A bit of local culture: The terms "Pacific Coast Highway" and "PCH" are used primarily in Southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara). In Northern California (Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco) it's called simply "The Coast Highway" or "Highway 1".
Last summer I drove the northern portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, and all of HWY-101 from Olympia, WA all the way to San Francisco, CA. It was the most beautiful drive I've ever been on.
You failed to mention the 1950's restaurant 'Allegators Tail'. It was cantilevered over the cliff just north of Bixby Bridge. The cement mourning are still visible in cliff on E side of PCH. One Wintery night the entire restaurant broke loose and plummeted down the cliff. Just an interesting remembrance of mine.
According to Flickr and the California Historical Society, this place was called "The Crocodile's Tail" and was indeed north of Bixby Bridge. However, the illustration on the menu cover clearly shows the restaurant moored to the cliff on the west (ocean) side of Highway 1. I can't find any more information online. There is no photograph of the restaurant (the menu cover is a drawing) and no information about when it broke free and fell into the ocean, or if anyone died when it happened. I hope the place wasn't full of people. I have taken that trip up Highway 1 about 12-15 times in my life. March 1961 is the first one I remember, when I went to San Simeon for the first time with my parents. My last trip was in about 2009. I have a family photo in front of the fire pit at Nepenthe from 1973. I am the only person still alive from that picture. I also have slides my parents took in November, 1947, on a trip up Highway 1 to San Francisco from Los Angeles. Mom is about 1 month pregnant with me, so technically I guess that was my first trip. One of my most memorable was a trip from L.A. to Oakland in December, 1979, with a favorite cousin. It took us 11 hours and we didn't hurry. We had lunch in Morro Bay, dinner at Nepenthe, coffee in Santa Cruz at about 10:OO p.m., and finally got to my apartment in Oakland at about 11:30 p.m. He came out to me on that highway on that trip. On April 22, 1994, he died of AIDS. I am beginning to think I may never drive that highway again. I wonder if you can get through to Deetjen's Big Sur Inn (in early 2024) if you drive down Highway 1 from the Bay Area?
@@philiphorner31 That has nothing to do with the name of a restaurant, but yes there are def. crocodiles in the USA. Florida where I'm from has both gators and crocs.
California Highway 1 between San Luis Obispo and Monterey is a very scenic section with incredible coastal beauty. However the geology of the area results in many landslides and closures and repair of California Highway 1. Yet because there are communities along this route and a lot of tourism it is not likely that this section of California Highway 1 will be abandoned.
I live just a few hours from this beautiful area and go to the beach near there every year (almost). I always stop at the Muir Beach overlook on my way to Stinson Beach where I hang for the day. Gorgeous scenery that can still bring me to tears if I have not seen it for awhile. And I have lived in California for 72 years.
Lived in Marin for 16 years, 2 the beach lots in high school; saw coast north to mid-Oregon. Commuted to Santa Cruz for 1 yr; drove south to San Simeon; always enjoyed all! Would like to see the rest of it!
Always brings me to tears as well. But my favorite drive (which I think is gone now) is south from .Monterey to & thru Big Sur. Always takes my breath away!
We visit the cabins at Steep Ravine just South of Stinson Beach and stay there 3 times a year. It's beautiful no matter what the weather. There is a locked gate that needs to be opened to let traffic up and down a very narrow cliff hugging 3/4 mile long driveway. That road is one lane with turnouts, maybe 12 feet wide at certain stretches. Up near the top in the water tank area, the pavement is broken and is clearly slipping downhill. The pavement looks to be 2-3 inches sheared next to the mountain. You can see the elevation of the original road in the pavement against the hill. I just cancelled our stay there as we have had heavy rains again this season. I can picture being in our van and plunging 250 feet to the ocean. That road truly scares me. I'm a 71 year Ca resident.
California Beach communities have always had to deal with the volital nature of slides, rockfall, erosion, and earthquakes. My fix would be to skirt around the most common areas with a more inland expanse, and if you notice, there are parts of PCH that do just that from the original planning. You could provide rough roads and trail down to the beach areas in those areas. I. Fact, I order to really see some of the areas well, you have to do that anyhow. That water fall on the beach in Big Sur is one of them, unless you have a really good telephoto camera. While the residents of the areas from Santa Barbara up to the northern CA like to complain, most of those areas benefit more from tourism than anything else. So it is surprising they are complaining. The major metropolitan areas are the only ones that would survive the lack of tourism of PCH and the surrounding wilderness areas. We have traditionally traveled on weekdays so as to miss the heavy traffic. But this highway was always going to be a problem.
I used to spend my summers in the Bay area and have traveled the PCH many times, I can not imagine living there now given all the problems you just mentioned. I will always remember the PCH as a beautiful and scenic ride along the coast.
Don't worry it's still mostly there and the coast will always be beautiful. After the 1989 quake the section between Muir Beach and Stinson Beach was closed for several years. It became the best bike path in the world! I miss that.
That is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful drives ever. I hope it doesn’t erode before I can make one more trip there. It’s a bucket list destination.
I feel so lucky to live right there, and it's on your bucket list?! I absolutely love that! Yes, you should definitely make it back again because it's so breathtakingly beautiful as you said. I'm so fortunate!! 💚🌴🌊
One of the most beautiful sections of the coast highway is from Eureka to the Oregan border. It's like a seaside fairyland but is rarely mentioned when discussing the seaside routes.
One of my favorite parts of my East-West coastal tour during covid! But guess what? As we left that area headed north, there was a section of Hwy 1 closed due to a massive landslide that had taken out a section of highway. It was one lane with an hour long red light as we sat in our rv at a 35° angle heading up and had an hour long view of the bare earth where tiny yellow vehicles moved rocks around above us and we could see over the westside guardrail where all that earth had tumbled right on down into the ocean. It was quite a freaky experience for this flatlander from Texas! Glad I went. Relieved I won't be there again. It was so very beautiful there!
It has almost an East Coast feel to it (though I have never been to east coast) especially Samoa Island area. Not all at once, but I have driven every bit of coastal highway from Florence Or. to Los Angeles, Ca. My favorites are King City to Carmel. (camped at Big Sur many times) and Stinson Beach to Fort Bragg.
I know the Coast Highway like the back of my hand. I lived in Pacific Grove and Monterey for most of my 70 years and drove it in my car or my motorcycle all the time from Monterey to San Simion, as well as delivering irrigation supplies to homes inland where the Coast Highway was the only access. I'd usually stop off at Fernwoods for one of their double cheese burgers. Sometimes I'd take the Old Coast Road in my Jeep or XL500S from Bixby Creek instead of the paved highway. I'd occasionally pull into Nepenthes until they rearranged the gift shop. It started losing its localness after that. Those were some good times...
Hey I live in Seaside for 66 years and I also have driven down the coast more times than i can remember. It's one of my favorite things to do. Go to Ventana for lunch. It's good to see someone another local! Have fun...
I have driven the coast more times than I can count! One of my favorite stops is at Big Sur Inn. Stop for lunch and put your chair in the river, allowing your bare feet to feel the coolness of the water, and enjoying the breeze. Love it!
Grew up in Santa Monica seven block from Pacific Palisades Park which was 3x as large then 1950s, as it is now in 2024. It regularly breaks off and slides down to PCH. Probably a chunk will go again after the heavy rains we had last week. I love driving PCH and seeing the Ocean and breathing the fresh air. Traffic can be heavy so don’t drive during rush hour or the weekends but that applies to all Southern California freeways and most highways.
@aliceputt3133 Me, too. Born in St. John's Hosp. in '49. In my 20s & 30s, I lived on Palisades Ave., one door up from Ocean Ave. in a fairytale-cottages property (until the '94 quake took red tagged the cottages, took 2+ yrs to restore them). And I agree, Palisades Park is going to disappear in the not-to-distant future, and the properties along Ocean with it, just like the homes along the cliffs in Pacific Palisades did, most notably, Charles Laughton's huge home above Entrada Dr. & PCH. Through the decades, it was sad watching what had been huge front yards facing the ocean start to collapse, until one day the homes went with it.
i feel lucky enough to have driven highway 1 from san fran to malibu back in 2010...amazing places to stay along that coast and the scenery to go with it.
We live in Ventura County and my sister who lived in France to teach English said the PCH between Ventura and Santa Barbara is more beautiful than the French Riviera!
Been the whole length from Dana Point to the top of Oregon.. in the 1980s.. Beautiful drive.. Hope it all stays open and is restored where currently damaged.
Have driven route 1 a couple of times. So stunning. Drove from San Francisco all the way down to LA on highway 1 and/or 101. Never had a problem parking.
Driving from LA on Hwy 1 to get to the 17 mile drive makes me emotional. 40 years ago, I stood at the end of a rainbow on that drive. We stopped at that amazing pie place every time & always saw whale spout off when we watched long enough. Those memories are the most precious of my life. -If the road is open, I’d say go now before it isn’t!
In the 1920’s and early 30’s my second cousin was employed by Teichart construction company, that had contracts for building the highway , many stores he had, one was about a steam shovel that fell into the ocean due too a slide taking the operator with it. The wreckage was recovered somewhere in the in the late 70’s or early 80’s I believe, he said that area would always be problematic due too unstable hillside conditions.
