As befits the epicentre of global car culture, the US has not one but two celebrated roads: Route 66 and Highway 1. Petrolheads will argue the merits of each for a road trip, but it’s the latter that packs the most variety into a single state.
Highway 1 – or State Route 1 (SR1) – is the 656-mile route that hugs the edge of California. Built in the 1920s and 1930s, often using prison labour and funded through President Roosevelt’s New Deal, it officially opened in 1937. Travelling along it soon became a rite of passage, epitomising the feeling of freedom from chasing the sun up the Pacific coast on a two-lane blacktop.
The fabled road begins by the beaches of Dana Point (where it’s known as the Pacific Coast Highway) and makes its way north through dense urban sprawl and spectacular rugged stretches, linking California’s two biggest cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco, before ending in the north, near the small town of Leggett.
It’s worth beginning your trip in San Diego, an hour south of Dana Point. It’s a major waterfront city with a small-town vibe, full of diverse neighbourhoods such as Little Italy, the Gaslamp Quarter, the East Village and Old Town. Stroll around, sample street food and sup craft beer. This close to the border, you have to go Mexican: Puesto serves the real deal, from organic handmade tortillas and award-winning tacos to wines from Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe.
Looking for somewhere to stay? The Lodge at Torrey Pines is a high-end luxury resort revelling in Old World elegance and offering views of the Pacific Ocean. Hotel Republic is a centrally located designer hotel just outside the Gaslamp Quarter.
Then it’s time to jump in your ride and hit the road towards LA, 120 miles up SR1. Pull in just south of the city in Huntington Beach, the original Surf City USA. Visit the world’s only International Surfing Museum and stroll along Huntington’s 564m pier for views of surfers catching breaks. Pitch up at Sandy’s Beach Shack, where you can try one of its 25 surf-inspired craft beers while soaking up beachfront views.
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Make a beeline for Santa Monica, perfectly situated off Highway 1. Soak up views of the Pacific Ocean while you ride on the iconic Ferris wheel, take a morning yoga class on the beach or rub shoulders with the local chefs as you peruse the popular farmers’ markets.
Wondering where to eat? You’re in LA, so why not a two-Michelin-star hotspot? Niki Nakayama’s restaurant n/naka appeared in Netflix’s first season of Chef’s Table and serves exquisite kaiseki Japanese cuisine.
Beverly Hills has some of the finest hotels in the city, such as L’Ermitage Beverly Hills and the recently opened Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills. Movie buffs will love The Garland in North Hollywood, a boutique hotel with retro-cool decor that was built for actress Beverly Garland by her husband, Fillmore Crank. Their son still runs it.
Next stop: Santa Barbara or the American Riviera. This town is basking in Spanish heritage, full of white stucco buildings with terracotta roofs. Tour the old military Presidio for a sight of original adobes like El Cuartel, the second oldest building in the state. Meander down to the waterfront to check out Stearns Wharf, California’s oldest working wharf, and discover the refurbished warehouses of the city’s hipster spot, The Funk Zone. Take your pick of cool boutiques, urban wine tasting rooms like Muni, craft beer joints like Figueroa Mountain Brew Co and delicious street food at spots such as Mony’s tacos.
On your marks...
Highway 1 starts at
Dana Point, where
it’s known as the
Pacific Coast Highway
Beauty before age
Thousands of monarch butterflies flock to Pimso Beach; and Mission Santa Barbara, which was founded in 1786
Stay at Carmel Valley Ranch in nearby Carmel-by-the-Sea, which is set in 500 acres, has an 18-hole golf course, as well as tennis courts and several pools (one of them overlooks the property’s vineyard).
Set along the curving sweep of its namesake bay, Monterey was once a boom town thanks to its whaling and sardine industries. Down on Cannery Row you’ll find both luxurious waterfront hotels such as the Monterey Plaza and remnants of old cannery buildings as you walk towards Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the historic pier. Whaling, thankfully, has been replaced by whale watching, so book a trip. And make time for the excellent Monterey Bay Aquarium.
For a quirkier stay, check in to Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds, situated on the seafront by the dunes. It was originally a YWCA, built in stages from 1913 to 1929 and designed by Julia Morgan of Hearst Castle fame (see Arts and Culture road trip).
Back on the road and a drive up to Santa Cruz. This surf town was dubbed the Coney Island of the west thanks to its sprawling vintage amusements and sideshows. The 1911 Looff Carousel and 1924 Giant Dipper rollercoaster on the boardwalk are both listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Look out for the dozens of sea lions that like to loll on the beams under the pier.
If sampling craft beers is your thing, make for Humble Sea Brewing Co. Prefer something stronger? Boutique distillery Venus Spirits makes its own fine spirits (including vodka, rum and gin), has a tasting room and a restaurant. Appetite sharpened, try Copal – where chef Ana Mendoza serves up Oaxacan cuisine – or Home, where the pasta is handmade and the meat and seafood are sourced locally. For dessert, it has to be The Penny Ice Creamery’s artisanal ice cream.
Most road trips headed north terminate in San Francisco. One of the great moments of any tour up Highway 1 is crossing the Golden Gate Bridge. After all that driving, it’s time for a well-deserved drink. Peel off Highway 1 to end your trip among the legendary vineyards of Napa Valley, which has more than 400 wineries. Afterwards, get dinner at one of the 13 Michelin-rated restaurants.
Staying on Union Square is about as central as you can get. The Westin St Francis has glass lifts to the top of its towers and great views over the city. At the top of swanky Nob Hill, the Fairmont San Francisco is a classic luxury hotel in a beautiful historic building. Nearing completion in 1906, it was badly damaged in the massive earthquake that almost destroyed the city that year, and later remodelled by Julia Morgan. In the North Beach area, close to Little Italy and Chinatown, the Hotel Boheme on Columbus Avenue offers a boho yet contemporary vibe.
Pacific heights and depths
Marine life at Monterey Bay Aquarium;
street life in San Francisco
Next day, and you’re ready to hit the road again. You’re soon into the Santa Ynez Valley and wine country. Take a detour inland and buy a pass from the Santa Ynez Valley Wine Country Association to save money on tastings at its eight member wineries.
If you want to stop off, leave the car and take a guided vino-based jeep tour; stay at The Genevieve, a slick 20-room luxury boutique hotel designed in the style of an early 20th-century inn.
You could also sample the unexpected. In the 1920s, Danes began arriving in California in considerable numbers; one of them, Anton Andersen, opened a restaurant with his French-born wife, Juliette. Their split pea soup soon became a trucker’s staple. Today, Pea Soup Andersen’s in Buellton – a Santa Ynez Valley wine town just a few miles off Highway 1 – serves two million bowls of pea soup a year.
Dip your toes in the Pacific at Pismo Beach, where thousands of monarch butterflies cling to the limbs of eucalyptus trees over winter. Then swing north and cruise 200 miles up the coast past Big Sur towards Monterey, though before you set off, it’s important to check this section of SR1 is open.*
*Landslides along the route mean sections of SR1 are sometimes closed. Always check the CA Division of Traffic Operations https://roads.dot.ca.gov for updates
explore THREE
CaLIFORNIAN road trips
On the waterfront
Coronado Island, San Diego; under the pier at Huntington Beach, the original Surf City USA
Caption kicker
The Santa Ynez Valley is wine country; xxxxxxxx
On the waterfront
Coronado Island,
San Diego; under the pier at Huntington Beach, the original Surf City USA
explore thREE CALIFORNIAN road trips
CALIFORNIA DREAMING
NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS
ARTS AND CULTURE