Fascinating Road Trips

Our podcast guests often rave about one very special way to experience California: a classic road trip, where the destination and the journey are one and the same. We’ve compiled some of our favorite chats from the past six months, covering everything from great dining to epic views to quirky diversions. We hit the road with host Soterios Johnson’s conversation with travel expert Nathan Lump, who recounts the delicious detours he took while driving through Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley wine region.

After that, travel show host Samantha Brown discusses her drive to Big Sur along Highway 1; architecture expert Sam Lubell suggests a road trip dotted with jaw-dropping buildings; and author Matt Jaffe offers advice on exploring Death Valley. Our road trip collection ends on a tasty note as Thom Curry, co-owner of the Temecula Olive Oil Co., suggests stops for an olive-oil-tasting odyssey, and beer documentarian Jeff Smith details the ultimate craft beer itinerary. 

Guests

• Nathan Lump, travel editor
• Samantha Brown, host of Samantha Brown’s Places to Love on PBS
• Sam Lubell, author of Mid Century-Modern Architecture Travel Guide: West Coast USA
• Matt Jaffe, journalist and author
• Thom Curry, co-owner of Temecula Olive Oil Co. 
• Jeff Smith, writer/director of Craft: The California Beer Documentary

Resources

Former Travel + Leisure Editor-in-Chief Nathan Lump recounts his Anderson Valley road trip along Highway 128 to the Mendocino Coast.

• Calistoga
• Hopland
• Anderson Valley
• Highway 128 Road Trip
• Yorkville Cellars
• Pennyroyal Farm
• Boonville
• Paysanne
• Farmhouse Mercantile
• The Madrones
• Bewildered Pig
• Philo

Samantha Brown visited Monterey and Big Sur, situated along California’s Central Coast. Her stops included:

• Highway One
• The Haute Enchilada, located in Moss Landing
• Monterey Bay Aquarium
• Nicholson Vineyards
• Pezzini Farms
• Garrapata State Park

Architecture aficionado Sam Lubell explores some of California’s most interesting new structures.

• Central Library
• ARTIC
• The Broad
• Apple headquarters
• Samsung headquarters
• Facebook headquarters
• Transbay Transit Center
• Cathedral of Christ the Light

Matt Jaffe unveils the ideal itinerary for a quick trip to Death Valley National Park.

• Death Valley National Park
• Death Valley Road Trip
• Zabriskie Point
• Manly Beacon
• Panamint Mountains
• 20 Mule Team Canyon
• The Inn at Death Valley
• Ubehebe Crater

Thom Curry introduces listeners to the olive oil tasting experience in California.

• Willow Creek Olive Oil
• Corto Olive Co.
• The Olive Press
• Corning Olive Oil Co.
• Olive Pit

Filmmaker Jeff Smith builds an itinerary for the ultimate craft beer road trip, starting in San Diego.

• San Diego County’s craft beer culture
• Stone Brewing
• The Hops Highway
• Pizza Port
• Bottle Logic Brewing
• Beachwood BBQ
• Track 7 Brewing
• Ruhstaller
• Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
• Anchor Brewing
• 21st Amendment Brewery

About the Host

Soterios Johnson, formerly the local host of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition on radio station WNYC, moved from New York City to Davis, Calif., in 2016 and is just getting to know his surroundings. By combining his journalistic instincts with his personal curiosity, Johnson will use the California Now platform to develop a deeper understanding of his adopted home.