Highway 1 (California)

...then you must drive the Highway 1 from San Luis Obispo to Monterey (or vice versa). I have just come back from a great holiday in the US and felt that I had to tell you about what can only be described as some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. We were driving from LA, North to San Francisco and had been told not to miss Highway 1. Great advice indeed!

There is so much to see along this route. Sandy beaches, hills rising ...
...is well sign posted from Highway 1 so you shouldn’t miss it if you are intending to visit for an hour or so. It’s a quaint, not at all American, village. There are lots of antique shops and restaurants here. I would recommend a good pancake breakfast at Lynn’s (about $8 each) although there were also healthier options available. I believe Cambria even has an English style pub.

San Simeon and Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle was owned ... more

If you are ever so lucky as to be in California then you must drive the Highway 1 from San Luis Obispo to Monterey (or vice versa). I have just come back from a great holiday in the US and felt that I had to tell you about what can only be described as some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. We were driving from LA, North to San Francisco and had been told not to miss Highway 1. Great advice indeed!

There is so much to see along this route. Sandy beaches, hills rising so high above that the mist covers the top of them, jagged cliffs, forestry and more.

San Luis Obispo
This town is located at the bottom end of the highway. It’s a beautiful place to visit. It is a market town and has some great little gift shops and excellent restaurants. Plus, if you can afford to splash out a little on a hotel then The Madonna Inn is a great place to stay as it has these themed, and very strange rooms and good food but it is a bit on the expensive side ($125 upwards). For a cheaper option try one of the many motels, which include Ramada lodges and Howard Johnson inns.

Cambria
We happened to come across Cambria while we were driving North after our night in SLO. It is well sign posted from Highway 1 so you shouldn’t miss it if you are intending to visit for an hour or so. It’s a quaint, not at all American, village. There are lots of antique shops and restaurants here. I would recommend a good pancake breakfast at Lynn’s (about $8 each) although there were also healthier options available. I believe Cambria even has an English style pub.

San Simeon and Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle was owned by William Randolph Hearst. It is built over a massive amount of land and cost over $3million to build back in the 1920s. That was a lot of money back then! It apparently has over 100 rooms although we didn’t get to see them all. Hearst Castle is built on a hill and therefore you park your car at the bottom of the hill and take a bus up to the top. It costs about $15 and the tour lasts about 2-3 hours. It is better to book tickets in advance but it’s not absolutely necessary. The most spectacular thing about this place is the décor. Make sure you look at every ceiling, wall and floor so you don’t miss any of it. The Neptune Pool (posh swimming pool) is also incredible.

Scenic Highway 1
This road literally touches the edge of California as you follow it round the coast. It has so many great features including the Bixby Bridge (very famous out there) that links one cliff to another and drives straight over the sea and the rocks below. All the way up this road you see mountain ranges, and open seascapes. It’s a fairly quiet road, one lane each way, but don’t feel rushed if there is someone behind you. We pulled the car over a few times to let faster drivers pass us. It’s never a problem as there are loads of lay bys and view points.

Big Sur
This is a place to relax. We could see that on our short visit. There are hotel resorts and camping areas to stay at. There are beaches to view and wonderful nature walks to take. I think the nicest thing about Big Sur is that there are no towns or cities and the locals that live there have built homes out of view of the highway. It really does just look so natural.

Monterey
Monterey is mainly a fishing town. It is well known for it wharf and Cannery Row where there are loads of little gift shops. The best thing about Monterey was the Aquarium. I have never seen anything like this place. It is a building full of the most amazing sea life I have ever seen. We got to be up close to sharks, otters, star fish, giant tuna, sting rays, jelly fish and so on. The place is full of enormous, and I mean massive, tanks with every swimming thing you can imagine. The lighting and the factual information are also outstanding. This place is $17 per adult and if you arrive lunch time you’ll be able to spend a good 3 hours there without a doubt. The wharf is not amazing but there are some good eating places although some are a bit on the pricey side.

Other places
There are obviously a lot of places that are along the Highway that we did not stop at. These include Carmel, famous for having Clint Eastwood as it’s mayor in the past. Also, Morro Bay, Point Lobos Marine Reserve where we were hoping to see some otters but instead we caught a glimpse of some wild porpoises. The 17 Mile Drive which is a drive through the private parks at the North end of Highway 1. I believe it costs about $3 per car and is supposed to be stunning. Finally, Pacific Grove which is known as the butterfly capital of the world.

Advice
Take 3 to 4 days to drive from LA to San Francisco. We did it in less than three and did not get to see all that we wanted to. There is so much to see and you will regret it if you rush your trip. Stop at places that you like the look of and just have a walk. If you’re not in a rush, like I just told you not to be, then you’ll have plenty of time to see everything.
(The exchange rate is about $1.5 to the £)

You must drive on this highway to believe it. The wonders of the USA are absolutely along this coast and not in fast food restaurants and baseball stadiums as we have so often been led to believe!
 

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