Dates | Itinerary | Estimated time and Distance |
Tue - Dec 27 | SAN JOSE to LOS ANGELES | |
407 mi, 7 hours 27 mins - CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy and US-101 S | ||
Winchester house to Monterey | ||
Wed - Dec 28 | San Jose - | 68.8 mi, 1 hour 19 mins CA-17 S and CA-1 |
Winchester House | ||
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium | Monterey to Carmel-by-the-Sea | |
Cathedral Basillica of Saint Joseph | 4.2 mi, 11 mins - Pacific St and CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy | |
Overnight - San Jose | Carmel-by-the-Sea to Point Lobos State Natural Reserve | |
Thur - Dec 29 | 5.2 mi, 12 mins - CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy and Point Lobos | |
Monterey - | ||
Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row | Carmel-by-the-Sea to Pheiffer Big Sur State Park | |
29.0 mi, 41 mi - CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy | ||
Carmel-by-the-Sea | Pheiffer Big Sur State Park to Nepenthe | |
Point Lobos State Natural Reserve | 1.6 mi, 2 mins - CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy | |
Big Sur - Pfeiffer Big Sur SP | ||
Old Coast Road | Nepenthe to San Simeon | |
En route to Bixby Bridge | 60.0 mi, 1 hour 15 mins CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy | |
Nepenthe | ||
San Simeon to Cambria | ||
Overnight - SanSimeon | 9.4 mi, 16 mins CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy | |
Fri - Dec 30 | San Simeon | |
Cambria to Morro Bay | ||
Morro Bay | 20.7 mi, 29 mins CA-1 S/Cabrillo Hwy | |
San Luis Obispo | ||
Solvang | Morro Bay to San Luis Obispo | |
Overnight - San Barbara | 13.0 mi, 17 mins - CA-1 S | |
Sat - Dec 31 | Wineries | |
San Barbara | San Luis Obispo to Solvang | |
Overnight - Aaron & David | 73.5 mi, 1 hour 26 mins - CA-1 S, CA-166 E/W | |
Sun - Jan 1 | ||
Overnight - Aaron & David | Solvang to San Barbara | |
Mon - Jan 2 | 48.3 mi, 52 mins - US-101 S | |
Overnight - Aaron & David | ||
Tues - Jan 3 | Return from LAX to IAD | San Barbara to Los Angeles |
93.9 mi, 1 hour 43 mins - US-101 S |
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Dates
San Jose, CA
Winchester Mystery House
Sarah Winchester was heir to the Winchester repeating rifle fortune, and she was convinced that the spirits of all those killed with that gun were haunting her. To confuse the restless spirits, she constructed one of the oddest houses ever built and kept constructing it until the day of her death. The Victorian-style labyrinth that resulted, features a door on the second floor that opens onto thin air—others that open onto walls, and stairs and corridors that lead to dead ends.
Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & PlanetariumTombs, mummies and all sorts of ancient Egyptian artifacts await you at Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum & Planetarium, one of the tourist hot spots of San Jose. The place is in beautiful Rosicrucian Park, with palm trees and Egyptian-style buildings everywhere. The museum itself contains an extensive array of artifacts, jewelry and displays of Egyptian antiquity. Especially fun is the tour in the cavernous tomb below the museum. You will get a great look at what life was like in ancient Egypt.
Cathedral Basillica of Saint Joseph
This huge, multi-domed church was originally built in 1877 and was restored to its original splendor in 1990. This is actually the fifth location of the parish seat; the first was built in 1803. The present structure is a monumental building. Incredible stained glass work renders the sanctuary into a lovely, almost mystical space when the sun causes the colors to play across the walls, pews and floor. Masses are held in Spanish and English
California's Pacific Coast Highway
An exhilarating driving experience, this twisting, cliff-hugging, 123-mile (198-kilometer) route along the central California coast takes about five hours to complete at a leisurely pace. Designated an All-American Road—among the nation's most scenic—the drive encompasses both the Big Sur Coast Highway and the San Luis Obispo North Coast Byway.
Overview
The route starts in historic Monterey, visits the art colony of Carmel, and threads through Big Sur, where mountains plunge into the Pacific. Farther south, the landscape mellows to oak-studded hills as the road passes Hearst Castle on its way to Morro Bay. In places, the road has narrow shoulders and sharp drop-offs, so stay alert. This route can be tricky for RVs or other oversize vehicles.
