Help me plan a California Highway 1 road trip

In My Humble Opinion
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I’ve been here for 15 years (It’ll be exactly 15 in February). And in Folsom for that entire time. I have been to been to some of the places I mentioned in my rough draft itinerary before (like Point Reyes, the Muir Woods, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Santa Cruz Boardwalk), although I consider them worth seeing again, and some of them I haven’t been to in over a decade now. I’ve been to Napa, but I haven’t actually been to Sonoma. And I’ve done the section between Pacifica and Santa Cruz before. But never in a Miata, and I have a feeling that would enhance the experience :). That was kind of why I included the Marin County stuff, because I couldn’t find a route that included all of the section from Pacifica to Santa Cruz without going through San Francisco, and I figured if I was going there I might as well visit Marin County as well. But I suppose I could take CA-92 to Half Moon Bay and start there. That would at least include most of that section. But it’s really the section from Big Sur to Cambra that I consider a must see. I’ve never done that part before and I understand it’s the most scenic.

And it sounds like I should plan for more time in SLO. That’s a place I really haven’t spent much time. Tell me more about SLO. What are some fun things to do there?

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There’s more to see in Monterey too. In the same area as the Aquarium there’s Cannery Row, a historical cannery district that’s been largely converted to touristy shops. One building there has a large carousel, if that’s your thing.

But also, Monterey had a lot happening in early California history about the time that Ca was becoming a state. There are a lot of historically significant buildings and places there, much of it within walking distance of the Aquarium IIRC. You can visit the old Courthouse, where I think you can pick up a brochure with a self-guided walking tour of the area. There is also a Maritime Museum in the same area.

You could also take a whale watching boat trip, but that’s a full day excursion in itself.

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Marin / Sonoma / Napa is worthy of a trip unto itself or several, IMNSHO. For your Pacifica-SantaCruz trip, how about take I-80 right into San Francisco, and if you aren’t really interested in S. F. (that’s a full day trip itself too), just stay on the freeway and connect up with southbound I-280 which has a connection to Route 1 somewhere near Pacifica. Take that all the way to Santa Cruz and beyond, to Monterey, Pacific Grove, and Carmel. From there, there are several routes that will get you back to 101.

At the formerly treacherous Devil’s Slide section of Rt. 1, there is now that huge tunnel bypass. But the Devil’s Slide section is now open for walking, biking, or horse riding and you can park at either end of the tunnel to get there.

Heading back up that region of 101, there’s Gilroy and some other communities in Coyote Valley. There’s a mountainous road connecting Gilroy to Rt. 1 through Watsonville and a route through Castroville among others.

Not far from Gilroy there’s San Juan Bautista, a mission town with a mission and historic park. There’s also Hollister, with (wait for it . . . ) a commercial glider operation! (Expensive there!) Blog full of pictures!

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Well for me the big thing was the hiking. There are other places to hike there too. Also all over the place in the Big Sur area. And that Farmer’s Market and the elephant seals have been mentioned. You could visit Pismo Beach and Cambria.

At the north/west end of Cambria, eat at Main Street Grill. BBQ ribs and chicken! Across the road from that is Moonstone Beach and Moonstone Beach Drive with another waterfront park at the other end too and a bluff-top trail.

In between Cambria and SLO is Cayucos and Morro Bay. You could visit those. And a little wide spot in the road called Harmony with a few artsy shops and studios, if that’s still there.

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If you’re stopping in Cambria, also check out Nitt Witt Ridge, a house just a little up the hill (walking distance from the main drag) build out of junk pieces, abalone shells, empty beer cans, and other such construction materials. Additional information.

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San Luis Obispo County (or more accurately, just south of Morro Bay) was my stomping grounds for 20 years. I know that part of the coast pretty well. :slight_smile:

First, I’m sorry to say you’re going to be doing the Big Sur drive at the worst time of year. :frowning: In July, Highway 1 is packed with tourists and you’ll be ass to elbow following every RV doing about 15 MPH almost the whole time. Very often in summer when it’s hot inland, the fog sucks up against the coast and you can’t see a damn thing. But if that’s when you can go then it’s when you can go. You will still enjoy it, I’m sure.

