California Coast Road Trip (Rt 1)
It's taken me awhile to find the time to put this together. Fellow Rennlister Joe and I departed Santa Barbara for points north along famous Route 1, the coastal highway. We overnighted in Monterey which is always a good choice if you're going to do both the southern section (Big Sur) and then attempt to do the northern section. It will take you two days to do this,--baring unforeseen problems.
With a lunch stop just north of Guadalupe (famous for the Far Western Tavern) we dined in a converted train car. An appropriate start we thought.
And then that unforeseen circumstance,--a brush fire along Route 1 just a couple miles north of Julia Pfeiffer State Park. We were held up about two hours awaiting aerial tankers and helicopters to put it out, and then the firemen to stabilize the steep cliffs and the road department to clear up the roadway enough to get through without a blowout from rock damage. I do not recommend Big Sur this winter once the rains begin, as there is nothing up there on the cliffs to hold the soil back. Continue checking with the California Highway Patrol before you attempt this, as I predict more Route 1 closures this winter than ever before.
With a two hour delay our view of the famous historical landmark, the Bixby Bridge, got just a parting shot. (We lost our opportunity to hit the Seventeen Mile Drive as well).
The next day we remained on Route 1 as we entered San Francisco and got through it quickly by doing it early enough to avoid the commuters, but we did stop for a photo op north of the Golden Gate.
One of the best California roads is the section of Route 1 down to Stinson Beach. Unfortunately, this morning we had a combination of bad luck and bad drivers,--a school bus that wouldn't use a pull out, and other drivers who didn't understand that concept, either. Oh well,--another time for that. A brief breakfast stop near Point Reyes and then on up the northern sections of Route 1 toward Bodega Bay (there's a good gas stop in town) and then on to Jenner. Joe headed south at that point by going inland to Route 101 while I headed to the north hitting the Rogue River Bridge near sundown.
I returned the lazy way, via Route 5 where you simply put the thing in cruise control (at an indicated 79) and just stopped once in Oregon for gas and once in California. As I come west from I5 at Kettleman City I always chose route 41 to go through the Cholame area with the James Dean Memorial,--it's our cutoff to return to Route 101. After Cholame turn to stay on Route 41 and then turn onto Route 229 (warning: many curves ahead!) From there, take the turn to Route 58 and follow it to Santa Margarita. In all, that section offers 27 miles of twisties which should take you about 29 minutes if you are on your game only slightly! The views of why California is "the Golden State" are apparent there on Route 229.
Dan
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997S Hard-top Cabrio 6-spd 3AS 'Turquoise' Natural Brown, PCCB
We just had our first snow and looking at this pictures makes me want to go back there again right now. To me, California's Pacific Coast, especially North of the GoldenGate is one of the most beautiful place there is. 
