is one of the
most spectacularly scenic highways in the world and is well-known to those motorcyclists
who seek out the beauties of the California Coast. But Highway 1 is not really a single
highway. It consists of several highway segments totalling more than 600 miles. They
meander off by themselves for a while, then rejoin a busy freeway such as US 101 before
detouring again to seek their own discoveries. Just south of California's famed redwood
country, Highway 1 swings away from US 101 to begin its shoreline-hugging journey.
The Mendocino Coast is studded with
dramatic headlands where waves crash against rocky cliffs and sea lions snooze on sunny
offshore rocks. Surf pounds the beaches making them too rough for swimming, but ideal for
beachcombing or a brisk walk. South of Fort Bragg, tiny coves punctuate the rocks (called
"dog holes" by schooner captains who loaded lumber from them). The New
Englanders who settled this coast built ornate gingerbread Victorian houses in small
photogenic towns such as Mendocino, Noyo and Little River. As the highway skirts the
Sonoma Coast, just north of San Francisco, it touches gentler, more hospitable beaches.
Highway 1 joins 101 for its crossing of the
Golden Gate, then separates again to lead through the resort communities around Monterey
Bay-Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel. Beyond Carmel, the road clings to steep slopes high
above the crashing surf along the Big Sur Coast. Each turn in the road reveals a new
dramatic seascape. South of Oxnard, you will pass mile after mile of the sunwashed beaches
that have made Southern California famous. Many beaches have camping facilities, and on
some you may rent surfboards and other aquatic equipment. Passing through the coastal
communities of Los Angeles and Orange County, Highway 1 terminates at Capistrano Beach.
