As I mentioned earlier, the road trip lasted 3 weeks so I definitly have pros and cons and things I would and would not do again. Most of the locations I went to are well-known, but I hope a few might be new to you so maybe one day you can take a road trip there!

First, I will discuss how I planned my roadtrip (most of it was spontanious). Second, all the locations I camped at including any parks, shops, restaurants or areas within each respective city. Then, I will go through my pros and cons list and finally, I will give you my final thoughts in hope it provides some gust of insight.

How I Planned My California Road Trip

The easiest way to plan this road trip for me was with google maps because of the different routs, abilites so hand-change the route, offline abilities, and live alerts. However, to be completely honest, I only booked reservation for my first week--all my reservations for the rest of the 2 weeks were made very last minute. Luckily, because I was traveling during the off-season, it is fairly easy to get a reservation (except for Carlsbad State Beach--ALWAYS plan months in advanced).

Locations:

I camped at a total of 8 different campsites, some with full hook-up, others with partial and only one off-grid. The total drive took about 34 hours, but probably longer since I was towing. Sadly on my way to my first stop--Santa Cruz--I did not take the pacific coast highway road trip by following Highway 1 because I was towing a 5,000+ pound trailer and it would have taken much longer. Sorry, but sometimes the scenic route is not always the way.

Here is a map of the path I took:

Santa Cruz

I am beyond happy Santa Cruz was my first stop because I only visited one other time and did not truly get to see Santa Cruz for its unique environment. I only spent 2 nights at the Santa Cruz/Monterey KOA, but enjoyed my time there so much.

Must Go-To's:

• Sea Cliff State Beach (a rainstorm sadly destroyed a lot of it)
• Betty Burgers
• Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting
• Pacific Cookie Company

Fort Bragg

I stayed at the Harbor RV Park sitting right on the edge of the Pacific Ocean--the views are unbeatable and include a nice little walk. Fort Bragg is a fairly small town, but has all the essentials.

Must Go-To's:

• Mendocino Cookie Co. & Zappa's Coffee
• Glass Beach

Redding

During my time in Redding, I stayed at the Blouder Creek RV Resort and enjoyed every minute of it. The staff are incredibly friendly and have great suggestions for things-to-see. A great bonus were their pay-online washer/dryer machines so I didn't have to find quarters!

Must Go-To's:

• Lake Shasta Caverns National Natural Landmark (wonderful guided tour)
• Yaks Shack (in Mt. Shasta the city)
• Whiskytown Falls Hikes (there are so many beautiful options)

Eagle Lake

Eagle Lake is a different place. It is 100% designed for summer time camping as the trout fishing there is supposed to amazing during then. This was a very last-minute booking so I was not expecting to do much but relax for a few nights. The entire campsite was empty and I forgot to read the email with my site number (they only run power to select sites during the winter months), so I parked in a spot away from the main street for my first night there.

That night I ran out of propane and my solar panels were not generating enough energy to power my fridge. That morning, I moved everything over to the powered campsites and for my second and thrid nights, I was fine. I do not have any hot spots to go to since the town barely even has a gas station (there is gas at the campsite).

Napa Valley

To start, I did not go to Napa for Valley. I went because I needed a warmer place to stay instead of high mountain ranges, so I went inland. Napa in itself is a nice city, but soley designed for wine tours, which is great if that's what you enjoy! If you are looking for a few delicious treat for yourself, I got you covered.

Must Go-To's:

• Gott's Roadside

Shaver Lake

I camped at Shaver Lake Campground during a holiday weekend and it was chaos, come Monday though the entire park was so quiet. You can easly walk straight down to the lake and keep exploring! I stayed at the lake my entire stay there since the drive was was little intense with curvy roads and climbing elevations.

South Carlsbad State Beach

I camped on the South Carlsbad State Beach by making a reservation 5 months in advanced to camp waking up to the ocean for 4 days (it was worth it). Since I grew up visiting Carlsbad I did not make any stops anywhere within the city, but still, here are a few things to check out depending on when you're camping there.

The majority of campsites are off-grid, but there are spots with hook-ups (those are hard to get thought!). Thankfully, there are plenty of bathrooms with showers around the campsite. You will also have private beach access!

Must Go-To's:

• Flower Fields (go towards the end of May you can also pick blueberries)
• Sushi Taisho

Dixon Lake

Dixon Lake was my final stop, not too far from where I live so I clean all my tanks and get it ready to sit in my parents driveway until my next trip. Part of Dixon Lake is Daley Ranch, which includes all skill-level paths for hiking, biking, or horseback riding.

Dixon Lake does have great trout fishing for San Diego and the water is unbelievably clear, so plan ahead and be sure to get there early if you want a boat during peak trout seasPros List:

• Incredibly liberating by teaching me how to deal with issues on-demand and stay calm
• I met amazing people and made life-long relationships
• I saw SO much fo California and it is beautiful

Cons List:

• Not enough back-up gear for when I don't have/run out of propane
• Read over the confirmation email for details about directions
• I did way too much within 3 weeks

Conclusion

My West Coast road trip was liberating to say the least, but overall I loved every minute of it through the highs and lows. My favorite cities were Santa Cruz for the laid-back environment and Redding for the large variety of outdoor options to partake in! My least favorite was Napa, but I am a 23-year-old kid who does not drink often so, do you expect anything less?

My next big adventure will be a Pacific Northwest and Western Canada road trip where I will likely be on the road for 2 months! Stay tuned!