Linking a string of charming beach communities from Oceanside to La Jolla, Historic Highway 101 hugs the Pacific Ocean and offers a taste of California's surf culture that can't be duplicated anywhere in the world.  

A diverse landscape unfolds as one leaves San Diego’s coast and travels to rural East County. The majestic Cuyamaca Mountains and vast Anza-Borrego Desert State Park provide scenic backdrops for numerous activities and diverse communities just waiting to be discovered and explored.

From the charming mountain community of Julian and desert enclave of Borrego Springs to historic highways and outdoor recreation galore, rural East County offers visitors another unique and extraordinary San Diego vacation experience.

San Diego does boats. Not only is it home to the third-largest harbor on the West Coast, but it also boasts the largest man-made aquatic park in the U.S., Mission Bay. With that acreage of bay and ocean on offer, there’s no shortage of opportunities to get out on the water. Commune with whales. Charter a romantic sunset cruise. Relive history. Eat dinner afloat. Cast your line and fish until nighttime. Whatever your pleasure, there’s a salt-water adventure waiting for you.

Try this eastern loop that takes you through El Cajon, Alpine, Julian, Ramona, La Mesa and Santee. If you want to do the full loop, you'll need the entire day, but you could also break it into just the northern breweries (Ramona and Julian) or just the southern breweries (Santee, Alpine, La Mesa and El Cajon). You might also want to consider booking a brewery tour that will chauffeur you around while you enjoy a few samples at each stop.