Did this over a week in September and divided into 2 sections due to the closure. Still a fantastic drive and exceeded expectations. Don’t wait, just go out and do it while you can.
How far did you go? There’s a section by Big Sur that has been closed for over 6 months now. The 2 section part has been there for a while. I think you are referring the Santa Monica to Santa Barbara section?
@@TheIcecoldorange Perhaps I could have been clearer. I meant we divided the trip in to 2 sections. We based ourselves for a few days at San Luis Obispo touring including driving as far north as the Elephant seals just past San Simeon. The second section was driving north from SLO up the 101 to Carmel Valley Village. That was the base for that area including a day trip as far south on the coast road we could go, which happened to be the turnaround near Lucia. We allowed a week all up as we had never explored the area and had the time. Fantastic!
I live right off the PCH near Big Sur and there’s really not anymore room to move it inland at all and I hope it’s able to be repaired. It’s a beautiful drive to LA.
I was on a road trip from eastern Canada this past summer and drove the PCH from Pacifica to Lucia I think it was, where I had to turn back. LoL, had to drive all the way back to Monterey to take the 101 to get back to the coast near SLO. It was so beautiful I didn't mind the drive back.
@@robhersey1796same! I was a bit bummed out at the detour after so many hours of driving but I didn’t mind. We ended up back in old stomping grounds of Palo Alto that wasn’t planned so it worked out.
@elodieschindelheim611 No, they said the water from the Sierra's was coming underground all the way to the coast and it kept undermining the ground as they were working. I think now they have figured a new route that is going to cost a whole lot of millions. We'll see. 👍
While I understand the noble concept of leaving the land to be as mother nature desires, I'm not sure it's worth being there if it's not something anyone really gets to see for themselves. What good is a beautiful natural scene if no one sees it? The highway probably isn't the best addition to the scenic aspect of the coastline, but it does enable people to enjoy that scenic view in the first place and I'm not sure leaving it untouched really matters if the whole point of leaving it that way is BECAUSE it's beautiful.
PCH is a National Treasure and should be maintained in perpetuity. However the Big Sur section is totally over used during tourist season (April to November). It is or, will get to a point where "permits" will need to be issued, much like the State Park system!
Nicely covered, thanx! Cherish memories of beaches, Monterey north to mid Oregon driving Hwy 1! Drove south 2 San Simeon, Hearst Castle. Would lov 2 see the rest!
I’ve lived on the east coast my whole life, but lately I’ve considered driving the PCH to be a bucket list item in my life, as well as other iconic roads like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66
It's fun! Just do your research ahead of time and make sure it is actually open all the way through. Also, when driving it, I suggest go north to south and use the turn outs liberally.
When I lived in Newport Beach, we drove PCH every day. I moved north, & had a dear friend in Pacifica. There is a large inland in Pacifica. But, PCH is so wonderful.
Yay, go Ryan! Fun pieces of CA history and geography! 1) Rent a convertible… 2) Drive the PCH for as many miles as you have time for… 3) Visit all the towns you have heard about from various TV programs and news stories… 4) See people roller skating and surf boarding… Reminder…. Check your automatic braking car, and how it really works…. It is easy to run into the stopped car in front of you while you sight see slooowly. A local bumped into my rental while we were stopped at a traffic light. 😃
@@mikemullay5622 I was out there in 87. Most beautiful place I’d been. I was 25. 78 econoline extended van … no power steering. A bunch of guys calling themselves grateful dead followed me everywhere I went. It was a fantastic time.
@@terryatpi One of the most beautiful 11 hour drives I have ever done. The following summer I drove Going to the Sun Road from East Glacier to Apgar over the top of Glacier Park. That was truly spectacular as well. Did that trip in the same truck.
I drove to Bixby Bridge a few years ago now, before the pandemic. I guess I was lucky finding a place to park was pretty easy. I parked on the east side a little bit up the dirt road. Crossing 1 to take photos was pretty easy. I wanted to get a long view of the bridge so I drove up the dirt road and parked for lunch and photos. The dirt road is the old pre bridge route around the creek canyon below. I decided to try driving it in my Volvo 1800. Its about 10 miles and once back in hills you get some good views of the coastal hills though the road is largely bounded by private property and is adorned with many NO TRESPASSING NO LOITERING signs. I made it a point to stop and yell out my window "I'm Loitering!" I drove on rejoining 1 south of Bixby Bridge. Once I hit high speed all the dust blew out of the vents filling the car for a bit until it all blew out the windows. It's a nice drive into more remote areas. Most modern cars should be able to manage the terrain especially typical SUVs. I did it in my 1968 Volvo 1800S. I don't think it should be tried during or after heavy rains.
I have driven it twice, luckily when it was fully open. There are similar problems on most similar coastal roads. South Africa's Chapmans Peak road has been closed during my last two visits there. Locally we have one main road which was closed for some time and a minor road which was abandoned as repair cost was not justified. The Pacific Coast is many orders longer in an area subject to earthquakes, so is never going to be free of problems. I hope the funding keeps coming.
We did a trip from SF to Oxnard. We had heard about 2 landslides earlier that year. When I contacted CHP they told me both had been repaired and Hwy 1 was open. Not true! We got to Gorda and found out it was closed there and we had to back track over hour to find highway going east then south. I believe this was in 2016. It is a beautiful drive and someday we hope to drive north of SF and south of Oxnard.
During my career, I had the pleasure of commuting by bus through the Waldo Tunnel, across the Golden Gate Bridge into the city and back each day. For many years, I had a corner office on the 31st floor overlooking the bridge and the hills of beautiful Marin County, my home. It is such a beautiful coastline and I think the northbound section of Highway 101 from the bridge to Mill Valley is one of the prettiest and most fun to drive. Highway 92 is also an underrated, beautifully engineered at sited highway. The countryside there is lovely, coastal prairie of mixed grasslands and small woods, including some redwoods, it’s very similar to that of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa plains, before they began to be gobbled up by development
It's funny that I see this Video, I was just on that part of highway yesterday with my son. I drove up to Big Sur and then turned around and came back to Monterey. I miss driving on this highway all the way to Cambria, San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach where family lives.
I live in Monterey County, CA. I've driven Highway 1 from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo innumerable times. The reckless driving we by far see the most isn't drifting; it is by far people in a hurry who speed, tailgate, and make unsafe passes. Much of Highway 1 is not built for speed; between topography and the weather one cannot make "good time." If you come to visit keep that in mind.
It's not even as simple as you state, those sight seeing, afraid of turning a corner and those want go the speed limit creates conflict on this highway and there are few place to safely pass. Remember even if you only have 1 car behind you, use a turnout, and enjoy your day and the view. If you EVER think someone is "tailgating you" on a highway like this, you are the problem, not the person wanting to go 3 mph faster.
@@limeyprat Anyone foolish enough to expect that they can drive the speed limit on the scenic stretches of Highway 1 is too stupid to hold a license. You wrote about turnouts. Have you driven any of the scenic sections of Highway 1?
@@mbryson2899 Thanks troll. I hope you enjoy the cafeteria food at your Sanitarium. Driven the whole thing 6+ times in my life and probably flipped you off at least once.
Greatest ride was my college boyfriend driving PCH #1 to San Francisco then Mendicino ~ Windshield cracked & drive all the way back to almost Palm Springs ~ He was very calm ~ came into my parents home for dinner ~ nothing said ~ a beautiful drive ~ quite a magnificent homage to California ~
11:53 this reference to the traffic conditions in Berkeley seems to have little to no bearing on this piece, as the “coast” for Berkeley and the East Bay is the Bay, and in hardly any sense affects traffic on the freeway which is the coast route transiting the area. this is a delightful reminder of the beauty of the coast before…
Tens of thousands of people live along this highway now; it must be maintained for everyday life to proceed. Many small Towns along the highway need the tourist just to survive. I drive SR1 in Northern CA every day and love it. You did not mention the area of the highway that bypassed known as the Lost Coast, as it was too difficult to build there.
As a native born Californian who's lived near PCH most of her life (and driven it multiple times) I would say that it's reasonably obvious that the mountains of the BIg Sur definitely do not want the roadway there and keep pushing it away. The same can be said for the Malibu/Santa Monica area which now has so many residents that a major slide would be catastrophic. In the last regard, I'm reminded of a mansion that once stood on a cliff above where Santa Monica Canyon and PCH come together. When constructed, it had a large yard overlooking the beautiful ocean view. There was a patio and a swimming pool. However, as the years went on, the yard got smaller and smaller as the cliff side eroded. The yard went, then the patio went, then the pool went. And, finally, the house went. In California, no matter what humans do or think, Mother Nature still rules.
I've riden the Pacific coast bike route Canada to Mexico 4 and a half times!! And I'm going to Bikeraft Sail the Pacific Coast this spring which will consist of riding the Pacific Coast route in places!! It's the best route in the world!!!
I learned to drive on the road between Cambria and Big Sur. I've driven it in the rain when the road was missing up to the white center line. After that, I'm good on just about any road. BTW, there used to be a section called "movable bridge." This was a temporary causeway over a serpentine rock washout north of Ragged Point. It would wash over the cliff edge every winter, then was raised with a crane every spring and put back into place. There was finally a major construction in the 1970s involving driving pilings deep into the cliffs to support a more permanent roadway.