Sure fire jaw-dropping spot to stop for lunch and a view (assuming the fog isn’t obscuring it) is Nepenthe. Expensive, but you’re buying the view.

If you can stop in Limekiln on your drive south from Monterey, there’s a fine little hike through the redwoods to a (can you guess?) lime kiln. Keep a sharp eye after passing Lucia. The turnoff comes up quick and you can easily miss it. Nice place to walk off some of that lunch you had at Nepenthe. :wink:

Hearst Castle is next, but be advised the tour will take at least a couple of hours and at that time of year, you may have to wait for an available tour time. Crazy place but worth the tour if you haven’t seen it.

Personally, I’d book rooms in Morro Bay and make that your base of operation to explore. You’ll have easy access to the beach and other areas of interest. San Luis Obispo is only about 13 miles away and an easy, pretty drive down Highway 1.

Things to do in Morro Bay:

Go kayaking on the back bay. There’s a spit of land between Morro Bay and the open ocean that makes for easy, scenic kayaking. A fine adventure!

See if you can spot the Peregrine falcons nesting on Morro Rock. Take a picnic and spend the day building sand castles on Morro Strand beach. Or if you’d rather not fuss with a picnic, there’s no shortage of seafood restaurants along the main street.

Things To Do in SLO:

Yes, the Farmer’s Market on Thursdays. Try not to miss. Partake of the Santa Maria-style barbecue tri-tip sammiches. You’ll be delighted at the quality of the musical groups that play regularly there. Very festive and fun.

Don’t miss the Mission de Tolosa downtown, an easy and worthwhile place to explore. Outside the Mission, it’s a lovely ramble all through the downtown area and adjacent to the creek. The whole town is a boutique.

If you like Italian food, San Luis Obispo is your kinda town. It was largely settled by Italians and the influence is a happy one. I can unreservedly recommend Buona Tavola for lunch. They make a hearty salad (insalata alla tosca) that I still dream about. It’s next door to the Fremont Theater, a short walk east from the Mission and across from the courthouse. You can’t go wrong.

The other big draw in SLO is the Madonna Inn. Not my cup of tea, but if you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a quick look-see. Located just off 101 as you head south. It’s different. Don’t stay there, just look around.

Hidden Gems in SLO County:

Montaña de Oro State Park. You can walk along the headlands (do keep a sharp eye for rattlesnakes sunning themselves on the path) or explore the eucalyptus groves. If you time it right, the Monarch butterflies stop in the groves on their migrations, thousands of them. Quite a sight. But even without Monarch butterflies, Montaña de Oro is hidden and special. The locals won’t appreciate me mentioning it.

Sycamore Mineral Hot Springs. You can book a private hot tub and enjoy a soak in a truly lovely setting. If you’re feeling stressed, book a massage, too. Most restful!

I’ve got more if you want it, but this is already long enough. :slight_smile: Happy exploring!

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More aerial photography of the places you plan to visit, including San Francisco, Pt. Reyes, Sausalito/Tiburon, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay, and Big Sur. These pics are either by of the same guy who shot those videos I posted a few posts above.

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If you really feel the need to experience the monument to kitsch that is the Madonna Inn, make sure to use the urinal in the bar’s men’s room. I won’t spoil the surprise.

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Not much to contribute here, just want to say I’m jealous and might crib some of these ideas for a future road trip myself. I did once drive south on PCH in that general vicinity at sunset on or about the longest day of the year and it was magnificent.

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In the Big Sur area, you can tour the Point Sur Lighthouse (if they have the bridge fixed) and take a hike out to the mouth of the Big Sur River at Andrew Molera State Park.

In Morro Bay, Giovanni’s Fish Market has delicious smoked salmon and albacore.

