Driving PCH (Highway 1) from Valencia to San Francisco

Executive wrote:
FYI...CA 1 starts in San Luis Obispo and travels north from there. All along the coast are lighthouses. Be sure to visit them.

Be sure to take the 17 mile drive in Pacific Grove, near Monterey.

Castroville is the artichoke capital of the world and be sure to buy some while you're there.

Stop and visit the boardwalk in Santa Cruz.

A very nice campground in Pacifica is San Francisco RV Park. You can take the bus from the entrance to the nearby BART station that will take you all around SF. At the Pier eat at Bubba Gumps....enjoy the trip....Dennis

Hwy 1 actually starts much further south in San Diego. Joins with 101 in several places, Southern Orange County to Oxnard is mostly on the beach where it joins 101 again, sometimes in sight of the ocean to Gaviota where it turns inland to Lompoc for a while. At San Luis Obispo it parts ways with 101 again for the drive to Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria and the spectacular drive to Monterey and San Francisco.

We were thinking of doing the same thing with our rig, but from Santa Cruz south. Then I saw that much of Highway 1 south of Big Sur is under construction. Anyone driven through this construction recently? Having second thoughts . . .

RV'ers do it all the time. Especially the rental units & those who have never driven the road. Lots of Highway 1 is fine for RV's some is not. And where it is not it is absolutely not. I continue to advise that one find a nice park along 101, leave the RV, & take the tow vehicle or dinghy to see 1. Not only will you enjoy it more, so will the other drivers on the road. If you take your rig, please be advised that the route is very popular with cyclists (bicycles). Cal law requires that you give them a minimum 3' clearance. Not always safe to do so. And be advised that many cyclists have taken to wearing video devices that document what happens around them.

Today was beautiful in Morro Bay. Depending on the heat in the interior you could be making the trip in heavy fog. A stop for lunch at the Ragged Point Inn would be nice if there was no fog on the day of the trip through that area.

Be aware hwy 1 has Several single lane light controlled sections due to slides. Tight corners etc. Drove it a few weeks back and saw lots of rental class c units and a couple trailers and class As. Braver than I. We rented a car for the trip down 101 from gilroy over to coast at San Luis obisbo then Hearst castle tour at san Simeon and back up 1 to Carmel. It is amazing scenery. Btw counted over 50 new mustang gt convertibles. Wow.

Thank you for all the suggestions. We are looking forward to this trip, and decided to add Oregon on our list of stops!

I haven't driven it towing but will say be very cautious.

Sites:
- Elephant Seals just north of Cambria near Hurst Castle. Big ones won't be there in summer but usually at least juveniles year round.
- X2 on Morro Bay and 17 Mile Drive.
- Spend a few hours in Big Sur
- Nice arched bridges along the way for photographs. Not sure about pull-outs with a TT though.
- Buy some clam chowder in a sourdough bowl in Monterey

* Don't enter SF with the TT!

FYI...CA 1 starts in San Luis Obispo and travels north from there. All along the coast are lighthouses. Be sure to visit them.

Be sure to take the 17 mile drive in Pacific Grove, near Monterey.

Castroville is the artichoke capital of the world and be sure to buy some while you're there.

Stop and visit the boardwalk in Santa Cruz.

A very nice campground in Pacifica is San Francisco RV Park. You can take the bus from the entrance to the nearby BART station that will take you all around SF. At the Pier eat at Bubba Gumps....enjoy the trip....Dennis

Not sure how long you plan on taking but you should count on two days min so you can see a few sites. North of Cambria is not for the faint of heart with a trailer. You can spend a night in Morro Bay or San simeon state park on the way those are both nice.

It is a spectacular drive. enjoy

Valencia is off I-5, are you taking I-5 N to 126 W to Ventura then 101 N to San Luis Obispo then getting on highway 1 N? Dick