I grew up in a PCH city of Huntington Beach ⛱️ and know first hand how parking can be! We had one of the finest bathing beaches in the state and because of that, a big crowd to fight through. I'll always love my stomping grounds though I don't live there anymore ✌️👍
An ocean is a large body of saltwater that covers roughly 70% of the Earth's surface. A sea is a smaller body of saltwater that is partially enclosed by land. Growing up in Monterey, I was always up and down the coast. Particularly between home and Santa Cruz. I would never use the PCH unless I was simply being leisurely. The 101 is so much faster but the sun sets from the one are beautiful.
I’ve run this road several times. My father ran it in the early 1950s when he was stationed at Monterey with the military. It’s the most spectacular road I’ve ever run. It’s way over crowded these days. The sections in Mendocino and Sonoma are better but deteriorating, from an overcrowding perspective. 101 in Oregon and Del Norte and Humboldt in CA. are still fairly well preserved.
From my college geology field trip many years ago, it was easy to see how the sub strata along much of the coast is tilted downward toward the ocean. Water incursion and earth tremors, let alone earthquakes, can trigger slides near the coast and Coast Highway. There's really no way to stop this movement; just clean it up and wait for the next slide.
This is going to keep happening along the California coast! I doubt that human intervention will be able to stop what Nature is doing and eventually this and so many other parts of the West Coast will disappear into the ocean!
I’m Canadian and we just drove there in December and I was so scared because of how fast people drive and weave in and out of traffic! It was an eye opener for sure!!
You focused heavily on the PCH section just North of LA. I have to say that area is a challenge but there are houses there and bypassing it would be a huge burden on the community. The other 99% is a must save. If you know you know. It’s an amazing connection to the roots of CA and deserves as much saving as we can do. I hate bypassing the closed Big Sur section so much that my wife and I recently spent hours making the loop inland to the 101, around the closed section and back to the other end of the closed section.
I have driven the entire length of PCH many times, it's beautiful and I hope they keep it open, at least in the most scenic parts of Northern California.
I have thought about whether PCH should be reclaimed or kept open before. When you weigh the pro's and con's of it,there is one thing that comes to mind. When you are taking a trip or just a ride with someone who has never seen it before. The look on their face,and the joy in their eye's!! It's something non of you ever forget. And as far as being over crowded,there is probably a month to six weeks that it's crowded at the stops. But there is so much more to do along 1 or in close proxcimity that not everyone hangs out there. Then there is also all the surfing spots that are still available.
i rode the highway from san fran. to L.A. in 1968 on my motorcycle .this video makes me feel lucky i didn't have any problems.traffic was light but it's a road you have to pay attention to --no gazing at the scenery.i kept my speed down and enjoyed the ride.
Surprised you didn't mention the tragic death of a Cal Trans D8 Cat operator in 1969 who plummeted off a hillside in Big Sur RIP, Brutal way to pass (Great video by the way...... Liked/Subscribed)
Can't imagine a solution to this complex situation. Our family left living in Malibu 1963 because my parents declared it too crowded. But looking at that old shot of Santa Monica's beach back in the 20's or 30's ... wow ... it was always crowded! Like Waikiki ... crowded since all of Creation ... LOL
They should rename it the "Ghost Highway and make serious widening efforts and serious redesign and charge tolls on some sections. It's so nice people would pay big time to use it.
I think at some point if things continue to get hectic and even worse than what has gone on, they may end up making it a very extensive toll road or a national park route where they can charge people to drive through the area of various points to restrict the amount of automobiles going through the area. There's probably more going to this than just simply saying that but I think that may be something that will come sooner rather than later.
PCH between Malibu and Point Mugu has had months long closures from rock slides. I drive PCH in So Cal to LAX and Santa Monica at least 4 to 5 times a year. It's a beautiful drive. Whales and dolphins can be seen. Breathtaking.
I work at Point Mugu Naval Base. I live just in town. Yes, indeed beautiful ride from Mugu Rock to Malibu, more further to highways of your choice. In fact, we used PCH 1 from Grammy Awards Museum, LA to home. It is dangerous to drive at night because of the road is being so narrow and too tight with all constructions going on. When you get down closer to Las Posas Road, on the right side, is just too tight with all the cones, barriers, etc. February 23, 2024, Friday morning in beautiful California USA 🇺🇸. We have more rain coming this weekend.
@@stamesamanilapicaliforniau9304 Yes, I've been driving that stretch of road for over 50 years now. 😵💫 I drive it at night too. I love to drive, rain or shine. Yes, more rain this weekend! Have a wonderful day!! P.S. you are so right about the work on PCH. That is scary. I see part of your Zip and you live where I was raised. I live about 15 miles from there! 😊
@@luana1600 Take me with you. I enjoy every ride I can. I don’t close my eyes. It is not right to close your eyes when you go for a ride. You are supposed to enjoy the view and scenery. I like to go places. We were in Mexico City, Mexico 🇲🇽 for one month and half in July thru August 2023. I was tired of walking to see all the museums. Took the trolley ride. I used little bit of Spanish and we made it. In December 2023, we went to Tampa, Florida and enjoyed the public transportation and trolley ride to Clearwater Beach. In March 2023 we are going to San Francisco, flying from LAX to SF and return. We drove many times to SF along 101 North Freeway and enjoy the Coastal view. Be careful driving at night, around the PCH so dark. Too many repairs around it. 2-24-2024, Saturday morning in Sunny California.
Love Highway 1, there’s nothing else like it in the world. The “Broadcast News “ look took too much away from the beautiful scenery, although I think you are young and handsome. Thanks for producing this video.
What you are calling Pacific Coast Highway, California State Highway 1, is actually broken up into different names. In San Diego County, which is not part of Highway 1, it is known as Pacific Highway. Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1 begins in Orange County city of Capistrano Beach. Extends North into Los Angeles County. The name changes to Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. Then is El Segundo back to Pacific Coast Highway. Then by Los Angeles International Airport back to Sepulveda Boulevard. Then, at the North end of Los Angeles International Airport State Highway 1 becomes Lincoln Boulevard until Santa Monica. Then the name for Highway 1 is Pacific Coast Highway until you arrive in Santa Barbara County. Just North of Gavoita, the name changes to Cabrillo Highway until you arrive near San Francisco. North of San Francisco to Leggett it is known as the Shoreline Highway.
Shoreline Highway huh? I don't think I've ever heard that and I live on Hwy 1 in Fort Bragg. I don't doubt it. Just never heard anyone use it. It is Main Street a few times up here lol
There is a section they have not identified where Highway 1 passes through Oxnard. It enters as a freeway from the southeast which used to extend into Oxnard Blvd. which angles then turns north through the center of town to join US101 at the north end of town. Sometime in the 80's, Rice Road became a divided road with a better, more direct exchange from Highway 1 being constructed in the 90s, bypassing most of Oxnard on the east. So a driver would end up at US101 three exits sooner and miss Oxnard if they did not deliberately exit to get back to Oxnard Blvd.. There are no Highway 1 signs on any section of either road to identify the official way Highway 1 is intended to get through this section. North of Oxnard, Highway 1 signage does not appear until it forks off independently north of Gaviota before Buelton, so all that section of the Rincon covered here is really just Highway 101 now. It rejoins 101 for another small section from Pismo Beach to San Luis Obispo and later to unify over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Seems reasonable to establish controlled access to key areas, using double-decker electric busses with large parking lots at each end. Like a tourist railroad with hotels at each end of the designated nature and scenery routes. A similar coastal collapse issue is plaguing the railroad tracks between Orange County and San Diego, CA.
Living in NorCal region, been to the HWY 1 multiple times in the northern coastal area on an annual basis, never had issues beyond potholes, that happens more often. When I lived in LA region for a while, I used route 1 the few times I was visited friends, one case up to San Luis Obispo. It was pretty, but honestly I had a hard time with the traffic, specifically around Santa Barbara. Didn’t really step out to a beach to enjoy, and I can see why specifically that region tends to be prime for the crumbling of the road. First off a good chunk of it is too low, too close to the sand, it made me nervous if there was ever a tsunami coming. Forget earthquakes in California went your way out of a tsunami potential region is to continue drive along the beach!!! Also, the erosion seems more prevalent in SoCal, there is little to keep the hillsides and mountains together. What makes it worse is if there was a fire in that year and the first rainfall there is bound to be mudslides. That has become too common, ironically I live in another area with DRASTIC forest fires but never had a fraction of the landslides like there is in SoCal. If I’m going to be honest, I think I’ll just stick to the highway about the San Francisco region. It has pockets of scenic views, and when you’re not directly seeing the coast you still have the scenery of the forests, and there is little reckless driving. The concern would be if there’s too many people how much that is going to affect the area cause it’s one of the last regions where redwoods are at that are THOUSANDS off years old.
Drove either from SF to OC or vice versa 7 times. Always amazing. Usually I start or get off in Ventura. Not worth doing the Malibu/Santa Monica portion of it.
In 1969 I had the opportunity to drive the coastal highway from Los Angeles all the way to Vancouver BC. Had an extended stay in San Francisco (Mill Valley really) with a family I met while touring the sailing ship Barclutha in the harbour. This stay with that wonderful family was to have a profound effect on my life and outlook on life in general.