Cambria is the home of Nitt Witt Ridge, worth a stop if you’re into weird roadside attractions.

In between SLO and Montana de Oro is Los Osos Oaks, with some really gnarly old trees and a bit of a haunted forest vibe.

Down the road from the Sycamore Hot Springs is Avila Beach; drive down to the end of the road and walk out on the pier for a nice view. If you’re there on a Wednesday or Saturday you can tour the San Luis Lighthouse. If you don’t have time for that but still want a great view overlooking the ocean, head up Cave Landing Road to Pirate’s Cove Lookout.

The Kon Tiki Inn is the place to stay if you decide to spend the night in Pismo.

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I second Giovanni’s in Morro Bay. Easily the best fish and chips in the county.

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Another great place for smoked fish is Ruddell’s Smokehouse in Cayucos.

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I don’t know why I didn’t think of that route before. I think it’s just because from limited past experience I’ve found that traffic approacuing the Bay Bridge pretty much always sucks, no matter what time of day I’ve been there. So I usually try to avoid it, which I guess has become so much of a habit that I didn’t even think of it as a potential route. Ususlly when I visit San Francisco I either park in Walnut Creek and take BART, or just not drive at all and take Amtrak to Richmond and BART from there.

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At Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (there’s two Pfeiffer parks - this one and the Pfeiffer Redwoods one), there’s a waterfall that empties into the ocean, a short walk from the highway. I don’t know if it will be running after springtime, but I saw it a month ago and it was cool. Rainbows in the mist if you can get down lowish.

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Also, it may be worth getting a year-long state park pass for $200 if you plan to hit a lot of coastal areas. You just wave it at the booth in parking areas and glide through. And there a lot of state beaches on your journey, with parking at $10/pop. You may not make 20 stops to break even, but it’s worth something to not hassle with parking or feeling you need to get your $10 out of a stop somewhere.

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My impression, it’s only really that bad during “rush hour”, at which time all those freeways turn into long-term parking lots.

During other hours, it’s not all that bad except on the stretch of westbound-I-80 through Berkeley, which is bumper-to-bumper 24/7/365. (well, 24/7/366 this year.) Once you get through that, it should be okay.

Fun fact: I-80 and I-580 merge and later diverge, such that the stretch through Berkeley is both of those freeways at once. But their official designated directions are opposite: So when you’re on westbound I-80 you’re simultaneously on eastbound I-580 and vice-versa. So either way you’re traveling west and east at the same time.

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There are lots of redwoods to see in Big Basin and Big Sur. Muir Woods seems redundant, and since the place is overcrowded you might want to skip it.

It takes about four hours to see the Monterey Aquarium, so be sure to leave adequate time for it. The aquarium and Point Lobos are two of my favorite places. Since they’re close to each other, it might make sense to stay in Monterey overnight.

Things to see in Big Sur include McWay Falls (a waterfall that falls directly into the Pacific Ocean), Point Sur Lightstation (a lighthouse open to the public), Ventana Wildlife Center, and San Dollar Beach.

Since you’ll be driving through the area, you might want to get some Santa Maria BBQ. The essential elements that make up this type of BBQ are beef cooked over oak wood, pinquito beans, garlic bread, green salad, macaroni salad, and red salsa. Some of the restaurants that serve this style of BBQ are in nearby towns (not just Santa Maria). One of them is the Hitching Post II in Buellton (not directly on Highway 1), which was featured in the movie Sideways. You can read about Santa Maria BBQ here.

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I’ve had dinner at Robin’s, at the East end of Cambria, many times. Always something good on the menu.

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You can get Santa Maria BBQ at the SLO farmers market on Thursday evening (just look for the longest line for the best). The best place in the county for SMBBQ is Jocko’s in Nipomo just north of Santa Maria. If you’re alone just eat in the bar there and avoid the long wait for a table.

Has anybody mentioned the 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach? That’s some of the most beautiful coastline in the state. Don’t balk at the $10 entry fee; it’s well worth it.