Where to first - SD or Palm Springs from Long Beach ?
 

Any opinions on which would be better ? We will be flying in & out of Long Beach airport in late March and trying to figure out if there is a difference between driving out to Palm Springs first before heading to San Diego or vice versa. Thanks!

Our daughter lives in San Diego and we
go out there many times. We drive
from San Diego to Palm Springs and go
over the mountain. It is a beautiful
drive!!! About two hours or two and a half...I can't tell you the exact route
numbers, but look on the map and ai think anyone could tell you....someone told us about going over the mountain...

Thanks Candy. I believe i have seen this route mentioned in other posts, just need to find it again so I can print it out !

i make the decision on how i wanted to end my trip. in the city by the ocean (it will be cool) or in the heat of the desert.

Author: PSLocal
Date: 11/29/2003, 07:34 pm
Message: Hello.

Assuming you are starting at or near the SD airport, take the I-5 South to Highway 163 North. The 163 will transition into the I-15 North. Take I-15 to Temecula and exit at Highway 79. The signs will say 'Indio.' Take Hwy 79 east to the junction with Hwy 371. Take Hwy 371 (signs will say Indio again, with directional arrow). The 371 will intersect Highway 74, the Palms to Pines (Scenic) Highway. Take the 74 toward Palm Desert. Hwy 74 descends into Palm Desert and becomes Monterey Street, a main artery that intersects Interstate 10 to the north.

Your options into Palm Springs from there are numerous. Easiest for a visitor may be to go west at the Intersection of Hwy 74/Monterey and Highway 111.

Happy trails.

PSL

Given the current weather forecasts (it's probably going to be cool in the coastal cities with heavy marine layer), I'd head into San Diego first so that you can enjoy the desert sun and heat and bring a fresh tan back home.

The drive from LGB (my hometown airport!) to San Diego is an easy one (I-405 S to I-5 S-- how simple is that?!). Then, you can take PSLocal's scenic route into Palm Springs.

The drive BACK to LGB from PS is not hard, but involves a few freeways. In its favor, there are some very scenic parts to it:

Out of PS take I-10 W, then follow CA-60 W through the mountains until you arrive at the CA-91 W/I-215 interchange. Take CA-91 W all the way into Orange County, then hop the CA-55 toward Newport Beach. A few miles down, take the CA-22 W toward Long Beach. This merges with the I-405 N; follow to the Lakewood N exit (Long Beach Airport). Sounds complicated, but it's actually quite direct and much faster than the other possible route (I-10 W to I-710 S-- don't do it!). Weather in the desert will be glorious this weekend, so have a great time!