Start in Monterey
Join California Route 1 in Monterey (Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau. tel. 1 831 649 1770. www.montereyinfo.org.). The town served as California's capital under Spanish, Mexican, and American flags, and by the early 1900s boasted an important sardine industry. Surviving sites include the Royal Presidio Chapel, Monterey State Historic Park, Custom House, Casa Soberanes, Larkin House, and other adobe buildings, as well as touristy Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row, home of the celebrated Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.org).
Carmel-by-the-Sea
After enjoying Monterey, drive 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south on Highway 1 to Carmel-by-the-Sea (Visitors Center: San Carlos St.; tel. 1 831 624 2522 or 800 550 4333; www.carmelcalifornia.org), an upscale village of quaint colorful cottages, restaurants, inns, shops, and art galleries fronted by a broad beach fringed with Monterey pines. Among the highlights are Mission San Carlos Borroméo del Río Carmelo, second of the California missions, founded by Padre Junípero Serra in 1770; Tor House, the 1919 home of poet Robinson Jeffers; and mile-long Carmel River State Beach (tel. 1 831 649 2836), with its pelicans and kingfishers.
Point Lobos State Reserve
From Carmel drive 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) south to Point Lobos State Reserve (tel. 1 831 624 4909; www.pointlobos.org; $10 fee for car), a 550-acre (220-hectare) park encompassing coves, headlands, meadows, tide pools, and the nation's first undersea ecological reserve, covering an additional 750 acres (300 hectares), with kelp forests 70 feet (20 meters) high. Trails lead past Monterey cypresses, which grow naturally only here and in Pebble Beach. The park's 250 species of birds and mammals include black-tailed deer, gray foxes, sea otters, and sea lions. Migrating gray whales pass by from December through April.
Big Sur
After driving through Carmel Highlands, where impressive houses perch on granite cliffs above the sea, you reach the start of Big Sur, which extends 90 miles (145 kilometers) south to San Simeon. On this fabled coastline, redwood groves reach skyward, the Santa Lucia Range plunges into the sea, and waves are beaten to froth on ragged rocks. It's a place of elemental power that can make human affairs seem inconsequential.
Garrapata State Park
Route 1, opened in 1937, climbs higher than 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the sea. One of the few easy-to-reach beaches is at Garrapata State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=579), about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) south of Carmel Highlands. From Soberanes Point watch for sea otters, which are protected under California state law.
Old Coast Road
En route to Bixby Bridge, six miles (ten kilometers) farther, you can choose to leave Calif. 1 and drive the 11-mile (18-kilometer) Old Coast Road, which climbs through remote forests and canyons and offers silent ocean views before ending at Andrew Molera State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=582). The unpaved road is tortuous and impassable when it rains.
Bixby Bridge
Much photographed Bixby Bridge is a single-span concrete arch more than 260 feet (80 meters) high and 700 feet (200 meters) long. Park at turnouts near either end to gawk or take pictures. Ahead, the highway passes Hurricane Point, a place of big winds and big views, and then descends to the mouth of the Little Sur River. Looking inland, you'll see 3,709-foot-high (1,131-meter-high) Pico Blanco, distinguishable by its lime deposits. Toward the sea, sand dunes soon appear, rolling toward the 1889 Point Sur Lighthouse (tel. tel. 1 831 625 4419; tours Saturdays and Sundays, call for additional days April through October; $8; www.pointsur.org), a state historic park. In a few miles you reach Andrew Molera State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=582; fee), whose broad beach, oak and redwood forests, and stretch of the Big Sur River are accessible only by foot.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Pass through the settlement of Big Sur, which offers food and lodging, and head for Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570; fee), where the Big Sur River runs through 964 acres (390 hectares) of redwoods, sycamores, and ferns. Then go 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) south and turn right on the 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) road down Sycamore Canyon Road to the white sands of Pfeiffer Beach, where the surf roars through arched rocks.