Back in late 2016 early 2017 when I was 14 to 15 years old my father announced us that he would be doing a 14 day road trip from Tucson through the California sand dunes to San Diego later traveling I-5 to Los Angeles eventually taking Highway 1 all the way to Monterey and afterwards 101 to San Francisco. After San Francisco it was 8-9 more days staying in Oregon, in Washington, Passing Idaho, staying in Montana passing all of North Dakota and back home to Minnesota. The three of us me, my father, and my sister where all suppose to take Highway 1 to check out Big Sur. My father said something about a landslide and that we would I die together. That trip happened 1 and half months after the 2017 landslide which forced us to take 101 to Monterrey. We did get to see some of Highway 1 but not the whole extend of it. I had a very eerie feeling that a landslide was evident and sure enough it happened before we the planned road trip took place between Late June and Early July. I think the landslide happened on May 25th.
As a navy brat growing up in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, with family in both, road trips up and down PCH several times a year in the 50s and 60s were the norm. Traveling north, passing an abandoned bridge meant we were close to a restaurant by a lighthouse. We had picnic lunches on Monterey Peninsula; free at the time, $14 per car when we drove it in 1986 with our kids. No thanks.
It's only a marvel that it was built so close to the ocean. It's a marvel of futility. The ocean (and geology) is one mighty MF'r not to be messed with. Understandable, since it was built 'back in the day' before alot of tech and knowledge that we have now. In this world, nothing lasts forever.
In 1962 my husband wanted to climb down to the beach beside Bixby bridge. He, our five-yr-old, and I started down, but were warned by the surf fishermen on the beach to go back and take the dirt road. Good thing we did because the ground was slippery and would have gotten worse the farther down we went.
Well, I used to swim at Portuguese Bend and Palos Verdes and now it’s literally sliding into the ocean in chunks. They’re constantly trying to fix the road where it drops three and 4 feet at a time and the road starts again below, etc. or moves to the right it’s constantly shifting so the road is like a roller coaster now, but I wouldn’t want to deprive anybody of the beautiful positive vibrations and the feeling of driving along the California coast it’s really exquisite❤ yes it’s falling into the ocean, but those lucky enough to see it before it does. Will always remember their drive along the California coast. One day it won’t be there like everything else. Nothing is forever, but people who have experienced beautiful things are lucky.❤
A checkpoint could be set up at both ends, with others at crucial points to limit the amount of traffic on the highway at any given time. Taking into account the terrible terrain and viewing chokepoints cars would only be able to enter the highway when others leave it. Locals would be immune to the regulation, but their cars would count in the overall traffic. If tourists have to wait for hours to enter the road a lot of them would not try it thereby reducing a huge percentage of the traffic. It really would be easy to set up, and despite the outraged uproar from tourists and businesses it could positively affect the degradation of the environment.
I drove most of the coast highway in a single visit of nearly three weeks in 1993. It occurred to me numerous times that the experience was one I just might not actually deserve, so stunning is the reality of the highway. It impact on the most beautiful parts of the great state of California cannot be ignored. I would not mourn the lack of vehicle access if the state were to take a more laissez-faire attitude to repairing fallen roadway.
While living in Carmel early 90's left work at 6p to drive down the coast n catch amazing sunsets above Rocky Point. Weekends would continue down to River Inn n catch the Big Sur Natives tribal music party, followed by last call at Fernwood Inn (Ferndog). Exploring Big Sur beaches by day, occasionally tripping down to Pismo. Often camped on the turnout near Coast Gallery above the sea lion sanctuary listening to the sea lions barking all night and watching shooting stars from the back of my truck. Sometimes catching a late nite soak at Esalen hot springs.
The issue I have with that entire route is that there are very few way to detour around sections of the highway when there is a landslide or collapse of a portion of the road. From Hwy 46 north of Moro bay to Big Sur there are no routes to take you inland. So making a senic drive from say the LA area up to San Francisco along SR1 is rarely possible. We did it once from Moro Bay to Monterrey in the 20-teens but since then I don't think it's been possible except a rare occasion. Would be nice if one had the option of crossing inland to the 101 as 3 or 4 places between Monterrey and Moro Bay but that is about as likely to happen as the California Highspeed Rail project from LA to San Fran.
@MaryAnn-ob4qb And solve nothing. Riders still have to drive to Rancho Cucamonga and that's not an easy drive unless you live there. It's better than the original plan that went from Victorville to Vegas, but still has all the riders driving the ugliest part of the Trip - The LA basin. Rancho Cucamonga is very close to the eastern edge of the LA basin. All that money so they can spend their money in Nevada. Are the Casinos going to foot the bill? The propaganda site tries to foist t idea that people will travel from Vegas to LA- What a joke. 80 plus percent will be Californian traveling to Vegas to spend their money in Nevada. Oh, and that "Sovel Ready" project boasts about being green and Electric powered. Great- another electric energy consumer. Just what California needs now.
It's a beautiful highway to drive. How could you visit the Hurst Castle if it wasn't there. There are so many scenic things that are just off the highway. PCH-1 and highway 101 interchange several places. We stopped at Santa Barbara then Solvang. Saw all the missions. Hurst Castle then Moro Bay museum.
Back in 2015 we drove to Disneyland from Sacramento and I wanted to take the scenic route and drive on Pacific Coast Highway. We started from Monterey and yes it added like 5 more hours to our drive but it was a full moon night and it was so hard to focus on the road while a big full moon was lighting up the ocean surface with that blue white hue.
If you ever get the chance, drive PCH through Big Sur. It is magical and breathtaking. It is my favorite spot on this world, and I have been to 20 countries.
I live on the central coast and that northern part of the highway is usually closed now. The furthest north we drive is a landmark called Rocky Point. It’s beautiful there but the road beyond is as dangerous as its beauty. My friend and I drove up there a few years ago after a major rockslide was repaired. It’s a unique area filled with views but I personally do not want to go through that area again. It scared me.
A bit of local culture: The terms "Pacific Coast Highway" and "PCH" are used primarily in Southern California (Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara). In Northern California (Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Francisco) it's called simply "The Coast Highway" or "Highway 1".
I even remember an apparel company with a PCH brand years ago
We call it PCH in So. Cal.
Call it what you want, El Camino Real is what the Spanish named it in the 1500s. Al those other nomenclature are after marketing.
@@luana1600 California 1, US hwy 101, San Ysidro thru Oregon and beyond ste hwy 1.
@@RobertCHoweSr El Camino Real is U.S. 101.
Last summer I drove the northern portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, and all of HWY-101 from Olympia, WA all the way to San Francisco, CA. It was the most beautiful drive I've ever been on.
Yes Yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The most beautiful state......
You live there !?
I live in Olympia too. I was thinking about driving that route this year.
You failed to mention the 1950's restaurant 'Allegators Tail'. It was cantilevered over the cliff just north of Bixby Bridge. The cement mourning are still visible in cliff on E side of PCH. One Wintery night the entire restaurant broke loose and plummeted down the cliff. Just an interesting remembrance of mine.
The concrete foundations are gone now as well. slipped on down the cliff a while ago.
According to Flickr and the California Historical Society, this place was called "The Crocodile's Tail" and was indeed north of Bixby Bridge. However, the illustration on the menu cover clearly shows the restaurant moored to the cliff on the west (ocean) side of Highway 1. I can't find any more information online. There is no photograph of the restaurant (the menu cover is a drawing) and no information about when it broke free and fell into the ocean, or if anyone died when it happened. I hope the place wasn't full of people.
I have taken that trip up Highway 1 about 12-15 times in my life. March 1961 is the first one I remember, when I went to San Simeon for the first time with my parents. My last trip was in about 2009. I have a family photo in front of the fire pit at Nepenthe from 1973. I am the only person still alive from that picture. I also have slides my parents took in November, 1947, on a trip up Highway 1 to San Francisco from Los Angeles. Mom is about 1 month pregnant with me, so technically I guess that was my first trip. One of my most memorable was a trip from L.A. to Oakland in December, 1979, with a favorite cousin. It took us 11 hours and we didn't hurry. We had lunch in Morro Bay, dinner at Nepenthe, coffee in Santa Cruz at about 10:OO p.m., and finally got to my apartment in Oakland at about 11:30 p.m. He came out to me on that highway on that trip. On April 22, 1994, he died of AIDS. I am beginning to think I may never drive that highway again. I wonder if you can get through to Deetjen's Big Sur Inn (in early 2024) if you drive down Highway 1 from the Bay Area?
There's no crocodile in USA
@@philiphorner31 That has nothing to do with the name of a restaurant, but yes there are def. crocodiles in the USA. Florida where I'm from has both gators and crocs.
@@philiphorner31 The northern end of the crocodile's range is in South Florida.
California Highway 1 between San Luis Obispo and Monterey is a very scenic section with incredible coastal beauty. However the geology of the area results in many landslides and closures and repair of California Highway 1. Yet because there are communities along this route and a lot of tourism it is not likely that this section of California Highway 1 will be abandoned.
It will not be opened again.
Yep.
@@skipmoto3438 Haa sez you! It will ALWAYS be reopened.
@ZonkerNun
I've got a shiny nickel, I'll bet you.
