We drove from Temecula over through L.A. (got a taste of the
worst traffic in the US and a glimpse of the Hollywood sign) and then caught Route
1 basically from L.A. up to San Francisco. It was quite beautiful. Many, many
vistas, each more beautiful than the last. We saw surfers, kite-surfers,
windsurfers, lighthouses, a lot of vast open Pacific ocean, a lot of fog, and elephant
seals!
The Route 1 drive is nice because California (like Oregon)
was fairly smart back in the day and designated much of the land as State and
National Parks, so as you drive along you see nice clean landscapes as opposed
to hotels, fast food, trashy souvenir shops and tacky tourist restaurants. Route
1 is very tourist friendly however, with many pull-off areas, picnic areas,
bathrooms, and nicely labeled “Vista Points” and “Beach Views”.
Dotting the coast you find “State Beaches,” such as the one
we stayed at on the first night. These are camping
areas run by the Park Service, complete with flush toilets and running water
(some have showers). A cheaper and more fun alternative to staying a hotel!
No comments:
Post a Comment