Nepenthe
Less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) farther on the highway you come to Nepenthe (tel. 1 831 667 2345; www.nepenthebigsur.com), an indoor-outdoor restaurant perched 800 feet (245 meters) above the sea and famous for its views. About half a mile (0.8 kilometers) south, on the left, look for the Henry Miller Memorial Library (tel. 1 831 667 2574; www.henrymiller.org; closed Tuesdays), perched among towering redwoods. It displays books and memorabilia of the novelist who spent 18 years in Big Sur. Also stop 8 miles (12.8 kilometers) farther at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578 Fee), whose terrain ranges from 3,000-foot-high (914-meter-high) ridges to an underwater preserve. Do walk the short trail along the seaside bluff to see McWay Falls pour 100 feet (30 meters) into a picturesque cove.
Lucia, Plaskett, Gorda, and Ragged Point
Ahead of you lies the southern stretch of Big Sur. The road clings to a precipitous coastline, and the only settlements in the next 40 miles (64 kilometers) are Lucia, Plaskett, Gorda, and Ragged Point. From here onward are hills and pastureland. You'll spy the Piedras Blancas Light Station on a point supposedly named in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for its white rocks (stained with bird droppings).
San Simeon
After a spell away from the Pacific, the road reaches the town of San Simeon, a staging area for the five-mile (eight-kilometer) bus ride to Hearst Castle (tel. 1 805 927 2020 or 800 444 4445; www.hearstcastle.org; tours only, call for reservations; fee), begun in 1919 by newspaperman William Randolph Hearst. Perched in the Santa Lucia Range, the 127-acre (51-hectare) estate features the 115-room main house and guesthouses, which mix classical and Mediterranean Revival styles, using European architectural elements, antiques, and artwork collected by Hearst.
Cambria
Continue six miles (ten kilometers) to Cambria (Chamber of Commerce: tel. 1 805 927 3624; www.cambriachamber.org), nestled against hills where Monterey pines thrive in porous soil of decomposed sandstone. On the ocean side of the highway, at Moonstone Beach, look for moonstones and California jade. Drive on four miles (six kilometers) to the colony of Harmony, where you might glimpse artists at work. Ahead on Estero Bay, the small town of Cayucos dates from the coastal schooner era of the 1860s; the pier has good fishing for perch and sometimes rockfish, plus views of pelicans and cormorants.
End in Morro Bay
The end of your route is Morro Bay (Chamber of Commerce: tel. 1 805 772 4467; www.morrobay.org), easily identified by its landmark Morro Rock. A turban-shaped, extinct volcanic cone about 23 million years old, it is 576 feet (176 meters) high and sits on the bay. Peregrine falcons live here. To learn about local wildlife, visit the Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History (tel. 1 805 772 2694; www.morrobaymuseum.org; $2). Around Morro Bay you'll see great blue herons and, from October to March, monarch butterflies in eucalyptus trees.
Road Kit
Enjoy this drive any time of year, but beware of winter mudslides; see www.wunderground.com/US/CA/Big_Sur.html for local weather conditions; for current road conditions, see www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo. For more information on the Pacific Coast Highway, visit www.byways.org/explore/byways/2301 and www.byways.org/explore/byways/2475. The itinerary below describes a north-to-south route; if you drive from south to north, you'll have a few extra feet of roadway between your car and the hair-raising drop-offs to the Pacific Ocean.
Overview
The route starts in historic Monterey, visits the art colony of Carmel, and threads through Big Sur, where mountains plunge into the Pacific. Farther south, the landscape mellows to oak-studded hills as the road passes Hearst Castle on its way to Morro Bay. In places, the road has narrow shoulders and sharp drop-offs, so stay alert. This route can be tricky for RVs or other oversize vehicles.
Start in Monterey
Join California Route 1 in Monterey (Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau. tel. 1 831 649 1770. www.montereyinfo.org.). The town served as California's capital under Spanish, Mexican, and American flags, and by the early 1900s boasted an important sardine industry. Surviving sites include the Royal Presidio Chapel, Monterey State Historic Park, Custom House, Casa Soberanes, Larkin House, and other adobe buildings, as well as touristy Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row, home of the celebrated Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.org).
Carmel-by-the-Sea
After enjoying Monterey, drive 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) south on Highway 1 to Carmel-by-the-Sea (Visitors Center: San Carlos St.; tel. 1 831 624 2522 or 800 550 4333; www.carmelcalifornia.org), an upscale village of quaint colorful cottages, restaurants, inns, shops, and art galleries fronted by a broad beach fringed with Monterey pines. Among the highlights are Mission San Carlos Borroméo del Río Carmelo, second of the California missions, founded by Padre Junípero Serra in 1770; Tor House, the 1919 home of poet Robinson Jeffers; and mile-long Carmel River State Beach (tel. 1 831 649 2836), with its pelicans and kingfishers.
