Is the drive along this stretch of hwy 1 worth the extra time it would take as opposed to taking the interstate and hwy 101.

absolutely!

There are places 101 IS the coastal hwy. Especially between Marin County and southern Oregon - you'll want to be on the coast -- if you have the time. (I'd make the time)

If you mean I-5 - it is too dreary for words until you get north of Redding.

If you want to save some time, you could skip Hwy 1 from Monterey to San Francisco, but pick it up north of the Golden Gate Bridge and then take it to Oregon. That stretch is very scenic. Best way to do that is take 156 east from north of Monterey, take 101 north, then go north on 85, then north on 280 into SF. Then 19th Av to the Golden Gate. Try to avoid hwy 5 as it is boring, boring , boring.

The drive is definitely worth your time.

Mendocino is the most charming town along the route. We love the walk on the headlands, and the streets are quaint.

Driver alert: The last 25-30 miles of Highway 1 (before Leggett going north) is one of twistiest roads in the country.

We also like the drive on Highway 1 between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. It is a beautiful stretch of highway.

HTTY

"too dreary for words" LOL. We take I-5 up to my dad's place east of Redding and the first time I took my husband up there, he couldn't believe that any part of California could be so boring.

Give yourself plenty of time. Highway 1 ends in Leggett and from there you will be on US 101. Actually I think that 1 is twistiest from Sausalito to Stinson Beach.

If nice roads are your aim, take the Avenue of the Giants when in the Redwoods and then take the turnoff to Prairie Creek State Park to then loop back to 101. 101 in the redwoods is not the most scenic, in my opinion.

Count on a lot of time. Going from Sf to Prairie Creek State Park (about 30 miles south of Crescent City) takes about 6 hours on 101, which is a 4 lane highway most of the way. Google map or mappy.com might be a way of estimating the time it would take by sticking to 1 from Monterey to Leggett.

"The last 25-30 miles of Highway 1 (before Leggett going north) is one of twistiest roads in the country."

"Actually I think that 1 is twistiest from Sausalito to Stinson Beach."

Both are twisty -- but I'm pretty sure Rockport to Leggett would win the twisty road competition. A lot of it is 20 mph territory . . . .

Glad to hear it janisj. Living in Seattle and doing loads of long road trips I love driving most winding roads, but not the 25-30 miles in question. It is one of the few stretches of the cost drive that I do not enjoy.

I didn't react to the Sausalito-Stinson Beach twists because I don't remember them for some reason.

HTTY