Day 125 The Ultimate USA road trip Santa Barbara Wrightwood
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 03-04-2024
Route Summary I have further supplemented the Road Trip with even more special points that you can visit in the USA. Today we drive from Santa Barbara to Wrightwood. The ride is almost 290km.
We drive on beautiful Scenic Byways through beautiful mountainous California. There are sights to visit and many beautiful viewpoints along the way. There are a few stretches of highway, but I still rate this route 5 stars.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
8h 58m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
289.94 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review As we pass through Santa Barbara we pass “The Carousel House”, this was home to a carousel for 20 years and has now been transformed into an open space with a greenhouse-like industrial feel, perfect for all types of events. The Chase Palm Park Plaza lawn with a planted fountain is included in the Carousel House rental.
A little further on we stop briefly to take a photo at the “Santa Barbara Chromatic Gate”. This "rainbow arch" built in 1991 has a height of 6 meters and a weight of 12.5 tons. The “Santa Barbara Chromatic Gate” has six different colors, one arch is slightly larger than the other to create a rainbow gate. It was designed by the famous Austrian-born artist Herbert Bayer and is a popular place to take a photo.
We leave the city and drive along the mountains to Lake Casitas, this reservoir in Ventura County, California was built by the US Bureau of Reclamation and completed in 1959. The project provides drinking water and water for irrigation. A secondary benefit is flood control. It was the site for canoeing and rowing during the 1984 Summer Olympics. Casitas Dam was built on Coyote Creek two miles before it flows into the Ventura River. At Lake Casitas Viewpoint you have a beautiful view of the reservoir.
We continue our drive to Ojai located in the Ojai Valley. Part of the east-west-trending Western Transverse Ranges, the valley is approximately 10 miles (16 km) long and 3 miles (5 km) wide and divided into a lower and an upper valley, each of similar size, surrounded by hills and mountains. Ojai is known for its boutique hotels, recreational opportunities, hiking, and farmers market for local organic farming.
It has small businesses that specialize in local and eco-friendly art, design and home improvement. Chain stores are banned by city ordinance to encourage the development of local small businesses and preserve the city's character. The name Ojai is derived from Mexican-era Rancho Ojai, which in turn took its name from the Ventureño Chumash word 'Awha'y, meaning 'moon'. The city's self-proclaimed nickname is "Shangri-La," referring to the natural environment of this health- and spirituality-oriented region, as well as the mystical retreat from the 1937 film adaptation of James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon. Well worth a short stop.
Just outside of town we stop at an Ojai overlook, it offers a perfect view of the Ojai Valley and a panorama of the beautiful mountains. There is a spacious driveway on the right for parking.
We drive via the beautiful Anlauf Canyon to Santa Paula. Here you can consider taking a Railbike tour with Sunburst Railbikes. You'll explore the scenic beauty of Southern California like never before on a unique, pedal-powered (and electrically assisted), two-person bicycle that rides on rails through the landscape.
Enjoy a tour of Ventura County's citrus and avocado groves. Picnic lunches are available for purchase and there is time to enjoy a beautiful picnic. The Railbikes are suitable for all ages and are a perfect way to spend the day outdoors: active and exciting, but at the same time relaxing and casual. Weekend price: $249 per bike for two people. The tour lasts 2 hours and is 10 miles long.
Santa Paula is home to “The Warning,” the famous statue of two motorcycle cops who raced through Santa Paula in 1928 to warn the population about the collapse of the St. Francis Dam. The statue, located at the corner of 10th and Santa Barbara streets, depicts State Motor Officer Thornton Edwards and Santa Paula Police Officer Stanley Baker on the night of the disaster.
After about a 50-minute drive along the Santa Clara River, we cross it to visit the Rancho Camulos, now known as the Rancho Camulos Museum. This ranch located on State Route 126 in the Santa Clara River Valley was home to Ygnacio del Valle, a California alcalde from the Pueblo de Los Angeles in the 19th century and later elected to the California State Assembly.
The ranch was known as Ramona's house because it was widely believed to be the setting of Helen Hunt Jackson's popular 1884 novel Ramona. The novel helped raise awareness of the California lifestyle and romanticized "the Mission and Rancho era of California history."
The 7 km2 ranch is a good example of an early California rancho in its original rural setting. It was the source of the first commercially grown oranges in Ventura County. It is one of the few remaining Citrus growers in Southern California.
State Route 126 bisects the property, with most of the main buildings south of the highway, and a few buildings to the north. The main adobe is one of the few surviving Spanish colonial buildings in the state. Most other buildings are in the Mission Revival or Spanish Colonial Revival styles, both of which are derivatives of the original.
Rancho Camulos is designated a National Historic Landmark, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and is also designated a California Historic Landmark. Many of the buildings and grounds are open to the public as museums from this period in California history.
We leave the highway at Valencia, where we stop for lunch and where you can plan a visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain. The amusement park is one of the most famous Six Flags parks and is the only park that is open all year round. The park has held the record for the most roller coasters (20) in an amusement park since 2012.
When we leave Valencia the fun really begins with a series of Scenic Byways through the mountains of Angeles National Forest.