Point Lobos State Reserve
From Carmel drive 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) south to Point Lobos State Reserve (tel. 1 831 624 4909; www.pointlobos.org; $10 fee for car), a 550-acre (220-hectare) park encompassing coves, headlands, meadows, tide pools, and the nation's first undersea ecological reserve, covering an additional 750 acres (300 hectares), with kelp forests 70 feet (20 meters) high. Trails lead past Monterey cypresses, which grow naturally only here and in Pebble Beach. The park's 250 species of birds and mammals include black-tailed deer, gray foxes, sea otters, and sea lions. Migrating gray whales pass by from December through April.
Big Sur
After driving through Carmel Highlands, where impressive houses perch on granite cliffs above the sea, you reach the start of Big Sur, which extends 90 miles (145 kilometers) south to San Simeon. On this fabled coastline, redwood groves reach skyward, the Santa Lucia Range plunges into the sea, and waves are beaten to froth on ragged rocks. It's a place of elemental power that can make human affairs seem inconsequential.
Garrapata State Park
Route 1, opened in 1937, climbs higher than 1,000 feet (300 meters) above the sea. One of the few easy-to-reach beaches is at Garrapata State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=579), about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) south of Carmel Highlands. From Soberanes Point watch for sea otters, which are protected under California state law.
Old Coast Road
En route to Bixby Bridge, six miles (ten kilometers) farther, you can choose to leave Calif. 1 and drive the 11-mile (18-kilometer) Old Coast Road, which climbs through remote forests and canyons and offers silent ocean views before ending at Andrew Molera State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315, www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=582). The unpaved road is tortuous and impassable when it rains.
Bixby Bridge
Much photographed Bixby Bridge is a single-span concrete arch more than 260 feet (80 meters) high and 700 feet (200 meters) long. Park at turnouts near either end to gawk or take pictures. Ahead, the highway passes Hurricane Point, a place of big winds and big views, and then descends to the mouth of the Little Sur River. Looking inland, you'll see 3,709-foot-high (1,131-meter-high) Pico Blanco, distinguishable by its lime deposits. Toward the sea, sand dunes soon appear, rolling toward the 1889 Point Sur Lighthouse (tel. tel. 1 831 625 4419; tours Saturdays and Sundays, call for additional days April through October; $8; www.pointsur.org), a state historic park. In a few miles you reach Andrew Molera State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=582; fee), whose broad beach, oak and redwood forests, and stretch of the Big Sur River are accessible only by foot.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park
Pass through the settlement of Big Sur, which offers food and lodging, and head for Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=570; fee), where the Big Sur River runs through 964 acres (390 hectares) of redwoods, sycamores, and ferns. Then go 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) south and turn right on the 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) road down Sycamore Canyon Road to the white sands of Pfeiffer Beach, where the surf roars through arched rocks.
Nepenthe
Less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) farther on the highway you come to Nepenthe (tel. 1 831 667 2345; www.nepenthebigsur.com), an indoor-outdoor restaurant perched 800 feet (245 meters) above the sea and famous for its views. About half a mile (0.8 kilometers) south, on the left, look for the Henry Miller Memorial Library (tel. 1 831 667 2574; www.henrymiller.org; closed Tuesdays), perched among towering redwoods. It displays books and memorabilia of the novelist who spent 18 years in Big Sur. Also stop 8 miles (12.8 kilometers) farther at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park (tel. 1 831 667 2315; www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578 Fee), whose terrain ranges from 3,000-foot-high (914-meter-high) ridges to an underwater preserve. Do walk the short trail along the seaside bluff to see McWay Falls pour 100 feet (30 meters) into a picturesque cove.
Lucia, Plaskett, Gorda, and Ragged Point
Ahead of you lies the southern stretch of Big Sur. The road clings to a precipitous coastline, and the only settlements in the next 40 miles (64 kilometers) are Lucia, Plaskett, Gorda, and Ragged Point. From here onward are hills and pastureland. You'll spy the Piedras Blancas Light Station on a point supposedly named in 1542 by Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for its white rocks (stained with bird droppings).
