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Free California road trip guide

Last week, I received the free copy of California Drives 2007 I’d requested from the California Travel and Tourism Commission (CTTC), and after leafing through it countless times and leaving it around the house to see if it piqued the interest of anyone else (it did), I feel ready to summarize and opine.

Twelve road trip itineraries are detailed in the California Drives magazine. Each focuses on a regional theme, for instance “deserts,” “gold country,” or “inland empire” (which I’ve always thought sounded way cooler than it is). The itineraries range in length from two to eight days and from 100 to 785 miles.

I grew up and now live in California, and can say from years of experience that road trips are a great way to see the state. I’m not sure I would ever follow one of these itineraries from start to finish, simply because I’d likely get sidetracked somewhere along the way, but I do think the ideas are good and useful for planning. I especially like the way you can get a sense of the major sites in a region simply by scanning the itinerary. Then it’s just a matter of prioritizing and customizing for your traveling style.

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