Pacific Coast Highway, LA to Monterey.
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Highway 1 runs almost the entire length of California, and is very rarely more
than a stones throw from the Pacific Ocean. Although some of the road is
embedded within Highway 101, long stretches of it exist in isolation. From
Los Angeles, it is necessary to travel approx. 150 miles North on the 101
passing famous names like Ventura, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, to the
quaintly named San Luis Obispo. From here the Pacific Coast Highway branches
away and winds for another 100+ miles along beaches, cliffs and ravines
of breathtaking proportions.
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Like
the aforementioned Grand Canyon and Monument
Valley, this is another part of natural north america to which photography
does no justice. From where the deep blue ocean crashes in white spray
on the palm tree lined beaches, to the road winding up a sheer sided drop
along the edge of a cliff this is an amazing stretch of road.
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One of the first notable sights is Hearst Castle. Built at the
turn of the century as a retreat by William Hearst, the former editor of the San Francisco Journal, this is a stunning building, with a view to
die for.
Further along the PCH, is the area of Big Sur. Compared to earlier parts of the road which can be rocky and
windswept, Big Sur is rich and green. Full of camping grounds, mountains, valleys and and Redwood Forests to explore, this is a very popular destination
and stopover point for many. However, my stopping point tonight was to be Monterey.
I'm not sure if it was caused by
lack of maintenance over the years, or by landslides caused by the torrential
weather earlier this year associated with El Nino, but many stretches of
this road are simply sliding away into the ocean. The result of this is
mile after mile of roadwork's and poorly surfaced road. Even worse, are
the several stretches where the road is down to just one lane, and traffic
lights regulate the flow. You can easily wait for 20-30 minutes at
a red light while the oncoming traffic has right of way for 5 miles or
more.
The net result of this, combined with stops for taking photographs, etc., is the 100 mile drive can take
over 5 hours, so allow plenty of time!! Judging by some of the works
involved with re-constructing the road, it is going to be several years
before traffic is flowing freely again. Despite this chaos, there was little
in the way of signposting, explanations of what the problems were or information
on how much work was on the road ahead.
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Monterey, a picturesque town, famed for its marina, sea life, golf courses and annual
jazz festival sits at the southern edge of Monterey bay. In a setting which
could be right out of a movie, this town has retained much of its original
charm and character. Once a thriving whaling port, and then the largest
producer of canned sardines (which gave birth to Cannery row) the area
now thrives on tourism. Its beautiful setting and temperate climate have
attracted many to the area, including none other than Clint Eastwood. Well
worth checking out are the aquarium, Fisherman's Wharf, and for the young
at heart the Dennis the Menace park which was developed by Hank Ketcham,
the creator of said comic-book character.
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Take a drive round the famed 17 mile drive, or stroll along the cliff tops looking
for sea-life, possibly even whale spouts, or simply take an evening walk along Ocean view and Sunset Drive and watch the sun sink in a spectacular
orange glow into the Pacific.
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Like so many other places I visited, I could easily have spend several days here, but all I had was an overnight
stop, and a few hours to explore the town.
Visit Monterey
Today