San Simeon
After a spell away from the Pacific, the road reaches the town of San Simeon, a staging area for the five-mile (eight-kilometer) bus ride to Hearst Castle (tel. 1 805 927 2020 or 800 444 4445; www.hearstcastle.org; tours only, call for reservations; fee), begun in 1919 by newspaperman William Randolph Hearst. Perched in the Santa Lucia Range, the 127-acre (51-hectare) estate features the 115-room main house and guesthouses, which mix classical and Mediterranean Revival styles, using European architectural elements, antiques, and artwork collected by Hearst.
Cambria
Continue six miles (ten kilometers) to Cambria (Chamber of Commerce: tel. 1 805 927 3624; www.cambriachamber.org), nestled against hills where Monterey pines thrive in porous soil of decomposed sandstone. On the ocean side of the highway, at Moonstone Beach, look for moonstones and California jade. Drive on four miles (six kilometers) to the colony of Harmony, where you might glimpse artists at work. Ahead on Estero Bay, the small town of Cayucos dates from the coastal schooner era of the 1860s; the pier has good fishing for perch and sometimes rockfish, plus views of pelicans and cormorants.
End in Morro Bay
The end of your route is Morro Bay (Chamber of Commerce: tel. 1 805 772 4467; www.morrobay.org), easily identified by its landmark Morro Rock. A turban-shaped, extinct volcanic cone about 23 million years old, it is 576 feet (176 meters) high and sits on the bay. Peregrine falcons live here. To learn about local wildlife, visit the Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History (tel. 1 805 772 2694; www.morrobaymuseum.org; $2). Around Morro Bay you'll see great blue herons and, from October to March, monarch butterflies in eucalyptus trees.
Road Kit
Enjoy this drive any time of year, but beware of winter mudslides; see www.wunderground.com/US/CA/Big_Sur.html for local weather conditions; for current road conditions, see www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo. For more information on the Pacific Coast Highway, visit www.byways.org/explore/byways/2301 and www.byways.org/explore/byways/2475. The itinerary below describes a north-to-south route; if you drive from south to north, you'll have a few extra feet of roadway between your car and the hair-raising drop-offs to the Pacific Ocean.
San Jose to Salinas
San Juan Bautista: Worth a Stop
San Juan Bautista is a piece of well-preserved California history. Its historic mission is one of the few in California that has never fallen into ruin: it has been used continuously since 1812. It faces a plaza little changed since the late nineteenth century that includes a hotel, stable and two adobe mansions, all original buildings that are over 100 years old.
Best Time to Go to San Juan Bautista
Any time is fine to visit, but since walking is best way to get around, you may want to head somewhere on very rainy days. Holiday and summer weekends are busier and during the school year, you'll find lot of school groups at the mission on weekdays. The mission is open to the public, but it is still an active church and the sanctuary will not be open to the public during Masses, weddings and the like.Don't miss
Look for 180-year-old paw prints on the tiles inside the mission church door. Also inside in a side room you'll find an old barrel organ, an odd instrument that plays preset tunes surely better known by rowdy sailors than pious fathers.5 Great Things to Do in San Juan Bautista
- Mission San Juan Bautista: One of California's best-preserved missions, San Juan Bautista has been used continuously since it was built, and the entire complex is still standing. Take a look and you'll see that the bell tower where Vertigo's ill-fated heroine meets her demise is missing. In fact, it never existed except in a Hollywood special effects department.
- San Juan Bautista State Historic Park: This historic park surrounds an open area in front of the mission and features some fine examples of early California architecture. Historic re-enactors are sometimes present, giving it a timeless feel.
- San Andreas Fault: The infamous crack in California runs parallel to the bluff and just below the mission. Look for the historic marker to learn more about it.
- Shopping: San Juan Bautista's small downtown sports some nice shops for browsing and buying.
- Pinnacles National Monument: About 40 miles away, Pinnacles' rocky main attraction is what's left of an ancient volcano, but it's also a release site for the California Condor, and you may see the magnificent birds flying around. Bring your flashlight if you want to hike through the lava caves.