The first Scenic Byway is Placerita Canyon Road, which runs from Newhall to Sand Canyon Road. Beyond the Sierra Highway, the gorge deepens, offering beautiful views of the western San Gabriel Mountains. One of the first major gold discoveries took place here at the “Oak of the Golden Dream” in 1842, located near the Disney Ranch.
The next Scenic Byway is the Sand Canyon Road, largely built in the 1930s, this road follows the western end of the San Gabriel Mountains. It runs from the Sierra Highway to the intersection of Little Tujunga Canyon Road at Bear Divide, where there is a beautiful view of Sand Canyon Road from a parking lot.
The “Little Tujunga Canyon Road” begins at that parking lot. This winding road with beautiful views runs from Bear Divide on Sand Canyon Road to Foothill Boulevard in Lakeview Terrace. Almost all of it is in the Angeles National Forest. Most of this road was built by the California Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s.
And then the highlight of the day is the “Angeles Crest Scenic Highway”, which runs from La Cañada-Flintridge to the Mountain Top interchange at SR138. The concept for the most scenic and picturesque mountain road in the state was developed in 1912 and financing began in 1919. Construction began piecemeal in 1929 and continued until 1956, with the exception of the years 1941 through 1946 during World War II .
The “Angeles Crest Scenic Highway” rises to an elevation of 8,000 feet and winds its way through 66 miles of the Angeles National Forest, through beautiful greenery of shrubs and forests, along the highest and most scenic ridges of the San Gabriel mountain range.
The “Angeles Crest Scenic Highway”, which was closed for a number of years due to landslides, was repaired and reopened on May 20, 2009 and now extends to the town of Wrightwood, also the end point of this beautiful day. We spend the night at the Applewood Inn.
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Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Nearby routes 
California
About this region
California is a state in the Western United States. It shares a border with Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and the Mexican state of Baja California to the south. With over 39.5 million residents across a total area of approximately 163,696 square miles (423,970 km2), it is the most populous and the third-largest U.S. state by area. It is also the most populated subnational entity in North America and the 34th most populous in the world. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second and fifth most populous urban regions respectively, with the former having more than 18.7 million residents and the latter having over 9.6 million. Sacramento is the state's capital, while Los Angeles is the most populous city in the state and the second most populous city in the country (after New York City). Los Angeles County is the country's most populous, while San Bernardino County is the largest county by area in the country. San Francisco, which is both a city and a county, is the second most densely populated major city in the country (after New York City) and the fifth most densely populated county in the country, behind four of New York City's five boroughs.
The economy of California, with a gross state product of $3.2 trillion as of 2019, is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If it were a country, it would be the 37th most populous country and the fifth largest economy as of 2020. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and third-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.5 trillion respectively as of 2020), after the New York metropolitan area ($1.8 trillion). The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to five of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's ten richest people.Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including large-scale immigration into California, a worldwide economic boom, and the California genocide of indigenous people.
Notable contributions to popular culture, for example in entertainment and sports, have their origins in California. The state also has made noteworthy contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics. It is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and largest film industry in the world, which has had a profound effect on global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture, and the personal computer, among other innovations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as centers of the global technology and entertainment industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all U.S. imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. Although California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate and monsoon seasonal weather, the large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. All these factors lead to an enormous demand for water. Over time, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency and become less seasonal and more year-round, further straining California's water security.
Read more on Wikipedia
The economy of California, with a gross state product of $3.2 trillion as of 2019, is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If it were a country, it would be the 37th most populous country and the fifth largest economy as of 2020. The Greater Los Angeles area and the San Francisco Bay Area are the nation's second- and third-largest urban economies ($1.0 trillion and $0.5 trillion respectively as of 2020), after the New York metropolitan area ($1.8 trillion). The San Francisco Bay Area Combined Statistical Area had the nation's highest gross domestic product per capita ($106,757) among large primary statistical areas in 2018, and is home to five of the world's ten largest companies by market capitalization and four of the world's ten richest people.Prior to European colonization, California was one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse areas in pre-Columbian North America and contained the highest Native American population density north of what is now Mexico. European exploration in the 16th and 17th centuries led to the colonization of California by the Spanish Empire. In 1804, it was included in Alta California province within the Viceroyalty of New Spain. The area became a part of Mexico in 1821, following its successful war for independence, but was ceded to the United States in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. The western portion of Alta California was then organized and admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850, following the Compromise of 1850. The California Gold Rush started in 1848 and led to dramatic social and demographic changes, including large-scale immigration into California, a worldwide economic boom, and the California genocide of indigenous people.
Notable contributions to popular culture, for example in entertainment and sports, have their origins in California. The state also has made noteworthy contributions in the fields of communication, information, innovation, environmentalism, economics, and politics. It is the home of Hollywood, the oldest and largest film industry in the world, which has had a profound effect on global entertainment. It is considered the origin of the hippie counterculture, beach and car culture, and the personal computer, among other innovations. The San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Los Angeles Area are widely seen as centers of the global technology and entertainment industries, respectively. California's economy is very diverse: 58% of it is based on finance, government, real estate services, technology, and professional, scientific, and technical business services. Although it accounts for only 1.5% of the state's economy, California's agriculture industry has the highest output of any U.S. state. California's ports and harbors handle about a third of all U.S. imports, most originating in Pacific Rim international trade.
