A Jeep Wrangler takes on Mt. Laguna.

San Diego’s known for its beaches, but locals know the mountains are just as spectacular. Here are some great roads to exercise your ride or just have a nice drive.

• Swedes to Julian: An afternoon with a Chrysler 300 and three beautiful blondes… what would you do? Go to Julian. GO>
• Green Hills: Springtime in the mountains means flowers and greenery. Explore one of the best — and easiest to drive — dirt roads in San Diego County’s mountains. A Weekend Driver online exclusive for April 2009. GO>
• High on Highland: A long story on this column but taking a Honda Civic Si four-door over the thrilling Highland Valley Road is something not to be missed. The first new, exclusive column at weekenddriver.com. GO>
• Rim of the World Drift: One of the great, twisting roads anywhere leads to Lake Arrowhead, in the San Bernardino Mountains. Fly up the hill in a Nissan Nismo Z. Originally published January 17, 2009, in the San Diego Unon-Tribune but an updated, exclusive version is here. GO>
• Finding Lost Valley Road: Fields ofgreen and gold,babbling brooks aside winding paved roads, damp dirt trails and streams crossing dirt roads. It must be spring in San Diego’s mountains. GO>
• Doing DeLuz ’08: Twisting through the avocado groves north of Fallbrook with a stop at a classic North County burger joint. GO>
• Green Mountain Mariner: A donut hole in Southern California development is the mountain area west of Temecula. Take a trip there in a hybrid SUV. Web Extra! GO> See review and video on the Mariner.
• Dirt Picnic: Take a good sandwich and your four-wheel- or all-wheel-drive vehicle up to Mount Laguna for a nice day at 6,000 feet. Weekend Driver took the trip in a new four-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Updated online. GO>
• Pocket Rocket on a Roller Coaster Ride: Back in Summer ’07, I took a Nissan Sentra SE-R on the twisting turns near Jamul. GO>

From the newspaper column

• Mt. Laguna to Julian: Take a trip through the woods to San Diego’s favorite mountain town. Published Dec. 8, 2007 in the Union-Tribune. GO>
• Pala Pathways: Cruise the Pala-Temecula Road, Bandy Canyon and Rainbow, classic twisting roads in northern San Diego and southern Riverside counties. And don’t miss some classic roadside architecture, a mission and an Indian village. And don’t forget about the casinos. Ran July 21, 2007. GO>

• Santa Ysabel Sky: Old Julian Highway and Mesa Grande Road are bikers' favorites. We’ll stop at Dudley’s Bakery for some bread, the Hideout Steakhouse for lunch. All in a Saturn Sky Redline roadster. Ran March 24, 2007. GO>



Corral Canyon Fire Tower

• Towering Canyon: The Corral Canyon Off Highway Vehicle Area is a long and fancy title for what's one of the most isolated and beautiful areas in San Diego county. Ran June 24, 2006. GO>
• Orange Blossom Special: Nothing like springtime in Southern California and experiencing orange trees in bloom. Ran May 27, 2006. GO>
  Note: I messed up one direction in this story. The turn just before Lilac Road becomes dirt is Couser Canyon Road... not Bandy Canyon. So many roads, so little time…
• Meet Mother Grundy: Her name is on a mountain and a truck trail. We’ll take a drive and discover just who -- or what -- she is. Ran Feb. 25, 2006. GO>
• Rough Road: La Posta Truck Trail is a rough road east and south of Mount Laguna. Be sure to take supplies and a four-wheel-drive vehicle for this trek. Ran Jan. 7, 2006. GO>
• Pasqual Passage: The Weekend Driver tries to find a new route from San Pasqual to Valley Center. He finds a great park, history, fantastic burgers and other goodies – but not San Pasqual. Discover whether he finds his road. Ran Aug. 27, 2005. GO>
• Warner Springs: Discover the wonders of a Buddhist meditation center, a historic spa, an old stagecoach route and the fun of meeting classic cars on the road. Ran July 23, 2005. GO>
• Julian Revisited: Cruise around the hills of Julian and check out the green mountains, meadows and valleys of fire-ravaged Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Ran May 28, 2005. GO>
• Jets Replacing Cows? With the talk of putting a new San Diego airport near Boulevard, I decided to take a drive to Tierra Del Sol and McCain Valley. Ran April 30, 2005. GO>
• Palms To Pines: It’s the place where Jimmy Durante said look for “the big dubbaya” long before anybody ever heard of George W. Bush. It’s a mountain and desert drive. Ran Feb. 26, 2005. GO>
• Hot Springs, Stagecoaches And A Buddha: Discover the wonders of a Buddhist meditation center, a historic spa, an old stagecoach route and the fun of meeting classic cars on the road. Ran July 23, 2005. GO>
• Twisting Through North County: Follow Couser Canyon Road and other rural roads for a roller coaster ride through the area around Bonsall and Pala. Originally ran Nov. 27, 2004. GO>