Highway 1 on the California coast?

 

You bet - the stretch from about Santa Barbara to Carmel/Monterrey peninsula is one of the most beautiful (and curvy) stretches in the state. Absolutely a great drive, and one I plan to make again in my '06 mini when it arrives. The area around Big Sur is breathtaking - sheer cliffs on your left with ocean views, great trees, scenery and lots of tight curves. Easy to miss it, but if you go, stop at Nepenthe for lunch out on the deck, or if you don't mind a little pricier, Ventana. Hwy 1 is great motoring

 

It's lovely. One of the best drives anywhere! pb

 

101 is awesome, fantastic....it's SO beautiful Lots of great places to stop along the way..the views are simply breathtaking.:smile: :smile: :smile: The tag on my Cabrio is "CRUZ101" It is without a doubt my FAVORITE road...
When we lived back in VA, the tag on my car was "HIWY 101"...

Donna
02' CR/W MCS (gone to MINI heaven - burned up)
05' Cool Blue MCSC "Ariel"
05' HB/W MCS - no name yet

 

*raising hand*

I Have! Take a camera along if you're planning on going.

 

Is this a trick question?
Many of us have. It's a beautiful ride from LA to SF, but SLOW and CROWDED during summer.
Did you have any particular questions??

 

all da time.

The BEST part IMO is the 65+ miles of twisties just south of Monterey.

 

I did it from LA to SF about 15 years ago. About to do it again end of June for a vacation. Can't wait. It is a gorgeous drive.

 

I'll be in Monterey in the first weekend of June, can anyone suggest a day drive? The 65 miles of twisties south of Monterey sounds great. Any others?

Nik

 

Beautiful yes, but painfully long! Especially if you're a nervous driver and can't look away from the road. Stay away from those sheer drops...

 

Best stretch is Mill Valley to Mendocino. Hardly any traffic and some amazing sections (Stinson/Olema to Bodega, Jenner to Elk, etc.)

 

Yup! For a flatlander like me it's heaven on earth!!!

 

I took a drive from SF up through Napa Valley and then headed west to the 1. It was an amazing drive and quite challenging. Go off to the left and your in a mountain. Off the right and you're in an ocean....and the scenery is distracting you at the same time.

 

Skiploder is right, go north on the 1 and you'll have a lot less congestion to deal with. You're right out on the edge of the mountains. Stunning scenery but watch for livestock. About 15 years ago there was a bunch of sheep crossing the road, almost could've been scary except that I was in a school bus doing about 25mph. Gotta love it

Later

 

It's absolutely beautiful, though I'd avoid the crowds south of Santa Barbara. I grew up about 2 blocks away from Hwy 1, in Lompoc. My favorite sections of the highway are near Morro Bay, San Simeon, and Jenner.

There was someone who posted about 101 instead of 1. 101 is also very nice in far northern California. For most of the state, 101 is a normal, busy highway (thought some parts are still fairly scenic). North of Santa Rosa, 101 becomes really great and there are AWESOME twisty bits through the redwoods. I'll be driving from the Bay Area up to Arcata (600 mi round trip) in mid-June in my new-used MINI (comes home June 1st) and I CAN'T WAIT!! I'm really looking forward to those curves. Hope I don't get stuck behind too many logging trucks, though. They can really slow you down sometimes. Actually, the RVs can be a problem in the summer, too. It will still be great, though.

If you wanted to do a really, really great trip along the whole California Coast, take HWY 1 from South to North and then keep going north on 101 when 1 runs into it at Leggett. Go all the way to Crescent City, or even Oregon, if you like. It's all great up there. Have fun!

 

here are a couple pix I took when we did a ride and drive with VW.

 

you should also try San Francisco to Leggett on Hwy 1... just as beautiful with more exciting roads.

101 from Leggett all the way up the Oregon coast is beautiful. Much nicer than the Northern California coast line.

 

Why don't you join REME June 17th-19th for our run from Healdsburg to Brookings, Oregon.... and then onto Grants Pass, down I-5 thru Shasta area and back home on the 20th. We will be meeting PDX MINI from Portland in Garberville, traveling with them to Brookings.

Check out http://redwoodempiremini.com/calendar.htm for a tentative map of the route and this thread on NAM https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=42943

 

Hey, anybody interested in a fun passenger/navigator for the trip let me know. My son (20) is doing a semester in Santa Cruz (we're from NH) and this weekend is his last one. He's bummin' cause he has no way to see Big Sur before he leaves. He plays a great guitar and I'll buy lunch and a tank of gas...



-jtpr

'02 -S-

 

Did it on a bicycle once. I got real tir'd.