Breakfast is required if you plan to hit the trails here today, and the Sunflower bakery and cafe in downtown Idyllwild makes a mean breakfast sandwich. (And an excellent pie, if you don’t feel bound by traditional breakfast norms.) From there, it’s a 3-mile drive to the Humber Park trailhead parking, where you can tackle the Devils Slide Trail, 2.5 miles out and back. You’re in the San Bernardino National Forest now, so a $5 day-use permit is required, but the price is worth it. The trail takes you up thousands of feet of elevation gain — it tops off at about 9,000 feet — beneath soaring granite walls reminiscent of the High Sierra.

The San Jacinto mountains are part of an extended coastal range that divides the more temperate coastal communities of California and Mexico from inland desert. Motoring down “the” 243 (highways have articles here, remember) and over to Interstate 10 will take you from pine-scented alpine air to the arid edge of the Sonoran Desert.

A surprising collection of hotels in the Coachella Valley have opened or renovated during the pandemic, so you’ve got your pick. In Palm Springs, the region’s biggest town, the ’60s-chic Les Cactus will garner you the most Instagram likes with its cheerful colors, fun decor and adults-only vibe. But if you’re looking to recharge, drive 10 miles into the sands to the Azure Palm Hot Springs in the aptly named town of Desert Hot Springs.

Fed by some of purest hot and cold mineral springs in the world, the Azure Palm comes with SoCal’s biggest mineral pool plus in-room soaking tubs. After you’ve checked in and fed yourself (the nearby Tropicale is “a grown up, kitschy oasis,” in the words of one critic), it’s time for some star gazing. Visit Joshua Tree National Park, about an hour drive from Desert Hot Springs, which was designated an International Dark Sky Park because of the absence of light pollution there. Hire a “sky guide” tour through Sky Watcher to walk you through the constellations; telescopes, blankets and snacks are provided.

Your next morning will be artsy. DesertX is a one-of-a-kind initiative to install large pieces of public art across the Coachella Valley. From 45-foot-high white block letters in the famous Hollywood font that spell out “INDIAN LAND” to soaring sculptures, DesertX is an Easter egg hunt for the region’s art.

After checking out as many pieces as you like, it’s time to head 20 miles down Interstate 10 and see something that looms large in the mind of Californians but that few ever stop and see: the San Andreas Fault. The North American and Pacific tectonic plates collide here, and the Indio Hills Badlands Trail (5.2-mile loop), with its fault-formed slot canyons and spring-fed oases, is a perfect place to see the fault in person. If you’d like a little geology lesson with your fault tour, Red Jeep Tours offers open-top Jeep tours of the fault.

After touring, escape the interstate and turn south down Highway 86, a classic desert highway that runs almost all the way to the border. Fifty miles down the road is the Salton Sea, one of the strangest places in California. Littered with abandoned structures, this former resort area once hosted Sinatra and Bing Crosby. Today, it’s all but dead — the inland sea was polluted, over-irrigated and suffered putrid mass fish die-offs. In the town of Thermal, have yourself a beer or a meal at Johnson’s Landing (2740 Sea Garden Ave.), a greasy spoon with stunning views over this weird, beautiful place, or the Alamo (2100 S. Marina Drive) for a Texas-themed dinner.

From the Salton Sea, turn west down the Borrego-Salton Sea Way, to drive through Anza Borrego State Park, the westernmost outcropping of the great Sonoran Desert. (If you’re in a four-wheel drive or are comfortable off-roading, turn off at mile 29 and drive the four sandy miles to Font’s Point for an incredible view of the Borrego Badlands.) Take it slow and soak up the drive. After an hour, you’ll find yourself in Borrego Springs, a charming desert town in the middle of California’s biggest state park. Grab a bite and check in to the red-tiled adobe Borrego Valley Inn and call it a night.

After a diner breakfast at Kendall’s Cafe or something quirkier from Red Ocotillo, it’s time to power your way out of the Borrego Valley. Savor the windy Montezuma Valley Road — the construction of which is said to have required 160,000 tons of dynamite — as it carves its way around San Ysidro Mountain.

Now safely out of the desert, your next stop, on the eastern slopes of oak-strewn Palomar Mountain, is at a relaxing vineyard — or several. Around Warner Springs, a cluster of wineries has quickly earned the region acclaim. The half dozen wineries on the North Mountain Wine Trail do not attract the limousines and bachelorette parties that crowd the Temecula Valley. Spread out a blanket at the picnic-friendly Hawk Watch Winery and marvel at how difficult growing conditions — high elevation and high heat — can shape a great wine.

With your thirst slacked, head 4 miles down Highway 79 to Palomar Mountain State Park’s Oak Grove Campground, where you can take in some greenery after your day in the desert. If you’re down for a sweat, the 6 miles up to High Point offer sweeping views, wildflowers and the chance to check out one of the few remaining active fire lookout towers in the country.

After mountains and desert, it’s time to hit Southern California’s most famous attraction: the beach. The most direct route is through Temecula and down a couple of large freeways, but skip the traffic and take the 79 to the 78 to the 67 to the 56 (did you forget you were in Southern California?) until you reach the coast. Reward yourself by breathing in the sea breeze in Encinitas, the kind of SoCal beach town Nebraskans dream of. Take in a shockingly pink and orange sunset with the sand beneath your toes at San Elijo State Beach or celebrate the end of the road at nearby Saint Archer Brewing Co.