Best, most beautiful, unmissable sections of highway 1 on the CA coast
Aug 23rd, 2014, 04:29 PM
#45
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 11,786
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"the famous '17 Mile Drive' around the Monterey peninsular. It will end in Carmel - your second destination. This is the best of California's coast!"
I disagree. It's a pretty drive to ooh and aah at the houses and their views, but I prefer the wilder parts of the coast.
Perhaps the OP meant Santa Barbara, not Santa Monica? And can you spend a night on the coastal drive, Nori?
There are lots of cute little oceanfront motel/hotel places you could stay the night. We liked the Best Western Cavalier, just a couple of miles south of the Hearst Castle. Lovely little beach, the hotel sets out chairs on the sand and lights fires. Most rooms have Swedish fireplaces, too, and nice coffee stations. Little restaurant on the grounds, for breakfast. Very affordable.
I disagree. It's a pretty drive to ooh and aah at the houses and their views, but I prefer the wilder parts of the coast.
Perhaps the OP meant Santa Barbara, not Santa Monica? And can you spend a night on the coastal drive, Nori?
There are lots of cute little oceanfront motel/hotel places you could stay the night. We liked the Best Western Cavalier, just a couple of miles south of the Hearst Castle. Lovely little beach, the hotel sets out chairs on the sand and lights fires. Most rooms have Swedish fireplaces, too, and nice coffee stations. Little restaurant on the grounds, for breakfast. Very affordable.
Aug 23rd, 2014, 09:52 PM
#46
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To those who wish to be technically correct: The Big Sur Coastline begins just south of Carmel. It is ninety miles long.
It does not begin 45 minutes South of Carmel. It begins at the Carmel River on the Southern side of Carmel and ends at San Simeon.
Dan.
It does not begin 45 minutes South of Carmel. It begins at the Carmel River on the Southern side of Carmel and ends at San Simeon.
Dan.
Aug 23rd, 2014, 10:35 PM
#47
It's 30 minutes from Ocean Ave @ Highway 1 (where the commercial part of the town of Carmel is located) to the town of Big Sur.
Town to town is 30 minutes. Who cares what the coast line is called or whether one coastline is next to another?
Not saying that Monterey to Salinas south to Santa Barbara isn't pretty, but most of it is pretty in an agricultural setting, not a coastal setting. And the question posed has to do with a dream of taking the coastal route to certain points (towns).
I maintain, as unquestionably do other knowledgeable posters, that to miss the coastal route between Monterey and Big Sur would not only be a travesty, it would not satisfy the dream.
Town to town is 30 minutes. Who cares what the coast line is called or whether one coastline is next to another?
Not saying that Monterey to Salinas south to Santa Barbara isn't pretty, but most of it is pretty in an agricultural setting, not a coastal setting. And the question posed has to do with a dream of taking the coastal route to certain points (towns).
I maintain, as unquestionably do other knowledgeable posters, that to miss the coastal route between Monterey and Big Sur would not only be a travesty, it would not satisfy the dream.
Aug 24th, 2014, 07:12 AM
#48
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Surfergirl is confused. The name Big Sur refers only to the 90 mile stretch of coastline off Cabrillo Hwy, not to a dot on the map with a zip code inside a State Park.
One part of the coastline differs little from the rest, making a complete sojourn questionable.
One part of the coastline differs little from the rest, making a complete sojourn questionable.
Aug 25th, 2014, 08:06 AM
#54
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I live right on the PCH between Point Mugu and Malibu.
I suggest that you take Highway 101 rather than Interstate 5, as the PCH is part of the 101. Once you have reached Southern California (past Santa Barbara), exit at Rice Road in Oxnard, which is the new extension of the PCH. This is a very popular stretch of the PCH in California, as it is featured in many Hollywood productions and commercials. As you head south on the PCH, you will see such attractions as the Point Mugu Missile Park, Mugu Rock (seen in numerous fashion and automobile commericals), LA county line, Malibu welcome sight (for photo ops), Zuma Beach, and Pepperdine University before reaching Santa Monica. Througout the drive, you will have gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, expensive automobiles, surfer dudes and babes, and Hollywood celebrity homes. Just past Point Mugu is a popular eatery named Neptune's Nest. Don't be surprised if you are seated next to a celebrity while eating your fish and chips.