🍺😁👍
I live just a few hours from this beautiful area and go to the beach near there every year (almost). I always stop at the Muir Beach overlook on my way to Stinson Beach where I hang for the day. Gorgeous scenery that can still bring me to tears if I have not seen it for awhile. And I have lived in California for 72 years.
That is awesome!
Lived in Marin for 16 years, 2 the beach lots in high school; saw coast north to mid-Oregon. Commuted to Santa Cruz for 1 yr; drove south to San Simeon; always enjoyed all! Would like to see the rest of it!
Always brings me to tears as well. But my favorite drive (which I think is gone now) is south from .Monterey to & thru Big Sur. Always takes my breath away!
We visit the cabins at Steep Ravine just South of Stinson Beach and stay there 3 times a year. It's beautiful no matter what the weather. There is a locked gate that needs to be opened to let traffic up and down a very narrow cliff hugging 3/4 mile long driveway. That road is one lane with turnouts, maybe 12 feet wide at certain stretches. Up near the top in the water tank area, the pavement is broken and is clearly slipping downhill. The pavement looks to be 2-3 inches sheared next to the mountain. You can see the elevation of the original road in the pavement against the hill. I just cancelled our stay there as we have had heavy rains again this season. I can picture being in our van and plunging 250 feet to the ocean. That road truly scares me. I'm a 71 year Ca resident.
California Beach communities have always had to deal with the volital nature of slides, rockfall, erosion, and earthquakes. My fix would be to skirt around the most common areas with a more inland expanse, and if you notice, there are parts of PCH that do just that from the original planning. You could provide rough roads and trail down to the beach areas in those areas. I. Fact, I order to really see some of the areas well, you have to do that anyhow. That water fall on the beach in Big Sur is one of them, unless you have a really good telephoto camera.
While the residents of the areas from Santa Barbara up to the northern CA like to complain, most of those areas benefit more from tourism than anything else. So it is surprising they are complaining. The major metropolitan areas are the only ones that would survive the lack of tourism of PCH and the surrounding wilderness areas.
We have traditionally traveled on weekdays so as to miss the heavy traffic. But this highway was always going to be a problem.
I used to spend my summers in the Bay area and have traveled the PCH many times, I can not imagine living there now given all the problems you just mentioned. I will always remember the PCH as a beautiful and scenic ride along the coast.
Don't worry it's still mostly there and the coast will always be beautiful.
After the 1989 quake the section between Muir Beach and Stinson Beach was closed for several years.
It became the best bike path in the world!
I miss that.
That is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful drives ever. I hope it doesn’t erode before I can make one more trip there. It’s a bucket list destination.
I feel so lucky to live right there, and it's on your bucket list?! I absolutely love that! Yes, you should definitely make it back again because it's so breathtakingly beautiful as you said. I'm so fortunate!! 💚🌴🌊
I love Highway 1.
So many wonderful memories travelling that beautiful American coastal road 💛
LOL
One of the most beautiful sections of the coast highway is from Eureka to the Oregan border. It's like a seaside fairyland but is rarely mentioned when discussing the seaside routes.
One of my favorite parts of my East-West coastal tour during covid! But guess what? As we left that area headed north, there was a section of Hwy 1 closed due to a massive landslide that had taken out a section of highway. It was one lane with an hour long red light as we sat in our rv at a 35° angle heading up and had an hour long view of the bare earth where tiny yellow vehicles moved rocks around above us and we could see over the westside guardrail where all that earth had tumbled right on down into the ocean. It was quite a freaky experience for this flatlander from Texas! Glad I went. Relieved I won't be there again. It was so very beautiful there!
It has almost an East Coast feel to it (though I have never been to east coast) especially Samoa Island area. Not all at once, but I have driven every bit of coastal highway from Florence Or. to Los Angeles, Ca. My favorites are King City to Carmel. (camped at Big Sur many times) and Stinson Beach to Fort Bragg.
And we like it that way, rarely mentioned. 5th generation Californian .
Good!
I know the Coast Highway like the back of my hand. I lived in Pacific Grove and Monterey for most of my 70 years and drove it in my car or my motorcycle all the time from Monterey to San Simion, as well as delivering irrigation supplies to homes inland where the Coast Highway was the only access. I'd usually stop off at Fernwoods for one of their double cheese burgers. Sometimes I'd take the Old Coast Road in my Jeep or XL500S from Bixby Creek instead of the paved highway. I'd occasionally pull into Nepenthes until they rearranged the gift shop. It started losing its localness after that. Those were some good times...
Rearranged the gift shop?! That was a turn-off? I looove that gift shop.
Hey I live in Seaside for 66 years and I also have driven down the coast more times than i can remember. It's one of my favorite things to do. Go to Ventana for lunch. It's good to see someone another local! Have fun...
i loved nepenthes!
Yes nepenthes is a great place and with great views... Their famous Ambrosia Burger...
@@lyndapierson6338
I have driven the coast more times than I can count! One of my favorite stops is at Big Sur Inn. Stop for lunch and put your chair in the river, allowing your bare feet to feel the coolness of the water, and enjoying the breeze. Love it!
Grew up in Santa Monica seven block from Pacific Palisades Park which was 3x as large then 1950s, as it is now in 2024. It regularly breaks off and slides down to PCH. Probably a chunk will go again after the heavy rains we had last week. I love driving PCH and seeing the Ocean and breathing the fresh air. Traffic can be heavy so don’t drive during rush hour or the weekends but that applies to all Southern California freeways and most highways.
Remember the storm in 1983 ? We lost half of Crystal Pier and Santa Monica Pier and some of Pacific Palisades.
@@paulhart9102 Yes, I do rememer. I took a lot of pictures. I lived at Palisades Ave, just off Ocean Ave.
@aliceputt3133 Me, too. Born in St. John's Hosp. in '49. In my 20s & 30s, I lived on Palisades Ave., one door up from Ocean Ave. in a fairytale-cottages property (until the '94 quake took red tagged the cottages, took 2+ yrs to restore them). And I agree, Palisades Park is going to disappear in the not-to-distant future, and the properties along Ocean with it, just like the homes along the cliffs in Pacific Palisades did, most notably, Charles Laughton's huge home above Entrada Dr. & PCH. Through the decades, it was sad watching what had been huge front yards facing the ocean start to collapse, until one day the homes went with it.
i feel lucky enough to have driven highway 1 from san fran to malibu back in 2010...amazing places to stay along that coast and the scenery to go with it.
🤢🤢🤢 makes me ill just thinking about it lol
We live in Ventura County and my sister who lived in France to teach English said the PCH between Ventura and Santa Barbara is more beautiful than the French Riviera!
Been the whole length from Dana Point to the top of Oregon.. in the 1980s.. Beautiful drive.. Hope it all stays open and is restored where currently damaged.
👍
@@theequalizer9154 facts
Unfortunately, they will not open it again.
Too much ground water coming from the Sierra's keeps washing it out.
They said they were done.
Have driven route 1 a couple of times. So stunning. Drove from San Francisco all the way down to LA on highway 1 and/or 101. Never had a problem parking.
Driving from LA on Hwy 1 to get to the 17 mile drive makes me emotional. 40 years ago, I stood at the end of a rainbow on that drive. We stopped at that amazing pie place every time & always saw whale spout off when we watched long enough. Those memories are the most precious of my life. -If the road is open, I’d say go now before it isn’t!
Nicely covered, thanx! Cherish memories of driving Hwy 1!
In the 1920’s and early 30’s my second cousin was employed by Teichart construction company, that had contracts for building the highway , many stores he had, one was about a steam shovel that fell into the ocean due too a slide taking the operator with
it. The wreckage was recovered somewhere in the in the late 70’s or early 80’s I believe, he said that area would always be problematic due too unstable hillside conditions.
Did this over a week in September and divided into 2 sections due to the closure. Still a fantastic drive and exceeded expectations. Don’t wait, just go out and do it while you can.
How far did you go? There’s a section by Big Sur that has been closed for over 6 months now. The 2 section part has been there for a while. I think you are referring the Santa Monica to Santa Barbara section?
@@TheIcecoldorange Perhaps I could have been clearer. I meant we divided the trip in to 2 sections. We based ourselves for a few days at San Luis Obispo touring including driving as far north as the Elephant seals just past San Simeon. The second section was driving north from SLO up the 101 to Carmel Valley Village. That was the base for that area including a day trip as far south on the coast road we could go, which happened to be the turnaround near Lucia. We allowed a week all up as we had never explored the area and had the time. Fantastic!
I live right off the PCH near Big Sur and there’s really not anymore room to move it inland at all and I hope it’s able to be repaired. It’s a beautiful drive to LA.
I talked to the crews working on the project, and they said it will never be reopened. Too much ground water is coming from the Sierra's.
I was on a road trip from eastern Canada this past summer and drove the PCH from Pacifica to Lucia I think it was, where I had to turn back. LoL, had to drive all the way back to Monterey to take the 101 to get back to the coast near SLO. It was so beautiful I didn't mind the drive back.
@@robhersey1796same! I was a bit bummed out at the detour after so many hours of driving but I didn’t mind. We ended up back in old stomping grounds of Palo Alto that wasn’t planned so it worked out.
@@skipmoto3438 the Sierra’s are on the other side of the state. Do you mean the Coast Range?
