California Road Trips - 50 Life-Changing Adventures - 35

14
Shopping
Spree

Steer your car to these tony
boutiques, high-end open-air
malls, factory outlets, and
specialty stores

B E G I N YO U R T R E A S U R E H U N T in La Jolla at Westfield UTC, a sun-splashed outdoor complex
with more than 150 stores. Serious shoppers will appreciate Westfield's variety-big American names
like Tiffany and Tesla alongside trendy French furniture designer Roche Bobois. Next, head north
along Pacific Coast Highway to Solana Beach's Cedros Avenue Design District, a beachy 'hood dotted
with vibrant specialty shops. Check out SoLo's designer-curated collectibles and housewares.
Take a shopping break on the patio at Claire's on Cedros-order a fried green tomato or chimichurri
steak sandwich-then cruise 75 minutes north, enjoying ocean views for much of the drive, to Newport
Beach's nautical-themed Lido Marina Village. Fill your car with fabulous finds from home decor style
icons Serena & Lily and then push on to Costa Mesa's South Coast Plaza, Southern California's largest
luxury shopping hub. It would take a week to browse more than 200 posh boutiques, including Cartier
and Dolce & Gabbana, but do your best before unwinding for the night in Newport Beach.
You'll need lots of energy for day two, so rev up your morning with a turmeric latté from local
roaster Kéan Coffee, then make the 90-minute drive to Santa Monica. Stroll car-free Third Street
Promenade with its colorful street performers and shops brimming with collectibles, like multi-hued
kaleidoscopes and vases at Adamm's Stained Glass and a vast trove of guitars at Truetone Music.
Nearby, Montana Avenue offers more tree-shaded browsing plus possible celebrity sightings at
Kreation Kafe's juice bar.
Brace yourself for your next stop-Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive is L.A.'s pinnacle of luxury, known for
glamorous couture (think Versace and Prada). Shop like a jet-setter or just snap a selfie by the Via
Rodeo sign on Two Rodeo Drive, a faux-European cobblestone alley. Recharge overnight in a luxurious
bed at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, then wake early and make a break for the desert.

S TA R T
Westfield UTC, La Jolla

3 286

days

miles

Split up the two-hour drive with a stop at Ontario Mills. Breeze through a handful of 200 retail
outlets (Coach, Hugo Boss, and Kate Spade New York among them), then cruise past the desert's
majestic windmill farms to forever-sunny Palm Springs, where regal palms sway above chic boutiques.
On North Palm Canyon Drive, dig through the Uptown Design District's time-capsule shops for midcentury furnishings and retro clothing. Don't miss Trina Turk's colorful sportswear and Dazzles' fleamarket treasures: Lucite jewelry, vintage highball glasses, and gold-plated serving dishes.
You've had another long day, but Palm Desert's swank shops are only 20 minutes away. Muster your

PHOTOGRAPHS: (LIDO MARINA VILLAGE) STEFANIE KEENAN, (RODEO DRIVE) BLOOMBERG

FINISH
El Paseo, Palm Desert
INSIDE TIP
This trip puts some
serious miles on
your feet, so your
most important
shopping accessory
is comfortable
walking shoes

energy and get your style on at El Paseo, a stylish open-air shopping district along a cactus-and-palmdotted boulevard. Splurge a little (or a lot) at Saks Fifth Avenue or Louis Vuitton, then choose a café
where you can sip a Campari and celebrate your shopping victories.

MOST ICONIC
SHOPPING
Rodeo Drive

L I D O M A R INA VILLAGE

R ODE O DRI V E

California Road Trips - 50 Life-Changing Adventures

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of California Road Trips - 50 Life-Changing Adventures