Here’s a tip: If you’re driving from Santa Barbara, California to Monterey, California >>> Do It On Highway 101!!! Not Highway 1 >>> unless you didn’t get enough thrills from Disneyland’s Magic Mountain!!!
Yes, indeed. You have been warned!
Thank goodness my husband was driving when we took off yesterday morning for what we thought was going to be a beautiful coastal drive. Once on Highway 1, there is no changing your mind. We couldn’t find any other highways/roads to get us back to Highway 101. Yes, you can always turn around and back-track to the beginning of this beautiful coastal road. But, we kept thinking that it was a balancing game: Go back on the KNOWN or take your chances with the unknown and hope that it gets tamer.
We chose the hoping for the tamer, but what we got was more of the same, only for a longer amount of time. Yikes! We literally saw a wedding party who were all stopped to pose of pictures at one of the “Scenic Vista” place twice! Yes, we saw them twice! Once when they were all posing for their scenic pictures at the scenic vista, and another time when they were all going into a restaurant for the wedding dinner. Yes, they had apparently had time to take their pictures, get back in their cars, and speed on over to the restaurant – after speeding by us. Oh, to be young! (Not!!!)
As for Highway 1 being a beautiful coastal drive, neither my husband nor I know if it is! My husband was concentrating on driving this road that hugs the mountains while precariously teetering on jutting cliffs overhanging the ocean’s rocky crags. As for me, I was concentrating on “being good” and not saying things like: “Oh my gosh, the road’s getting narrower!” OR “You’ve got to be kidding! The road’s going up even farther up the cliff!” We quickly found out that the posted speed limits were simply cautionary speeds that no one took seriously – except us! People just kept waiting for us to pull over on the little one-car-length-turn-out spaces – which we did on a regular basis. One car didn’t even wait for us to pull over >>> he threw caution to the wind and sped around us, apparently knowing that the solid yellow line meant not a doggone thing.
So, next time we drive up to Colorado Springs through the flat plains of Texas, I’m going to have to keep reminding myself not to complain about driving through straight, terra-gripping black top!
***Here’s an update: It’s not actually Santa Barbara to Monterey. The “testy” part of Highway 1 starts right after Piedras Blancas Light Station. We went back there today (on Highway 101) to see the Elephant Seal Rookery – which should not be missed! We saw it yesterday before heading to Monterey and decided we had to see it again. It is absolutely incredible… a truly amazing sight.
Ann says
Oh dear, sorry you missed the scenic views. Hope your trip was fun nevertheless.
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Well, Ann, I have to admit that I did enjoy some of the views. My husband has gotten a little more conservative in his driving recently. (This is a man who drove through the Swiss Alps and Panama City! >>> If anyone has driven through Panama City, they know what I’m talking about!)
Maeva says
Ouch! Not much of a choice of routes.
That sounds a bit like a longer version of Australia’s Great Ocean Road.
I hope you have a good time today.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maeva, we drove back through Highway 101 today because we wanted to go back to Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery and the Moon Stone Beach Drive Boardwalk in (near) Cambria. So far, it has been beautiful everywhere here in California. We decided that since we enjoyed those Elephant Seals so much, and since we weren’t holding ourselves to a fixed schedule, why not go back?
My husband never had any problems before with roads like this, which I think made me a little more anxious than I would have been. Usually he is very calm and relaxed about driving, but I’ve never been good with heights. I just don’t like being able to see all the way down the side of any roads.
Laura says
Danna, here’s a tip: DON’T take Highway 50 to Lake Tahoe!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Laura, tip taken!!! I just looked at the map and cannot imagine going through that mountainous terrain on a non-interstate road.
Chris says
I live in El Dorado County and drive to Lake Tahoe on Highway 50…. No big deal! I don’t know why anyone would warn about that road. Yes, drive slower from the summit to the valley. I get scared of windy roads, but I drive this with no problem.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
It’s a beautiful and gorgeous drive. We had to keep switching drivers so the other could look out the window! We stopped a lot along that drive. We loved it!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Maria, you’re right, it is a beautiful drive.
Susie D. says
Well I have to tell you that part of the problem is that you did this drive on a weekend. This drive is one of the most beautiful and serene drives. As a California native, I have taken this drive all the way up the coast and the scenery is spectacular. Spring and fall are the best times, get an early start and you really won’t see that many people on the road. The 101 is a nice ride too, but you miss the ocean and alot of the state parks. Pfieffer is beautiful and has a great campground with showers and even a plug in for your hairdryer. The beach is awesome and the hikes are lovely. So, next time plan this part of your trip during the week days and NOT during spring break or holidays. It also needs to be done both up the coast and back, as the scenery looks different both ways. Hope you enjoy the rest of your trip!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susie D, now that I think of it, our timing was probably totally off. We were driving the highway during a very popular time. There were loads of cars on the highway, a lot of them were obviously people who knew the road and wanted to get some place quickly.
