This article is part two of our look at California. In part one, we featured the northern part of the state, which is generally best to explore in summer, fall and spring. Southern California is a little different because two routes include deserts which are extremely hot in the summer. So consider winter, spring and fall for Death Valley and Anza-Borrego. Rim of the World has both mountains and desert so spring and fall are best. Kings Canyon traverses the Sierra Nevadas making summer and fall the seasons to visit. And Route 1 follows the Pacific coastline, so it’s temperate year-round. But this drive is also extremely popular, so avoid weekends and holidays. Midweek is generally better. And all scenic drives could be impacted at any time by wildfires, smoke and staff shortages or park closures due to government funding issues.