Day Trips · Cruises · Around the U.S.
Even Further Down the Road
When the 5 and the 405 aren’t far enough.
Look, I love Orange County. I live here on purpose. But every so often you need a different view. Sometimes that’s a day trip up the coast or out to the desert. Sometimes it’s a cruise ship, which is honestly where we like to spend our time. And sometimes it’s somewhere else in the country I’ve been before and want to see again.
No influencer sunsets. No “hidden gems” that showed up on 40 TikToks last week. Just what it cost, what it took, what was worth it and what I’d skip next time.
The Rules
What Counts as “Even Further”
Simple rule: if it’s an outing in OC, it goes on the Orange County page. If it takes a full tank, a boarding pass or a cabin key, it goes here.
- Day trips: Southern California spots worth the drive, out in the morning and home that night (traffic permitting)
- Cruises: where we spend a lot of our vacation time, and where I’ll tell you what’s worth the upcharge and what isn’t
- Around the U.S.: places I’ve traveled and want to get back to, written up and filmed as I go
Everything here gets the same treatment: real costs, real logistics, and an honest call on whether you should bother.
Day Trips
Southern California, One Tank at a Time
You don’t need a plane to get somewhere completely different. These are the trips I’d get in the car for. Drive times are from San Juan Capistrano, they’re approximate, and traffic is always included whether you planned for it or not.
| Destination | Drive (approx.) | Why go | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego | 1 hr | La Jolla Cove, Balboa Park, Old Town and better tacos than anyone admits | The 5 through Camp Pendleton is fine right up until it isn’t, and La Jolla parking is a contact sport |
| Temecula | 1 hr | Old Town, wineries and a long lunch that turns into the whole afternoon | Weekend tasting rooms are packed, and someone has to drive home |
| Catalina Island | 90-min ferry | Avalon, the casino building, snorkeling and a golf cart tour of an island that’s 22 miles long | Ferry fares for a group add up fast, and the boat back leaves whether you’re on it or not |
| Palm Springs | 1.5–2 hrs | Mid-century everything, the aerial tramway and pools built for doing nothing | From June to September it’s an oven with good architecture |
| Big Bear Lake | 2 hrs | Actual seasons. Snow in winter, the lake in summer. | Every snow weekend, so is everyone else in Southern California |
| Julian | 2 hrs | A small mountain town that runs on apple pie | Fall is apple season, which is exactly when the line is longest |
| Santa Barbara | 2.5–3 hrs | State Street, the Funk Zone, the pier and the Mission | It’s a long day trip. Leave early or plan to stay over. |
My take: San Diego and Temecula are the easy ones. Catalina feels like a real trip without the airport. Santa Barbara is the one you’ll want to turn into a weekend. And Palm Springs is a winter move, full stop.
Cruises
Where We Like to Spend Our Time
I’ll say it: a cruise is the one vacation where nobody has to drive, nobody has to agree on a restaurant and everybody can go do their own thing until dinner. That’s worth a lot. It’s also an entire industry built to sell you things once you’re on board, so go in with your eyes open.
- Port proximity matters. Long Beach and San Pedro are a drive away, which means no flight just to get to the ship.
- Do the drink-package math. It only pays off if you really commit. Be honest with yourself.
- Excursions are a markup. The cruise line’s tours are convenient and overpriced. Booking your own saves money, as long as you trust yourself to get back before the ship leaves.
- Sea days are a race. Want a pool chair? Get there early or don’t bother.
- The ship is the destination. On the big Royal Caribbean ships, half the fun never leaves the boat. Plan around that.
Every cruise I take gets a full write-up and a video: the ship, the food, the shows, the cabin and whether it was worth the money.
Around the U.S.
Been There. Going Back.
I’ve traveled a lot of this country. When I get back to those places, I’ll write them up the same way: what it cost, where to stay, where to eat and whether it lives up to the hype. And there’ll be a video right here so you can see it for yourself.
And yes, if there’s a good golf course nearby, the clubs are coming with me.
Lessons Learned
How I Travel Now
All six kids are grown. That means two things: I can actually go places, and getting all of us in one spot takes the planning of a moon landing. A few things I’ve learned:
- Organize it or it won’t happen. One shared itinerary, one group chat, one person in charge. (That’s me. It’s always me.)
- Leave early, come back late. The rule for any day trip: beat the traffic out and let it clear before you head home.
- Book the cabin first. The good cruise cabins go early. Lock that in, then figure out everything else.
- Read the fine print. Resort fees, port fees, gratuities, parking. The price you see is never the price you pay.
- Shoulder season wins. Spring and fall bring better rates, better weather and smaller crowds.
- Skip the famous spot sometimes. Some of the best stops are the ones nobody’s heard of, right down the road from the one everybody posts.
Come Along
The trips go on YouTube first, then show up here with the full write-up.
- Watch: YouTube @ocdadontheroad
- Follow: Instagram · Facebook · TikTok · X · Bluesky
- Listen: The podcast is coming. Eventually. I’m organized, not a miracle worker.
Got a place you think is worth the miles? Tell me. If it’s legit, I’ll go. If it’s overhyped, I’ll say so.
Appreciate you.
— Jon, the OC Dad