Ins and Outs
For lunch or dinner, our favorite is Dona Esther (25 Franklin Street), where the Sangria is great and the Salvadoran pupusas are even better. Jardines de San Juan is also very popular and has a lovely, tree-shaded courtyard.You can find public restrooms at the mission and the state park, as well as in some downtown
Salinas
The most popular tourist attraction in John Steinbeck's home town is theNational Steinbeck Center which has some nice exhibits about the author's life and also about the area's agricultural heritage. Steinbeck's birthplace and childhood home is also open to the public and just two blocks away.
If you decide to stay overnight in Salinas, you cancheck for the best hotel rates at Kayak.com. For something different try theVision Quest Safari Bed and Breakfast, a safari-style accommodation where you sleep in upscale tents and get a chance to interact with the owner's trained animals, and the elephants might even bring you breakfast.
Salinas to Paso Robles
Paso Robles
Paso Robles sits in the midst of one of a wine- and olive-growing region. You'll find lots of tasting rooms and wine-related festivals here. Firestone Walker Brewery is also in Paso Robles, an award-winning microbrewery which offers tours on Saturdays and has a full-service restaurant where you can enjoy their brews with your meal.
Why Should You Go? Will You Like Paso Robles?
Paso Robles is popular with wine lovers seeking a more laid back experience than busy Napa. It's not a good place for a family getaway, with litle to do that's targeted toward children, except during the Mid-State Fair.Best Time to Go to Paso Robles
The most popular time to visit is early or late summer, when the weather is best. Hotels fill up during the wine festivals, but you can have a good time here almost any time of year.Don't Miss
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate Paso Robles wine production, but you can find almost anything at the area's 200-some-odd wineries. Tasting is free at many places, with others charging a small fee, but most of the tasting rooms are so much alike that you won't be able to remember one from the other after a while. Our favorite wine-tasting spot, Vina Robles stands out from the pack with top-notch wines, a nice gift shop and a tasting room filled with innovative artwork.You can also go wine-tasting on foot in downtown Paso. A nubmer of wineries have tasting rooms on the streets surrouding the park, and you could easily make an afternoon out of visiting them, with no worries about driving.
5 More Great Things to Do in Paso Robles
- Visit Mr. Hearst's Castle: Five miles inland through the Templeton Gap is the Mediterranean Revival mansion built by media mogul William Randolph Hearst. Designed by architect Julia Morgan, the oversized main house and guest cottages larger than many people's main residences give a rare peek into the lifestyle of the rich and famous in the early twentieth century.
- Soak Up Some History: Just a few miles north of town off US 101, you'll find Mission San Miguel Arcangel, California's 16th Spanish mission. Nearby is Rios-Caledonia Adobe, a 19th-century inn and stage stop.
- Take a Brewery Tour If you've had enough of wine tasting and want to learn about how beer is made, the award-winning Firestone Walker Brewing Company offers tours every Saturday afternoon at 1400 Ramada Drive.
Between Paso Robles and King City is the most sparsely populated section of the drive. Much of the open space is government land and in recent years, increasing numbers of vineyards cover the rolling hills, some of the vines that make Monterey County the state's largest wine grape producer.
You'll also pass the San Ardo oil field, a clutter of oil wells, pumpers and equipment that's at the same time unsightly and fascinating. According to Aera Energy, it produces approximately 7,000 barrels of heavy crude oil per day which is transported to Los Angeles to be refined.
Between King City and Salinas is one of the country's most productive agricultural regions, known as the "Salad Bowl of the World,", producing over $3 billion worth of lettuce, artichokes, broccoli and other green crops annually.
The drive through this fertile valley passes garnet-and-lime-colored lettuce fields, vineyards and a wide range of other growing things, extending from one side of the valley to the other. You'll seen businesses here that exist nowhere else, sporting names like Rain for Rent.
This is also John Steinbeck country, the place he called the "Long Valley" the scene of many of his famous stories, including East of Eden.
Side Trips
An interesting side trip to theValley of the Oaks follows the route of the old El Camino Real into a valley little changed since Europeans first set foot in this part of California. It leads to Mission San Antonio de Padua and William Randolph Hearst's old ranch house, which is now a hotel. To get there, exit US 101 at G18 (Jolon Road) in King City if you're driving south or take G14 from Paso Robles.
Exit at CA 146 east near Soledad to reach the west side ofPinnacles National Monument, which is 14 miles from the highway. The Pinnacles were formed almost 200 miles south of here and have moved north along the San Andreas Fault to reach their current position.
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