Lexie says
It is scary but so sad you missed all the beautiful scenery! Its some of the most pristine coastal areas of California. Yes 101 is fast and that is how I always go. Years ago on Highway One someone crossed a double yellow trying to speed around a car and I almost died after a head on accident and rolling down a cliff. So I am not a fan of One and limit myself to dinner at Nepenthe Restaurant then I drive back to Highway 101. Highway 101 has lots of special places to see on the way and many rest stops so it wins my vote. I like to stop at Solvang and the pristine wine country that is around Highway 101 on the way. Not to be missed is Avila Beach, you must go. Its between San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach on 101.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lexie, someone did just that: He skip-hopped past several cars on a solid yellow line. I’m sorry to hear about your terrible accident. It sounds like you are very fortunate to have survived.
Darleen says
I live in San Jose, Calif, and took that same ride, recently from Solvang to Monterey. At 70, yo, I didn’t enjoy the curves and steep cliffs either. However, seeing those Elephant Seals made up for everything. I got some wonderful pictures of them to remember cause I sure won’t be taking that ride again. HA! Hope you are heading to Monterey coast. Be sure to visit the Aquarium in Cannery Row. Pacific Grove is a wonderful little town. Carmel is very touristy but interesting to visit. It used to be full of quaint little shops. Now it’s full of very upscale shops. Not as much fun to shop there anymore. Don’t forget 17 mile drive in Carmel. Stop for lunch at the deli at the Pebble Beach Golf course.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Darleen, for the California tips. I wish I had mentioned Highway 1 before we took it. Not being from a hilly/cliffy area, my husband and I just weren’t ready for the thrills involved. (Anyway, they were thrills to us!)
Those Elephant Seals are an absolute wonder! I just kept repeating to my husband that those seals are exactly like the shows that we both enjoy watching on television. Seeing hundreds of the seals luxuriating in the sun, casually tossing the sand (nature’s sunscreen and/or coolant?) on themselves with a flick of their fins, while looking like they aren’t moving one other muscle was a sight to see.
Living so close, it’s a good idea that you took a lot of pictures >>> for the next time you get a hankering to see those amazing Elephant Seals!
AndieP says
I guess I am more laid back about driving that route. The only part where I feel a bit uncomfortable is in the Big Sur area.
I remember driving it back in the 60s, in a Chrysler station wagon, pulling a 21 ft trailer, with three teenagers arguing in the back seat. Back then there were few guard rails and the road was narrower in some spots.
A really hairy road used to be along the Mendocino coast but it has been improved greatly since my last excursion up there.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
AndieP, that sounds harrowing! The saving grace for my husband was that we were driving our car and not one of the RVs we saw on the road.
Your story of the station wagon, trailer, a three teenagers in the back seat just brought my father to mind when he drove us through the Andes years ago. I don’t know how he did it! There were four of us children, and each of us wanted to hold our Cocker Spaniel, so I am sure there was lot of bickering going on in the back two seats of that station wagon.
AndieP says
I’ve driven all over the states, except for Alaska. For several years when actively showing my dogs, I had a 40 ft motorhome (big one built on a bus chassis) and found some really scary roads in various mountain areas.
The saving grace of the big rig was that I could pull over anywhere and rest before proceeding. A few times, in bad weather, I was “adopted” by truckers who would put me in the middle between two and make sure I didn’t fall afoul of any road hazards. Those were the days of CB radios. Wolf Creek pass in Colorado was my least favorite mountain road…
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Man, AndieP, I hope your show dogs did exceptionally well! There is no way you would find me driving Wolf Creek Pass. I just looked it up, and I wouldn’t even want to drive that pass in a small car, let alone a 40 ft. motorhome!
Marja says
One of my favorite things to do when I lived in Long Beach, CA was to drive up the coast. I love that road – it can be scary though. When you are a solo driver trying to see the scenery, well, it gets pretty challenging. But the views stay with me years later.
Before I came east to live (necessitated, alas, by personal economics) in Florida, I stopped for several days and camped at Julia Pfeiffer State Park near Big Sur. I have not forgotten it …
And I used to make a stop at Phoenix Shops/Nepenthe, if only to go out to the balcony to hear all the wind chimes and look out to the sides of the beautiful hills.
California! I miss it so very much, especially that coast road from Drake’s Bay to Jenner, north of San Fran, where you turn east to see majestic redwood trees and go into the Sonoma Valley for great wineries. I miss Bodega Bay, too, where the ocean crashed against the cliffs and I could watch cormorants.
