Phoenix, AZ to San Diego, CA along the 8 (good stops?)

<p>I am driving from Phoenix to San Deigo and wanted to stop and try a few landscape shots and stuff. I finally am doing the drive w/o the kids and can take my time (and have a friend with me for those creepy out of the way spots) Are there any good recomendations if anyone has driven that way before? I might also try to go out to Vejas and go up on one of the mountains for a nice night shot of the 8 freeway in motion, any one know a good place for that? Thanks in advance and I will let you know if I find any on my way there or back :-)</p>

<p>I hate that drive. I assume you mean from Casa Grande to San Diego on I-8, right? Let me suggest a better route:</p>

<p>Go north on I-17 to Flagstaff, then south on AZ 89A down through Oak Creek Canyon to Sedona, continuing on through Cottonwood/Clarkdale to Jerome, then over Mingus Mountain, down through Prescott Valley to pick up AZ 89 in Prescott. Turn Left on 89, down through Peeples Valley, Yarnell and Wilhoit, on to Congress. At Congress, take a right on AZ 71 to Aguila and turn right on US 60. (Yeah, I know you could have taken 60 out of Phoenix, but you'd miss a lot of stuff.) Go west on 60 through Wenden, Salome, Hope, and Brenda to I-10. Take a short run on I-10 through Quartzsite to Blythe, CA, then go west on CA 78, which pretty much follows the Colorado River through Riverside and Imperial counties to El Centro. CA 78 breaks away from the river there and goes up Banner Grade to Julian, home of some of the world's best apple pies. From Julian, you can take CA 79 south through Cuyamaca State Park to I-8 (at last!); or, detour just north of Cuyamaca Lake to San Diego County Road S1 (AKA Sunrise Highway) through the Mount Laguna Recreation Area in the Cleveland National Forest. S1 continues on down to I-8 in Pine Valley. West of Pine Valley you'll cross the Pine Valley bridge, the highest bridge on the interstate highway system.</p>

<p>Lots of good photo ops on this route, guaranteed...</p>

<p>Wow William! That sounds like a great route! I'd be stopping so much it would take two days!</p>

<p>Kristy, William is right, I-8 from Casa Grande through Gila Bend, Yuma, El Centro, and on to San Diego is pretty blah. Especially through Arizona. You won't have anything worth shooting until you get to the dunes just inside California. There you can get some cool lines and textures, as long as the sun is at a good angle (early morning or late afternoon). Then there's nothing again until you get into those rocky, craggy hills, which are neat, but not all that photogenic if I recall. After that you'll climb up to Pine Valley and Cleveland National Forest, which will be, in my opinion, the most scenic area. And that's about it.</p>

<p>When in SD make sure you go to World Famous (in Pacific Beach) for lunch, and have their lobster tacos. Yum!</p><div></div>

<p>William -I agree the 89A is beautiful and lots of scenic spots. I will have to see if my riding buddy would be willing for a little detour, otherwise I might just take the 10 to CA 78 to the 79 and revisit the 89A another day (since its just a little north from where I reside) Thanks for the suggestion, I am just so used to driving the same route every time I go and just wanting to get there, this is the first time I really have the time to enjoy the drive. and James, we use to eat at World Famous all the time when we lived there. I use to live right off or Tourmaline and Cass St. and my in laws had a house on Toulon Crt. Lots of fond memories of PB. I will be right up the road staying at a friends house off Claremont Blvd. One of my favorite places to go when ever I go back and visit, their creme brulee delicious as well. We tell everyone we know its a must stop when going to San Diego (that and Taco Surf and Last Call on El Cajon Blvd for karaoke)</p>

<p>If you like to take bird pictures, you may want to stop at Santee Lakes, which is about 15 or so miles from San Diego.<br>

Arthur Morris, a very well known nature photographer who leads a group to this area almost every year. Those who come here with Art, pay a lot of money to do so.<br>

Check out his Birds as art web page. And no, I am not connected in anyway with the Arthur Morris group.</p>

<p>The Desert View Tower near Jacumba might be interesting. There is the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo. Although I'm not sure I'd call the area too scenic.</p>

<p>I can verify the first part of William Kahn's route. We traveled these roads from Phoenix to Prescott 2 years ago. We also visited the Grand Canyon, drove on part of Route 66, and hiked into Havasu Canyon.</p>

<p><img src="http://photos.randrews4.com/photos/860606277_9SFDM-M.jpg" alt="" /><br>

Near Jerome, AZ. Wish I had the time to wait for better light.</p>

<p>Kristy, that's not a bad compromise route. A couple of food stop suggestions: For Mexican food, Camacho's Place, south of El Centro. Take Forrester Road south to W. Wahl Rd. (Hint: If you run into a big fence, you've gone too far.)</p>

<p>You might also try Major's in Pine Valley, on Old Highway 80 on the west side of town; Gaetano's Pizza in Lakeside, also on Old 80, and Casa De Bandini in San Diego's Old Town.</p>

<p>Oh, and you probably know this already, but gas up before you get to Blythe and put off California sticker shock for a little longer. There's a Love's and a either a Pilot or Flying J truck stops on the west side of Quartzsite...</p><div></div>