a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA. Some of it was closed during COVID, but we still loved exploring and seeing the shuttle up close. Tickets are $30 per adult and the Center is open every day of the year except Christmas.
- 5 PM, Get dinner nearby at Hyde Park Kitchen and Bar in Houston. There were outdoor tables, so we could even bring our dog Doug along for this stop.
- 6 PM, Depart Houston for Austin (2.5 hour drive)
- 8:30 PM, Arrive in Austin (Central Time Zone) and check into your Airbnb for 4 nights. We enjoyed the convenience of the Austin House, walkable to nearby restaurants and cafes.
Days 4-6: Explore Austin and Find Out Why it’s the Hot Spot
We spent several days in Austin to break up the trip. If you have a few days to kill, this is one of the best spots to stop. You’ll find museums, delicious barbecue and plenty of outdoor activities. Make sure you try Franklin BBQ, considered the best in all of Texas, and make the trek to Lockhart, just 30 minutes south, considered the BBQ capitol of Texas. To read our top recommendations, check out our feature on Austin where we explore the best things you can do outdoors.
Day 7: Travel from Austin to El Paso, Texas
Today is one of the longer drives, but we still made sure to include a fun stop to break things up. We had so much fun in Austin that it was hard to say goodbye. Though, Fredericksburg, Texas, just 1.5 hours east of Austin made for a great road trip stop. This is the heart of Texas wine country. Wait, Texas has wine country? Our reactions exactly! It’s actually the 5th biggest wine producer in the US, only behind California, Washington, New York and Oregon. It can get cold here. In fact, we did some outdoor wine tasting in the 40’s. Clearly, we’re dedicated!
Total driving time today Austin to El Paso, Texas: 9 hours
- 9 AM, Depart Austin
- 10:30 AM, arrive in Fredericksburg, Texas.
- 10:30 AM – 12 PM, Enjoy some wine tasting at one (or several) of the wineries scattered around the outskirts of downtown Fredericksburg, Texas.
- 12 -2 PM, Wander around downtown Fredericksburg and pick up some lunch. The town is packed with so many shops and restaurants, you’ll have a hard time deciding where to go first (at least we did).
- 2 PM, Depart for El Paso. It was a great time in Fredericksburg, but we had to hit the road to make it in time to sleep.
- It’s a long stretch, and if driving in the winter, be on the lookout for ice and snow.
- 9:30 PM, Arrive in El Paso and check into Airbnb. We enjoyed our time at this 1918 Victorian Home in El Paso.
Day 8: El Paso to Phoenix
Today’s drive includes a few stops in both El Paso and in Tucson, Arizona, before arriving in Phoenix. This is a lighter driving day, so you’ll have plenty of flexibility to adjust your schedule. You’ll also get 1 hour back traveling from Central to Mountain Time. Of course, we took full advantage of this and packed in even more!
Total driving time today from El Paso, Texas to Phoenix: 6.5 hours
- 8 AM, Wake up
- 8:30 AM, Pick up some coffee in downtown El Paso. We loved the vibe and menu at District Coffee.
- 9:30-11 AM, Visit the National Border Patrol Museum in El Paso. Admission is free.
- This museum sounded incredibly interesting but was closed when we arrived. We visited around the holidays, so that could be a reason why. Though, there were no signs indicating it was officially closed. Who knows? But if you have the time, you could check it out. There are interesting items to explore outside the museum as well.
- 11 AM, Depart El Paso for Tucson (4.5 hours driving).
- 2:30 PM, Arrive in Tucson, and visit the Sonoran Desert Museum.
- 2:30-5 PM, Explore the Sonoran Desert Museum.
- Kevin first came here when he was 17 years old, as part of a trip for the International Science and Engineering Fair. He could have never imagined back then that he’d one day return with me (as his husband) and the two kids in tow.
- 5 PM, Drive to Phoenix, but don’t forget to grab a famous Sonoran Hot Dog before leaving. These are legendary in these parts.
- 6:45 PM, Arrive in Phoenix and check into your Airbnb. We highly recommend this Historic Phoenix Home if traveling with your family.
- 8 PM, If you still have energy (we did!), head over to Roadhouse Cinema in Scottsdale to take in a movie with reclining seats and table service, including drinks.
Day 9: Phoenix to Yucca Valley (Near Joshua Tree National Park)
You’re in the home stretch! Today’s drive from Phoenix to Yucca Valley will feel like a blink of an eye. We suggest making the drive straight through so you get into Yucca Valley early enough to do a hike before sunset.
Total driving time today from Phoenix to Yucca Valley, Calif.: 4.5 hours
- 9 AM, Depart Phoenix
- 1:30 PM, Arrive in Yucca Valley and check-in early at the incredible Airbnb called Terra Vista for 3 nights.
- 2:30-5 PM, Hike the 4.4 mile West Side Loop Trail, and take in the views of Joshua Tree.
6 PM – on, Enjoy the sunset from your Airbnb while eating burgers from the grill.
Days 10 – 13: Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree National Park
Yucca Valley was our re-entry back into our everyday lives. We just love the desert and taking in all the scenery and staring at the stars each night. Ever since the pandemic hit, we’ve been coming out to the desert to get away from it all. It was the exact thing we needed to recharge our batteries. Clearly, we were keeping a busy schedule and needed it. Looking for ideas in Joshua Tree and Yucca Valley? Check out all of our Joshua Tree coverage here.
Day 14: Arrive in Los Angeles
We made it back home. What an epic adventure. Now it’s time for us to go back to our jobs. Looking for ideas of things to do in Los Angeles? Check out all of our features on Los Angeles, including our top picks on where to see the Hollywood sign.