I hope I get to see it all again someday. The most beautiful place I have ever lived or visited in my life.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
You are not kidding, Marja! California is beautiful. I am sure my husband is tired of hearing me say how wonderful it would be to live in California. There seems to be something for everyone, and it just continues to be one beautiful sight after the next.
AndieP says
When the family were all still at home, we used to stay at Ripplewood Resort in Big Sur – very inexpensive cabins which were situated so that none were in sight of each other and all near the creek. My kids loved to hunt for jade in the shingle where the creek emptied into the sea.
We used to see Kim Novak out jogging with her great dane – we had two of our danes with us and on one occasion she came down to the beach to talk to us and was very nice to the kids, who had lots of questions – not so much about her as an actress but about her house that looked like a castle.
We were there one year when a landslide took out part of the highway and we had to stay an extra week – but the people who had the cabin that week couldn’t get there either, so it was okay with the owners… Getting out on the one lane emergency dirt road wasn’t easy because we had to wait a long time while traffic from the other direction cleared, but we made it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
AndieP, it sounds like you gave your children the exact type of lives all children would have loved having. What fun! If this had happened to us, I am sure I would have been a wet-blanket about the extra week in a cabin and driving out on an emergency one lane dirt road.
Charlene C M says
Been there, done that!! 1972 when my then husband was in the Navy. It is a bit scary, especially when it got dark and misty and the rocks would slide down the mountain!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Charlene C M, what a wonderful assignment! We went out to Point Loma right by one of the naval bases and I could not imagine anyone being upset to get that assignment!
basketpam says
Highway 1 is INCREDIBLE! There are only a few times I’ve recommended people NOT to take this trip. The first is my parents when they’re in their 35 foot RV pulling a GMC Suburban. There is NO way under the sun that rig could maneuver those hairpin turns. I recommended they find a nice RV park near Big Sur or some other nice location, park the RV and take a nice, scenic drive along Highway 1 in the vehicle. Next, I would not recommend this highway if you’re someone who is hysterically afraid of heights. There are times you can see straight down very high cliffs (reminds me of the drive from Rome to Naples along the Mediterrean Sea), nor, would I recommend it to someone who very easily gets motion sickness. I actually did on this drive but that’s because the friends who were driving stuck me in the back seat and even when I mentioned I wasn’t feeling well my friend didn’t offer to let me sit in the front. I will also warn people about something. Depending on how far you drive on this highway you may have to purchase some gasoline. Be prepared. At the time the driver of our vehicle paid just about $5.00 per gallon of gas when the highest it had been any other location was $2.19. He didn’t fill up the tank, just got enough to get us to our location for the evening. You see, the owner of this station along Highway 1 has you trapped. You have no other choice and most people MUST purchase fuel other wise they’ll be sitting out there on empty. Just be forwarned. Other than that it’s most definitely a drive to take. There are very few places in this country where you’ll EVER see such incredible views or experince a drive like this. Well worth the effort and few hassels.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Basketpam, while I don’t consider myself “hysterically afraid of heights”, I don’t like them! They make me very uncomfortable, which in turn makes me nervous.
We hadn’t thought about the empty gas tank problem, but we did wonder who the “lucky person” is who delivers gas up there.
A sign like: “Mountain Inclines and Turns/Curves for Next — Miles” might be helpful, or perhaps: “Beautiful Cliff-Hugging Views”.
Brenda says
Just came across this.Did part of that stretch this past summer on the back of hubby’s motorcycle. Yep, got my street cred now. Cut through the mountains at Leggett (scary in its own right), stopped thru the night at a beautiful hotel, then cut over the next day to head to SF. Stunning,gorgeous, amazing, and absolutely terrifying. Wow,wow,wow. Not bad for a 50 year old grandma.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Oh, my gosh, Brenda! Whatever possessed you to take Highway 1 on the back of your husband’s motorcycle?!? I agree, you definitely have your “street cred now”!!!
AndieP says
Some friends, who were both born and bred in Texas, recently retired and moved from Dallas to Fallbrook, CA. They bought an avocado grove that includes a wonderful old house that was built in the 1920s and modernized in the ’90s. She says it is so quiet that she actually had difficulty sleeping the first few weeks. They had mostly vacationed along the Gulf coast but four or five years ago took an entire month to see California and fell in love with the area down near San Diego. She was born in Midland – he in San Antonio. She says what cinched the deal is that there has NEVER been a tornado or a hurricane in Fallbrook!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
AndieP, I can see why people would want to move to California, from any state. However, the price of living is so high out there. At one point, we paid over $4.50 for a gallon of gas, which was astronomical to us. I think we had been paying less than $3.50 down here in Texas.
Also, we checked online to see what some of the houses were selling for, and we’d have to make a pretty crumby deal with Rumpelstiltskin >>> and that would be for a much downsized house!