I suggest that you take Highway 101 rather than Interstate 5, as the PCH is part of the 101. Once you have reached Southern California (past Santa Barbara), exit at Rice Road in Oxnard, which is the new extension of the PCH. This is a very popular stretch of the PCH in California, as it is featured in many Hollywood productions and commercials. As you head south on the PCH, you will see such attractions as the Point Mugu Missile Park, Mugu Rock (seen in numerous fashion and automobile commericals), LA county line, Malibu welcome sight (for photo ops), Zuma Beach, and Pepperdine University before reaching Santa Monica. Througout the drive, you will have gorgeous views of the Pacific Ocean, expensive automobiles, surfer dudes and babes, and Hollywood celebrity homes. Just past Point Mugu is a popular eatery named Neptune's Nest. Don't be surprised if you are seated next to a celebrity while eating your fish and chips.
Sep 3rd, 2014, 09:38 AM
#59
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Oh my goodness you guys!
We stayed in Klamath, CA at the Requa Inn, which despite an omnipresent odor of cat urine was absolutely lovely. I chose this location for our first California stop because it is nestled in the coastal redwoods right on the Klamath river, which was full of seals. An early morning hike of about a mile brought me to the mouth of the river, totally gorgeous. From there we took the 101 to overnight at a friend's in San Francisco, and the next day we drove the coastal highway until dark, when we switched back to the 101 until LA. Our time limitations meant we didn't get to do much stopping or sightseeing outside of the car, but the coastal drive was well worth it. Flowering sage, the glimmering ocean, the heavy scent of redwood, we even saw a pod of whales off the shore. From Klamath to San Francisco on 101 took about 9 hours, because I took every scenic byway available and we had to jump out of the car several times to explore the forests and run into the ocean. From San Francisco to LA took about 12 hours because you just don't cover much ground very quickly on the coastal highway but for all its beauty that was just fine. We never got close to the 5 and from what I've heard about it, that is just fine too. These two days of driving were the last in an 8-day cross-country road trip so by this point they really felt like no trouble at all. Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I thoroughly fell in love with everything about California except for LA itself and the gross calamari. I will never learn to not order seafood when I travel outside of Rhode Island. All in all though, it was the trip of a lifetime. You guys would not believe Idaho! So unexpectedly beautiful! It's where they film car commercials I think. South Dakota heavily advertises pro-life sentiments and Wall Drug and nothing else, and Montana's only advertised message was, "Please don't try meth". I can't eat beef anymore after seeing all those cows. The entire western half of the country is in a severe drought. Oregon won't let you pump your own gas. Littering is apparently only a problem on the east coast. And America is SO BIG you guys. It is crazy that we're just one big gigantic country. CRAZY.
We stayed in Klamath, CA at the Requa Inn, which despite an omnipresent odor of cat urine was absolutely lovely. I chose this location for our first California stop because it is nestled in the coastal redwoods right on the Klamath river, which was full of seals. An early morning hike of about a mile brought me to the mouth of the river, totally gorgeous. From there we took the 101 to overnight at a friend's in San Francisco, and the next day we drove the coastal highway until dark, when we switched back to the 101 until LA. Our time limitations meant we didn't get to do much stopping or sightseeing outside of the car, but the coastal drive was well worth it. Flowering sage, the glimmering ocean, the heavy scent of redwood, we even saw a pod of whales off the shore. From Klamath to San Francisco on 101 took about 9 hours, because I took every scenic byway available and we had to jump out of the car several times to explore the forests and run into the ocean. From San Francisco to LA took about 12 hours because you just don't cover much ground very quickly on the coastal highway but for all its beauty that was just fine. We never got close to the 5 and from what I've heard about it, that is just fine too. These two days of driving were the last in an 8-day cross-country road trip so by this point they really felt like no trouble at all. Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I thoroughly fell in love with everything about California except for LA itself and the gross calamari. I will never learn to not order seafood when I travel outside of Rhode Island. All in all though, it was the trip of a lifetime. You guys would not believe Idaho! So unexpectedly beautiful! It's where they film car commercials I think. South Dakota heavily advertises pro-life sentiments and Wall Drug and nothing else, and Montana's only advertised message was, "Please don't try meth". I can't eat beef anymore after seeing all those cows. The entire western half of the country is in a severe drought. Oregon won't let you pump your own gas. Littering is apparently only a problem on the east coast. And America is SO BIG you guys. It is crazy that we're just one big gigantic country. CRAZY.
