One of my favorite CA1 photographs from our journey, available as a bookmark in our shop
If you’ve been following our Destination Wednesday Adventures, we’ve just left San Francisco and visited the Redwoods. From there, we drove CA1 down the coast stopping just shy of L.A. .
From the Hello America blog, circa 2009:
“We’re currently on Rt 1, or the Pacific Coast Highway – which will soon start to directly follow the ocean and is supposed to be an incredibly beautiful drive. So far we’ve caught glimpses of the Pacific Ocean, but we’re still kind of driving through towns. I think a little ways after Monterey we’ll hit the actual coastal drive which is supposed to be incredible. Just saw a boar crossing sign 
I think so far we’ve seen horse crossing, goat, bull, cow, tractor, deer, elk, and I think that’s it.
We just found our first space to pull over and view the ocean and it is incredible. The wind is really high so it’s cold out, but the waves are crashing and the water is so so so blue/green. I’ve never seen water that color really. I think the closest I’ve come is Cape Ann which has pretty water tendencies. This is going to be such a beautiful drive, I just hope it gets warmer.
This drive is more incredible than I ever imagined. We are driving on curvy roads on the edge of a mountain – we go up and down alternatively as we drive the coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It’s beautiful and sort of terrifying. There seem to be a lot of “falling rock” areas that make me nervous – especially when I see the rocks in the middle of the road that fell. There are a lot of stopping points by the side of the road to stop and take pictures but we’ve only stopped once or twice because the wind is so ridiculous. Occasionally there are random houses perched on the cliff below us. Sometimes all we can see is the mailbox. There are also occasional inns and lodges, and I would totally add one of them to the list of off-beat places to stop on another road trip – along with that place by Walker Lake in the middle of nowhere Nevada desert. All slightly scary places to stay – but beautiful nonetheless.
Also of note – there are farms on this cliff as well – some including cows. Just grazing by the side of the cliff overlooking the ocean. It’s bizarre. At the end of the route is Cambria- which has this little street full of everything you could imagine a small town needing. Right at the bottom of another mountain cliff where I think I saw houses perched. There are art galleries, ice cream parlors, restaurants, gas station, book store etc. Tiny little seaside type buildings. It was really cute. The only downside to all of this is the crazy wind and the fact that it’s still 50 degrees.
Every day competes with the day before for amazing things that we’ve seen. Best idea we ever had, I’m loving every minute.” – Lindsey, April 15, 2009
Photograph also available as a greeting card in our shop
Driving CA1 is something that I will never forget. It was an intriguing combination because we would get so distracted by the gorgeous views that the tight turns became slightly terrifying at times. It was like a beautiful rollercoaster. One I didn’t mind being on! I can’t wait to someday get back to the West Coast and drive CA1 again.
Have you ever driving CA1? Being from Connecticut, California was the farthest we’d been from home. What’s the farthest you’ve been from home?