@elodieschindelheim611
No, they said the water from the Sierra's was coming underground all the way to the coast and it kept undermining the ground as they were working.
I think now they have figured a new route that is going to cost a whole lot of millions.
We'll see. 👍
From San Diego to Oregon - 4 days. An experience unparalleled ! On my bucket list for one more go! 👍👍👍🙏🙏
The drive from my home in Oxnard down to Santa Monica and back is definitely my favorite way to get down to Los Angeles and avoid the major freeways.
Grew up in Oxnard in the 70’s and 80’s but had to leave because it became so crowded but I sure miss the beaches.
While I understand the noble concept of leaving the land to be as mother nature desires, I'm not sure it's worth being there if it's not something anyone really gets to see for themselves. What good is a beautiful natural scene if no one sees it? The highway probably isn't the best addition to the scenic aspect of the coastline, but it does enable people to enjoy that scenic view in the first place and I'm not sure leaving it untouched really matters if the whole point of leaving it that way is BECAUSE it's beautiful.
PCH is a National Treasure and should be maintained in perpetuity. However the Big Sur section is totally over used during tourist season (April to November). It is or, will get to a point where "permits" will need to be issued, much like the State Park system!
Just hike or cycle to see the natural beauty. No driving.
Nicely covered, thanx! Cherish memories of beaches, Monterey north to mid Oregon driving Hwy 1! Drove south 2 San Simeon, Hearst Castle. Would lov 2 see the rest!
I’ve lived on the east coast my whole life, but lately I’ve considered driving the PCH to be a bucket list item in my life, as well as other iconic roads like the Lincoln Highway and Route 66
Do all three. I have, and it is worth it. Especially the PCH.
It's fun! Just do your research ahead of time and make sure it is actually open all the way through. Also, when driving it, I suggest go north to south and use the turn outs liberally.
PCH for scenic beauty, Lincoln Highway no idea.. and Route 66 for some fascinating history
When I lived in Newport Beach, we drove PCH every day. I moved north, & had a dear friend in Pacifica. There is a large inland in Pacifica. But, PCH is so wonderful.
"Allowing Calofornia's beautiful Nature to reclaim its original form along the coast" - that sounds like a wonderful idea!
I think so too!
Yay, go Ryan!
Fun pieces of CA history and geography!
1) Rent a convertible…
2) Drive the PCH for as many miles as you have time for…
3) Visit all the towns you have heard about from various TV programs and news stories…
4) See people roller skating and surf boarding…
Reminder…. Check your automatic braking car, and how it really works…. It is easy to run into the stopped car in front of you while you sight see slooowly. A local bumped into my rental while we were stopped at a traffic light. 😃
In 1981 I drove Highway 1 from Eureka to San Francisco. It was a blue sky day for the entire trip. It took me 11 hours.
You musta been a young feller.
@@terryatpi I was 28. I have just turned 70. I drove it in a 1979 Chevy C10 Scottsdale pick up.
@@mikemullay5622 I was out there in 87. Most beautiful place I’d been. I was 25. 78 econoline extended van … no power steering. A bunch of guys calling themselves grateful dead followed me everywhere I went. It was a fantastic time.
@@terryatpi One of the most beautiful 11 hour drives I have ever done. The following summer I drove Going to the Sun Road from East Glacier to Apgar over the top of Glacier Park. That was truly spectacular as well. Did that trip in the same truck.
One of the best times of my life! Visited every lighthouse on the way down!
I drove to Bixby Bridge a few years ago now, before the pandemic. I guess I was lucky finding a place to park was pretty easy. I parked on the east side a little bit up the dirt road. Crossing 1 to take photos was pretty easy. I wanted to get a long view of the bridge so I drove up the dirt road and parked for lunch and photos. The dirt road is the old pre bridge route around the creek canyon below. I decided to try driving it in my Volvo 1800. Its about 10 miles and once back in hills you get some good views of the coastal hills though the road is largely bounded by private property and is adorned with many NO TRESPASSING NO LOITERING signs. I made it a point to stop and yell out my window "I'm Loitering!"
I drove on rejoining 1 south of Bixby Bridge. Once I hit high speed all the dust blew out of the vents filling the car for a bit until it all blew out the windows. It's a nice drive into more remote areas. Most modern cars should be able to manage the terrain especially typical SUVs. I did it in my 1968 Volvo 1800S. I don't think it should be tried during or after heavy rains.
I have driven it twice, luckily when it was fully open. There are similar problems on most similar coastal roads. South Africa's Chapmans Peak road has been closed during my last two visits there.
Locally we have one main road which was closed for some time and a minor road which was abandoned as repair cost was not justified. The Pacific Coast is many orders longer in an area subject to earthquakes, so is never going to be free of problems. I hope the funding keeps coming.
😢 The route from L.A. to Big Sur is scary with deep cliffs and roadway failures. It is like a life gamble to commence such a trip.
Yup! Exactly what I thought. I did it once and that was it. Great memory though.
So many fond memories driving that highway. Hope it remains forever.
Traveling this highway is on my bucket list.
We did a trip from SF to Oxnard. We had heard about 2 landslides earlier that year. When I contacted CHP they told me both had been repaired and Hwy 1 was open. Not true! We got to Gorda and found out it was closed there and we had to back track over hour to find highway going east then south. I believe this was in 2016. It is a beautiful drive and someday we hope to drive north of SF and south of Oxnard.
During my career, I had the pleasure of commuting by bus through the Waldo Tunnel, across the Golden Gate Bridge into the city and back each day. For many years, I had a corner office on the 31st floor overlooking the bridge and the hills of beautiful Marin County, my home. It is such a beautiful coastline and I think the northbound section of Highway 101 from the bridge to Mill Valley is one of the prettiest and most fun to drive. Highway 92 is also an underrated, beautifully engineered at sited highway. The countryside there is lovely, coastal prairie of mixed grasslands and small woods, including some redwoods, it’s very similar to that of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa plains, before they began to be gobbled up by development
It's funny that I see this Video, I was just on that part of highway yesterday with my son.
I drove up to Big Sur and then turned around and came back to Monterey.
I miss driving on this highway all the way to Cambria, San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach where family lives.
I live in Monterey County, CA. I've driven Highway 1 from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo innumerable times.
The reckless driving we by far see the most isn't drifting; it is by far people in a hurry who speed, tailgate, and make unsafe passes.
Much of Highway 1 is not built for speed; between topography and the weather one cannot make "good time."
If you come to visit keep that in mind.
Yes! 👍👍👍 I can’t understand why people would want to speed thru such beautiful scenery. Wanna go faster? Take the freeways.
It's not even as simple as you state, those sight seeing, afraid of turning a corner and those want go the speed limit creates conflict on this highway and there are few place to safely pass.
Remember even if you only have 1 car behind you, use a turnout, and enjoy your day and the view. If you EVER think someone is "tailgating you" on a highway like this, you are the problem, not the person wanting to go 3 mph faster.
@@limeyprat Anyone foolish enough to expect that they can drive the speed limit on the scenic stretches of Highway 1 is too stupid to hold a license.
You wrote about turnouts. Have you driven any of the scenic sections of Highway 1?
@@mbryson2899 Thanks troll. I hope you enjoy the cafeteria food at your Sanitarium.
Driven the whole thing 6+ times in my life and probably flipped you off at least once.
Greatest ride was my college boyfriend driving PCH #1 to San Francisco then Mendicino ~ Windshield cracked & drive all the way back to almost Palm Springs ~ He was very calm ~ came into my parents home for dinner ~ nothing said ~ a beautiful drive ~ quite a magnificent homage to California ~
11:53 this reference to the traffic conditions in Berkeley seems to have little to no bearing on this piece, as the “coast” for Berkeley and the East Bay is the Bay, and in hardly any sense affects traffic on the freeway which is the coast route transiting the area. this is a delightful reminder of the beauty of the coast before…
Hwy 1 ends in the north at Leggett, Hwy 101 continues north. 101 has many problems, Last Chance Grade in Del Norte is a prime example.
Tens of thousands of people live along this highway now; it must be maintained for everyday life to proceed. Many small Towns along the highway need the tourist just to survive. I drive SR1 in Northern CA every day and love it. You did not mention the area of the highway that bypassed known as the Lost Coast, as it was too difficult to build there.
As a native born Californian who's lived near PCH most of her life (and driven it multiple times) I would say that it's reasonably obvious that the mountains of the BIg Sur definitely do not want the roadway there and keep pushing it away. The same can be said for the Malibu/Santa Monica area which now has so many residents that a major slide would be catastrophic. In the last regard, I'm reminded of a mansion that once stood on a cliff above where Santa Monica Canyon and PCH come together. When constructed, it had a large yard overlooking the beautiful ocean view. There was a patio and a swimming pool. However, as the years went on, the yard got smaller and smaller as the cliff side eroded. The yard went, then the patio went, then the pool went. And, finally, the house went. In California, no matter what humans do or think, Mother Nature still rules.
I've riden the Pacific coast bike route Canada to Mexico 4 and a half times!! And I'm going to Bikeraft Sail the Pacific Coast this spring which will consist of riding the Pacific Coast route in places!! It's the best route in the world!!!
