Coachella Roadtrip, 2025 Edition

This represents my 15th time attending the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, but only my third time using it as an excuse for an epic road trip on California's backroads (see also 2019 and 2023). 

A relatively late, wet Spring meant that California was surprisingly green, but not yet covered in flowers (as it was in 2023). And mercifully, there were far fewer potholes than there were after the epic rains of 2023. I largely stuck to the roads that I'd discovered on my previous Coachella road trips, which faithfully provided ~1200 miles of the kind of driving that my 2018 Miata was meant for. 

Day One: SF to Santa Maria

I made a few edits to my previous itineraries in this first 300 mile leg of the trip. 

I began by making my way from SF to Skyline Drive (35), which I followed past Alice's Restaurant all the way to Highway 17. It had been a few years since I'd driven the single lane goat track that is 35 between Highways 9 and 17. It's a lovely set of twisties that limit you to about 25mph, best taken in the spirit of a pretty country drive, a contrast to the performance driving test that the alternative Highway 9 provides. 

Then rather than taking the typical path of Highway 17 to 1, I opted for the more scenic and less traffic-laden Soquel San Jose Road. Nice road, reminiscent of Highway 9, if a bit more residential. Then the usual Highway 1 path to Monterey, turning off onto 68, driving past Laguna Seca Raceway and over the hill on Laureles Grade into Carmel Valley for lunch at Corkscrew Café (good but pricey). 

After lunch, it was time to enjoy what is perhaps my favorite road of all: East Carmel Valley Road (G16). The perfect Miata road, full of tight twists but with lots of visibility ahead and virtually no other cars. In order to avoid 101 as much as possible, I then opted for Jolon Road (G14) up into the Fort Hunter Liggett Military Reservation and made my way to Lake Nacimiento, before stopping for gas in Paso Robles. 

Then 101 to my usual Santa Maria Airbnb spot for the night. 

Day Two: Santa Maria to Highland Park

After the usual delicious stack of perfect pancakes from my Airbnb host, I set off on Cuyama Highway (166) through absolutely gorgeous, green, hilly ranchlands into the Central Valley. These roads, filled with big sweeping curves, are perfect for a fast GT car, making me miss my Porsche 911 Turbo. 

But once I turned off onto Maricopa Highway (33) to head into the mountains, I was back in Miata territory, with tight turns aplenty. I had to bypass this road in 2023, thanks to road closures after the rains. There was still plenty of road work going on two years later, but when it's done, this is going to be an epic way to descend into the environs of LA. The periodic signal-controlled single lane road work actually helped clear the traffic, since I could just wait till everyone went ahead, knowing that I had at least 3 minutes of clear pavement ahead before anyone else could get through behind me. 

After lunch in Ojai (next time, do some research to finds something better than Zaidee's, which was basically the golf course watering hole), it was an uneventful freeway drive (top up, AC on) to Highland Park, where my friend Oliver's housewarming party awaited. The next morning, the drive to Indio was similarly uneventful and typical for LA freeways. 

Day Three: Palm Desert to Coalinga

The drive home began with a long spell of freeway traffic, as I made my way out of Desert Wells, headed back to LA for lunch with Oliver. Then another stint of LA freeway traffic, leading to I-5 and the Grapevine (apparently, the actual "Grapevine" is only 6 miles at the north end of what most Angelinos think of), which got me over the mountains. 

I finally escaped the hell that is I-5 by detouring up into the mountains on Cuddy Valley Road, passing by Pine Mountain Lodge, and back down to meet Maricopa Highway (33). What a fantastic stretch of empty mountain roads!

This put me at the southern end of what would be a couple hours of ruler-straight, mostly empty highway through the surprisingly extensive Central Valley oil country, with pumping horses extending in all directions. Had I been in a faster car, this is where I would have tested some top speeds; in the Miata, I was happy to simply cruise at 55mph with the top down and enjoy the slowly setting sun. 

The day ended in Coalinga, where there happens to be, somewhat inexplicably, a relatively new and nice Best Western. 

Day Four: Coalinga to SF

A new highlight: Los Gatos Road between Coalinga and Airline Highway. Back in 2019, the rains had made the second half of this drive a pothole-dodging chore. The good news this time is that about 80% of the potholes were patched, making this a real treat. Single-lane road, weaving through green ranch land, with not a car in sight. 

A treat as always, the drive up Airline Highway (25) takes me to Hollister, where I stop at Apricot King to pick up 4 lbs. of the best dried apricots that California has to offer. 

Then a direct interstate route home via 85 and 280. 

Total mileage = 1182.8; average fuel economy = 34.2 miles per gallon.