The state's extremely diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast and metropolitan areas in the west to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east, and from the redwood and Douglas fir forests in the northwest to the Mojave Desert in the southeast. The Central Valley, a major agricultural area, dominates the state's center. Although California is well known for its warm Mediterranean climate and monsoon seasonal weather, the large size of the state results in climates that vary from moist temperate rainforest in the north to arid desert in the interior, as well as snowy alpine in the mountains. All these factors lead to an enormous demand for water. Over time, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency and become less seasonal and more year-round, further straining California's water security.
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Statistics 
43Amount of RX reviews (California)
29345Amount of visitors (California)
768Amount of downloads (California)
Route Collections in this region Car or motorcycle tour through the western US
This collection contains all 15 routes driven by MRA Goldmember André ter Schegget during his three-week tour through the west of America.
The places to visit, the attractions and beautiful photo spots are nicely marked on the routes. The routes have been fully checked and made equal for the Garmin and the TomTom. Enjoy this wonderful trip and let us know how it was! Enjoy and stay safe!
Order of the tour:
Route 01: from Los Angeles and via Pacific Coast Highway to Solvang
Route 02: Solvang to Monterey / Pacific Grove
Route 03A: Monterey to San Francisco
Route 03B: if you are by car instead of the motorcycle, as motorcycles are not allowed on the 17 Mile Drive: from Monterey to the 17 Mile Drive and further to San Francisco
Route 04: from San Francisco via Nappa and Eldorado National Forrest to Topaz Lake
Route 05: from Topaz Lake via Bodie and Yosemite to Oakhurst
Route 06: from Oakhurst via Kings Canyon NP and Sequoia NP and Giant Forest to Exeter
Route 07: Exeter via Isabella Lake and Ridgecrest to Death Valley
Route 08: from Death Valley via Valley Of Fire to Mesquite
Route 09: from Mesquite via Zion NP and Dixie NF to Hatch
Route 10: Hatch via Bryce Canyon to Page
Route 11: from Page via Grand Canyon to Williams
Route 12: from Williams via Seligman and Route 66 to Kingman and via Hoover Dam to Las Vegas
Route 13: from Las Vegas via Oatman and Lake Havasu to Parker
Route 14: from Parker via Joshua Tree to Rancho Mirage
Route 15: Rancho Mirage via Palm Springs to Santa Monica
The places to visit, the attractions and beautiful photo spots are nicely marked on the routes. The routes have been fully checked and made equal for the Garmin and the TomTom. Enjoy this wonderful trip and let us know how it was! Enjoy and stay safe!
Order of the tour:
Route 01: from Los Angeles and via Pacific Coast Highway to Solvang
Route 02: Solvang to Monterey / Pacific Grove
Route 03A: Monterey to San Francisco
Route 03B: if you are by car instead of the motorcycle, as motorcycles are not allowed on the 17 Mile Drive: from Monterey to the 17 Mile Drive and further to San Francisco
Route 04: from San Francisco via Nappa and Eldorado National Forrest to Topaz Lake
Route 05: from Topaz Lake via Bodie and Yosemite to Oakhurst
Route 06: from Oakhurst via Kings Canyon NP and Sequoia NP and Giant Forest to Exeter
Route 07: Exeter via Isabella Lake and Ridgecrest to Death Valley
Route 08: from Death Valley via Valley Of Fire to Mesquite
Route 09: from Mesquite via Zion NP and Dixie NF to Hatch
Route 10: Hatch via Bryce Canyon to Page
Route 11: from Page via Grand Canyon to Williams
Route 12: from Williams via Seligman and Route 66 to Kingman and via Hoover Dam to Las Vegas
Route 13: from Las Vegas via Oatman and Lake Havasu to Parker
Route 14: from Parker via Joshua Tree to Rancho Mirage
Route 15: Rancho Mirage via Palm Springs to Santa Monica
View Route Collection
The 10 most downloaded routes in the USA from RouteXpert Hans van de Ven
Hello and welcome to this collection of the Top 10 MyRoute app downloaded routes in USA.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be driven.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelogue of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your mail.
The 10 routes are:
1. D13 Estes Park Denver
2. D03 Chadron Custer
3. D01 Pigeon Forge round trip through the Smokey Mountains
4. D08 Kalispell Sandpoint
5. D10 Colville Wenatchee
6. D09 Sandpoint Colville
7. D04 Custer Wall
8. D11 Wenatchee Seattle
9. D08 Cody Yellowstone NP
10.R13 San Francisco Monterey
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be driven.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelogue of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your mail.
The 10 routes are:
1. D13 Estes Park Denver
2. D03 Chadron Custer
3. D01 Pigeon Forge round trip through the Smokey Mountains
4. D08 Kalispell Sandpoint
5. D10 Colville Wenatchee
6. D09 Sandpoint Colville
7. D04 Custer Wall
8. D11 Wenatchee Seattle
9. D08 Cody Yellowstone NP
10.R13 San Francisco Monterey
View Route Collection