The California Road Trips guide is styled after the California Official State Visitor’s Guide (CVG), showcasing the active California lifestyle. It reinforces the California attitude and gives consumers the inside scoop on things to see and do in California. This publication is designed to address the misperception that California cannot be fully enjoyed in just a few days due to its size. By highlighting the varied and unique experiences that one can have throughout the state over a period of three days, the publication reassures consumers that a two- to three-day getaway is just as fulfilling as a longer vacation. Road Trips is produced in conjunction with Sunset Custom Media Solutions (CMS).

In 2008, the California Road Trips guide was born from the California Drives Guide. This new name is more reflective of the active lifestyle exuded in California, while also implying the carefree getaway desired by so many. Additionally, the 2008 guide displayed drive routes that do not stay within each of the 12 tourism regions, but rather are more aligned to the way California tourists will actually take the drives. They feature one region prominently, but may also run through other regions to make a logical drive route.

The 2008 guide also incorporates the activity icons used on visitcalifornia.com to better denote the experiences associated with each stop on the drive. This also allows for easier reading by the consumer – allowing them to quickly find the stops that will most address their needs and interests. Road Trips saw 1 million distribution, 500,000 of which were distributed in the June issue of Sunset magazine and targeted to neighboring states’ drive market.

• Depict the California lifestyle and serve as a reliable resource to tourists coming to California.
• Show that California can be broken up into more manageable chunks for shorter vacations or weekend getaways.
• Educate consumers about California’s diversity and abundance of offerings: the best of everything in one place.
• Provide the California travel industry with a leveraged media opportunity at discounted rates to help industry partners develop a program they might not have been able to achieve on their own.