San Diego to Colorado Springs Road Trip Guide

It's been a long trip and it's coming to an end. After expending energy at the ski resort, it's only natural to be famished. The Garfinkel's Bar and Grill is only five minutes from the resort, easy to reach and park, with a great view that overlooks the gondola in Lionshead. It is often one of the busiest venues for food and drink in the area.

What that also means is that it’s a good place to eat. After all, it's not popular for no reason. They offer a wide range of food and drinks and stay open till 11 pm, so don’t fret if you arrive here quite late. You’ll get something good to feast on.

It has a 3.5-star rating with great reviews and affordable prices. A stopover here before hitting the road to your final destination comes highly recommended.

Due to the huge amounts of snowfall each year, Vail Ski Resort is perfect for a little ski experience, whether you're a master at it or just learning the ropes. One hundred and fifty-seven miles from the Mine and traveling for three hours might leave you ready for a cooler atmosphere in Vail. The resort's wide variety of terrain for skiing as well as the Vail Village gives you the excuse to stay for two days before the trip ends. The overall feeling of coziness and surrealism here are sure to charm and encourage you to have fun.

Don’t worry if you’re not feeling confident, as ski and snowboard lessons are available. Even if all you can muster is an adaptive program, that will go a long way in making you feel comfortable enough to get out there and experience the snow.

Your first stop as soon as you arrive in Colorado has to be Mica Mine. Here, you’ll get the chance to stretch your legs as you hike on the local mine trail that leads to a historical mica and quartz mine south of Grand Junction. Don’t worry, the 2.5-mile round hike is an easy one, so you won’t need to catch your breath as you move around. Look closely and you’ll see quartz and mica along the trail – the perfect souvenir. You get to keep your find too.

Arriving at the mine, you’ll come across beautiful wildflowers and waterfalls that will definitely tempt you to take one or two pictures. Or 15! By the time you spend a few hours here, your curiosity about how the stones are mined will be fully satisfied.

Your next stop is Arches National Park, 254 miles away, a journey of almost four hours! And yes, you're still in the same state. It’s not so hard to imagine the fatigue and the desire for something different from watching the landscape quickly go by. Arches National Park gives you a chance to relax for a two-day stay, offering you good adventure guides and ensuring your safety.

The park, dubbed “a red-rock wonderland”, features more than 2,000 natural stone arches, soaring pinnacles, and massive rock formations. If, by chance, you’re a nature lover that fancies studying rocks, you may not want to leave this park. In any case, you should by no means miss the sunset here. You definitely have to take photos too.

There are plenty of things to do here, ranging from auto touring, hiking and backpacking, canyoneering, rock climbing, to participating in ranger-led and interpretive programs.

So far, you've seen rocks, fountains, and museums. Your next stop now is a forest setting where you get the chance for another kind of connection with nature's freshness. Your 195-mile drive from Red Rock Canyon NCA will definitely leave you willing to rest and relax for another bit. Dixie National Forest, located in Cedar City, Utah, is just perfect.

This US Forest Service Park features different sections on its various landscapes that offer tranquility to visitors all around. Your stay here in this natural reserve will allow you explore the natural wonders it has to offer, during which time you can experience the pristine solitude of its Wilderness; hike the backcountry areas; angle for various fish species; hunt big and small game; and enjoy many other motorized recreational opportunities.

If you’re looking to spend the night, you’ve got nothing to worry about, as you’ll be surprised by how many camping options are available.

After the soothing tempo of the fountains, you should head to the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area for another view of nature's wonders. The National Conservation Area is open to all and offers several indoor and outdoor exhibits, plant specimens, and desert tortoise habitats. The 25-minute drive from the Fountains can seem more like moving from one part of the world to the other in terms of the difference in environment, but rest assured, you’ll love every bit of it.

You might want to consider trying your hand at climbing a few low rock faces for fun; hike and bike around; enjoy good meals with your loved ones; and spend the night within the developed campground here that accommodates motorhomes as long as 45 feet.

Arriving in Las Vegas, Nevada, your 152-mile trip from Barstow should be only a little over two hours, taking you straight to the Fountains. While there are other popular attractions in the city that you could also check out, such as Fremont Street Experience and what the city is famous for - casinos - the serenity that the Fountains offer are sure to refresh you after the long trip through the desert landscape.

This magnificent feature is dubbed “the most ambitious, choreographically complex water feature ever conceived”, and the cherry on top? - it’s absolutely free for any guest to enjoy. The soft music, light and water spectacles are great for relaxation for nighttime temperature. The sights might woo you to stay for the whole day and night before you head out to the next site. Located in the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, you’ll definitely get good spots to park your selected travel vehicle.

Mojave River Valley Museum should be your first recreational stop on the trip. Located north of San Diego, 176 miles away from San Diego's attractions, the trip to Mojave River Valley Museum can be covered in under three hours. Set in Barstow, California, and open all-year-round except on holidays, with free admission, the Museum is filled with historical information and exhibits that date back to 1776.

Barstow itself offers several museums such as Route 66 Mother Road and Western America Railroad Museum that display artifacts you definitely want to see. These facilities have good parking spaces for RVs, so you can spend some time here before you move on. The wealthy history of the city makes for a one- or two-day stay as you explore the wonders they offer before you set off on your journey. Barstow / Calico KOA, with its modern facilities and hookup options for RVs/trailers, is just one of the several campgrounds where you can spend the night.