Hey Ryan, I drove the hwy back in 2010 and it was absolutely beautiful. Stayed in B&B's all the way down to San Fran. I'd like to do it again. Cheers!
I learned to drive on the road between Cambria and Big Sur. I've driven it in the rain when the road was missing up to the white center line. After that, I'm good on just about any road. BTW, there used to be a section called "movable bridge." This was a temporary causeway over a serpentine rock washout north of Ragged Point. It would wash over the cliff edge every winter, then was raised with a crane every spring and put back into place. There was finally a major construction in the 1970s involving driving pilings deep into the cliffs to support a more permanent roadway.
I grew up in a PCH city of Huntington Beach ⛱️ and know first hand how parking can be! We had one of the finest bathing beaches in the state and because of that, a big crowd to fight through. I'll always love my stomping grounds though I don't live there anymore ✌️👍
An ocean is a large body of saltwater that covers roughly 70% of the Earth's surface. A sea is a smaller body of saltwater that is partially enclosed by land.
Growing up in Monterey, I was always up and down the coast.
Particularly between home and Santa Cruz.
I would never use the PCH unless I was simply being leisurely.
The 101 is so much faster but the sun sets from the one are beautiful.
I’ve run this road several times. My father ran it in the early 1950s when he was stationed at Monterey with the military. It’s the most spectacular road I’ve ever run. It’s way over crowded these days. The sections in Mendocino and Sonoma are better but deteriorating, from an overcrowding perspective. 101 in Oregon and Del Norte and Humboldt in CA. are still fairly well preserved.
Yes sir! Fort Ord.
I lived in there, now Marina.
From my college geology field trip many years ago, it was easy to see how the sub strata along much of the coast is tilted downward toward the ocean. Water incursion and earth tremors, let alone earthquakes, can trigger slides near the coast and Coast Highway. There's really no way to stop this movement; just clean it up and wait for the next slide.
This is going to keep happening along the California coast! I doubt that human intervention will be able to stop what Nature is doing and eventually this and so many other parts of the West Coast will disappear into the ocean!
I’m Canadian and we just drove there in December and I was so scared because of how fast people drive and weave in and out of traffic! It was an eye opener for sure!!
You focused heavily on the PCH section just North of LA. I have to say that area is a challenge but there are houses there and bypassing it would be a huge burden on the community. The other 99% is a must save. If you know you know. It’s an amazing connection to the roots of CA and deserves as much saving as we can do. I hate bypassing the closed Big Sur section so much that my wife and I recently spent hours making the loop inland to the 101, around the closed section and back to the other end of the closed section.
I have driven the entire length of PCH many times, it's beautiful and I hope they keep it open, at least in the most scenic parts of Northern California.
Drove the from British Columbia to San Francisco in the 1970’s and have great memories of the PCH especially the beaches of Big Sur.
I have thought about whether PCH should be reclaimed or kept open before. When you weigh the pro's and con's of it,there is one thing that comes to mind. When you are taking a trip or just a ride with someone who has never seen it before. The look on their face,and the joy in their eye's!! It's something non of you ever forget. And as far as being over crowded,there is probably a month to six weeks that it's crowded at the stops. But there is so much more to do along 1 or in close proxcimity that not everyone hangs out there. Then there is also all the surfing spots that are still available.
i rode the highway from san fran. to L.A. in 1968 on my motorcycle .this video makes me feel lucky i didn't have any problems.traffic was light but it's a road you have to pay attention to --no gazing at the scenery.i kept my speed down and enjoyed the ride.
Surprised you didn't mention the tragic death of a Cal Trans D8 Cat operator in 1969 who plummeted off a hillside in Big Sur
RIP, Brutal way to pass (Great video by the way...... Liked/Subscribed)
Can't imagine a solution to this complex situation. Our family left living in Malibu 1963 because my parents declared it too crowded. But looking at that old shot of Santa Monica's beach back in the 20's or 30's ... wow ... it was always crowded! Like Waikiki ... crowded since all of Creation ... LOL
We drove PCH from Long Beach and to San Diego. And hitchhiker from LA to Oregon!!👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
They should rename it the "Ghost Highway and make serious widening efforts and serious redesign and charge tolls on some sections. It's so nice people would pay big time to use it.
Thanks for sharing this....I have been over the Bixby bridge many times... That was a faint memory.... Thanks for refreshing my tattered memory...🕊️
I think at some point if things continue to get hectic and even worse than what has gone on, they may end up making it a very extensive toll road or a national park route where they can charge people to drive through the area of various points to restrict the amount of automobiles going through the area. There's probably more going to this than just simply saying that but I think that may be something that will come sooner rather than later.
PCH between Malibu and Point Mugu has had months long closures from rock slides. I drive PCH in So Cal to LAX and Santa Monica at least 4 to 5 times a year. It's a beautiful drive. Whales and dolphins can be seen. Breathtaking.
I work at Point Mugu Naval Base. I live just in town. Yes, indeed beautiful ride from Mugu Rock to Malibu, more further to highways of your choice.
In fact, we used PCH 1 from Grammy Awards Museum, LA to home. It is dangerous to drive at night because of the road is being so narrow and too tight with all constructions going on. When you get down closer to Las Posas Road, on the right side, is just too tight with all the cones, barriers, etc.
February 23, 2024, Friday morning in beautiful California USA 🇺🇸. We have more rain coming this weekend.
@@stamesamanilapicaliforniau9304 Yes, I've been driving that stretch of road for over 50 years now. 😵💫 I drive it at night too. I love to drive, rain or shine. Yes, more rain this weekend! Have a wonderful day!! P.S. you are so right about the work on PCH. That is scary. I see part of your Zip and you live where I was raised. I live about 15 miles from there! 😊
@@luana1600
Take me with you. I enjoy every ride I can. I don’t close my eyes. It is not right to close your eyes when you go for a ride. You are supposed to enjoy the view and scenery. I like to go places. We were in Mexico City, Mexico 🇲🇽 for one month and half in July thru August 2023. I was tired of walking to see all the museums. Took the trolley ride. I used little bit of Spanish and we made it. In December 2023, we went to Tampa, Florida and enjoyed the public transportation and trolley ride to Clearwater Beach. In March 2023 we are going to San Francisco, flying from LAX to SF and return. We drove many times to SF along 101 North Freeway and enjoy the Coastal view.
Be careful driving at night, around the PCH so dark. Too many repairs around it.
2-24-2024, Saturday morning in Sunny California.
I drove it northbound a few years ago. Beautiful,
Devil's Slide area was the first place I drove when I went through driver's ed in high school.
the ocean has been eating away at the coast for several million years now. I don't see it stopping any time soon
about 10 Years ago, I driven the majority of the west coast, what surprised me how cold it is in July. great expierences so
That's because the summer months are often the foggiest... Oct.& Nov. Are the best months to visit the ocean here.
Make Hwy One between Carmel and San Simeon a toll road. Locals would be exempt from that toll.
Love Highway 1, there’s nothing else like it in the world. The “Broadcast News “ look took too much away from the beautiful scenery, although I think you are young and handsome. Thanks for producing this video.
What you are calling Pacific Coast Highway, California State Highway 1, is actually broken up into different names. In San Diego County, which is not part of Highway 1, it is known as Pacific Highway. Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1 begins in Orange County city of Capistrano Beach. Extends North into Los Angeles County. The name changes to Sepulveda Boulevard in Manhattan Beach. Then is El Segundo back to Pacific Coast Highway. Then by Los Angeles International Airport back to Sepulveda Boulevard. Then, at the North end of Los Angeles International Airport State Highway 1 becomes Lincoln Boulevard until Santa Monica. Then the name for Highway 1 is Pacific Coast Highway until you arrive in Santa Barbara County. Just North of Gavoita, the name changes to Cabrillo Highway until you arrive near San Francisco. North of San Francisco to Leggett it is known as the Shoreline Highway.
Shoreline Highway huh? I don't think I've ever heard that and I live on Hwy 1 in Fort Bragg. I don't doubt it. Just never heard anyone use it. It is Main Street a few times up here lol
Thank you for explaining it like this, PCH is the only name for it in my opinion
Highway 1 covers it all.
There is a section they have not identified where Highway 1 passes through Oxnard. It enters as a freeway from the southeast which used to extend into Oxnard Blvd. which angles then turns north through the center of town to join US101 at the north end of town. Sometime in the 80's, Rice Road became a divided road with a better, more direct exchange from Highway 1 being constructed in the 90s, bypassing most of Oxnard on the east. So a driver would end up at US101 three exits sooner and miss Oxnard if they did not deliberately exit to get back to Oxnard Blvd.. There are no Highway 1 signs on any section of either road to identify the official way Highway 1 is intended to get through this section. North of Oxnard, Highway 1 signage does not appear until it forks off independently north of Gaviota before Buelton, so all that section of the Rincon covered here is really just Highway 101 now. It rejoins 101 for another small section from Pismo Beach to San Luis Obispo and later to unify over the Golden Gate Bridge.
@@smilemore9098
Yep!...native Californian here, and it's always been PCH for me.
Love the drive from San Diego to Washington. It takes longer than the 5 but it sure is prettier.
Seems reasonable to establish controlled access to key areas, using double-decker electric busses with large parking lots at each end. Like a tourist railroad with hotels at each end of the designated nature and scenery routes. A similar coastal collapse issue is plaguing the railroad tracks between Orange County and San Diego, CA.
Building a road there was nearly impossible. A railway? Definitely impossible.
Living in NorCal region, been to the HWY 1 multiple times in the northern coastal area on an annual basis, never had issues beyond potholes, that happens more often.
When I lived in LA region for a while, I used route 1 the few times I was visited friends, one case up to San Luis Obispo. It was pretty, but honestly I had a hard time with the traffic, specifically around Santa Barbara. Didn’t really step out to a beach to enjoy, and I can see why specifically that region tends to be prime for the crumbling of the road.
First off a good chunk of it is too low, too close to the sand, it made me nervous if there was ever a tsunami coming. Forget earthquakes in California went your way out of a tsunami potential region is to continue drive along the beach!!! Also, the erosion seems more prevalent in SoCal, there is little to keep the hillsides and mountains together. What makes it worse is if there was a fire in that year and the first rainfall there is bound to be mudslides. That has become too common, ironically I live in another area with DRASTIC forest fires but never had a fraction of the landslides like there is in SoCal.
If I’m going to be honest, I think I’ll just stick to the highway about the San Francisco region. It has pockets of scenic views, and when you’re not directly seeing the coast you still have the scenery of the forests, and there is little reckless driving. The concern would be if there’s too many people how much that is going to affect the area cause it’s one of the last regions where redwoods are at that are THOUSANDS off years old.
Drove either from SF to OC or vice versa 7 times. Always amazing. Usually I start or get off in Ventura. Not worth doing the Malibu/Santa Monica portion of it.
I drive this at least ones a week up to Ventura / Santa Barbara from Santa Monica
Born n raised in Los angles
2live n die in LA
👊👍❤
My favorite road, anxious for it to re open. I am fortunate to live about an eighth of a mile from highway 1.
Sorry, but the crew's working on it said it keeps washing out and there's no hope.
Too much ground water coming from the Sierra's now.
In 1969 I had the opportunity to drive the coastal highway from Los Angeles all the way to Vancouver BC. Had an extended stay in San Francisco (Mill Valley really) with a family I met while touring the sailing ship Barclutha in the harbour.
This stay with that wonderful family was to have a profound effect on my life and outlook on life in general.
Many years ago I lived on PCH and 14th St. in Huntington Beach California
Traffic always seems to get worse as you get closer to Los Santos.
Love driving down the PCH from Bay area to Socal. Amazing road and views.
"Socal" is the giveaway.
Not anymore.
LOL
Have always wanted to drive the Pacific Highway. On my bucket list.
Back in late 2016 early 2017 when I was 14 to 15 years old my father announced us that he would be doing a 14 day road trip from Tucson through the California sand dunes to San Diego later traveling I-5 to Los Angeles eventually taking Highway 1 all the way to Monterey and afterwards 101 to San Francisco. After San Francisco it was 8-9 more days staying in Oregon, in Washington, Passing Idaho, staying in Montana passing all of North Dakota and back home to Minnesota. The three of us me, my father, and my sister where all suppose to take Highway 1 to check out Big Sur. My father said something about a landslide and that we would I die together. That trip happened 1 and half months after the 2017 landslide which forced us to take 101 to Monterrey. We did get to see some of Highway 1 but not the whole extend of it. I had a very eerie feeling that a landslide was evident and sure enough it happened before we the planned road trip took place between Late June and Early July. I think the landslide happened on May 25th.
As a navy brat growing up in the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas, with family in both, road trips up and down PCH several times a year in the 50s and 60s were the norm. Traveling north, passing an abandoned bridge meant we were close to a restaurant by a lighthouse. We had picnic lunches on Monterey Peninsula; free at the time, $14 per car when we drove it in 1986 with our kids. No thanks.
11:33 Big Creek Bridge. you may have scene it in the movie "Poetic Justice" a 1993 film.
I have lived on highway 1 ( or 10 minutes off of 1 ) for 35 years. Love when it’s closed, and can just hike in.
It's only a marvel that it was built so close to the ocean. It's a marvel of futility. The ocean (and geology) is one mighty MF'r not to be messed with. Understandable, since it was built 'back in the day' before alot of tech and knowledge that we have now. In this world, nothing lasts forever.
In 1962 my husband wanted to climb down to the beach beside Bixby bridge. He, our five-yr-old, and I started down, but were warned by the surf fishermen on the beach to go back and take the dirt road. Good thing we did because the ground was slippery and would have gotten worse the farther down we went.
I love the way you blast that horn at start of each video , excellent!
So some people know, PCH doesn't run along the water the whole length of this road. Parts of longbeach erea of PCH are miles are away from shoreline.
Well, I used to swim at Portuguese Bend and Palos Verdes and now it’s literally sliding into the ocean in chunks. They’re constantly trying to fix the road where it drops three and 4 feet at a time and the road starts again below, etc. or moves to the right it’s constantly shifting so the road is like a roller coaster now, but I wouldn’t want to deprive anybody of the beautiful positive vibrations and the feeling of driving along the California coast it’s really exquisite❤ yes it’s falling into the ocean, but those lucky enough to see it before it does. Will always remember their drive along the California coast. One day it won’t be there like everything else. Nothing is forever, but people who have experienced beautiful things are lucky.❤
A checkpoint could be set up at both ends, with others at crucial points to limit the amount of traffic on the highway at any given time. Taking into account the terrible terrain and viewing chokepoints cars would only be able to enter the highway when others leave it. Locals would be immune to the regulation, but their cars would count in the overall traffic. If tourists have to wait for hours to enter the road a lot of them would not try it thereby reducing a huge percentage of the traffic. It really would be easy to set up, and despite the outraged uproar from tourists and businesses it could positively affect the degradation of the environment.
Keep it open,best drive ever
I drove most of the coast highway in a single visit of nearly three weeks in 1993. It occurred to me numerous times that the experience was one I just might not actually deserve, so stunning is the reality of the highway. It impact on the most beautiful parts of the great state of California cannot be ignored. I would not mourn the lack of vehicle access if the state were to take a more laissez-faire attitude to repairing fallen roadway.
Hwy 1 was a beautiful drive. I drove it several times when I lived there.
While living in Carmel early 90's left work at 6p to drive down the coast n catch amazing sunsets above Rocky Point. Weekends would continue down to River Inn n catch the Big Sur Natives tribal music party, followed by last call at Fernwood Inn (Ferndog). Exploring Big Sur beaches by day, occasionally tripping down to Pismo. Often camped on the turnout near Coast Gallery above the sea lion sanctuary listening to the sea lions barking all night and watching shooting stars from the back of my truck. Sometimes catching a late nite soak at Esalen hot springs.
The issue I have with that entire route is that there are very few way to detour around sections of the highway when there is a landslide or collapse of a portion of the road. From Hwy 46 north of Moro bay to Big Sur there are no routes to take you inland. So making a senic drive from say the LA area up to San Francisco along SR1 is rarely possible. We did it once from Moro Bay to Monterrey in the 20-teens but since then I don't think it's been possible except a rare occasion. Would be nice if one had the option of crossing inland to the 101 as 3 or 4 places between Monterrey and Moro Bay but that is about as likely to happen as the California Highspeed Rail project from LA to San Fran.
Vegas Rail to Cali will take 10 years, to be completed.
@MaryAnn-ob4qb And solve nothing. Riders still have to drive to Rancho Cucamonga and that's not an easy drive unless you live there. It's better than the original plan that went from Victorville to Vegas, but still has all the riders driving the ugliest part of the Trip - The LA basin. Rancho Cucamonga is very close to the eastern edge of the LA basin. All that money so they can spend their money in Nevada. Are the Casinos going to foot the bill? The propaganda site tries to foist t idea that people will travel from Vegas to LA- What a joke. 80 plus percent will be Californian traveling to Vegas to spend their money in Nevada. Oh, and that "Sovel Ready" project boasts about being green and Electric powered. Great- another electric energy consumer. Just what California needs now.
Yup. Never going to happen. Not in our lifetimes.
🎶 California, tumbles into the sea. That'll be the day I go, back to Annandale 🎶
It's a beautiful highway to drive. How could you visit the Hurst Castle if it wasn't there. There are so many scenic things that are just off the highway. PCH-1 and highway 101 interchange several places. We stopped at Santa Barbara then Solvang. Saw all the missions. Hurst Castle then Moro Bay museum.
That's 'HEARST' Castle.
Back in 2015 we drove to Disneyland from Sacramento and I wanted to take the scenic route and drive on Pacific Coast Highway. We started from Monterey and yes it added like 5 more hours to our drive but it was a full moon night and it was so hard to focus on the road while a big full moon was lighting up the ocean surface with that blue white hue.
If you ever get the chance, drive PCH through Big Sur. It is magical and breathtaking. It is my favorite spot on this world, and I have been to 20 countries.
Many times off-season, it's not that crowded.
At least in the middle section that I live.
I live on the central coast and that northern part of the highway is usually closed now. The furthest north we drive is a landmark called Rocky Point. It’s beautiful there but the road beyond is as dangerous as its beauty. My friend and I drove up there a few years ago after a major rockslide was repaired. It’s a unique area filled with views but I personally do not want to go through that area again. It scared me.