Direct me to the weird and quirky of Highway 1.

November 24, 2006 11:36 AM

What are some quriky/oddball sites along Highway 1 from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

I'm going to be taking a two day drive up Highway 1 in early December and I've pretty much covered the "normal" things to do. But I'm sure there are tons of quirky alternative things to do and see along the lines of Roadside America and Weird US. I'm already aware of things like the Madonna Inn, Nit Wit Ridge and Bubblegum Alley in SLO. Any other good ones out there?

posted by kmtiszen to travel & transportation (12 comments total)

The Santa Cruz Mystery Spot?
posted by PercussivePaul at 12:23 PM on November 24, 2006 [2 favorites]

You might want to allocate a little more time to your trip--Highway 1 joins Highway 101 outside Oxnard and doesn't rejoin the coast until a little ways north of Santa Barbara. From there, Highway 1 is long, and twisty, rejoining 101 in Arroyo Grande and then splitting off to the coast in SLO, and almost all of it has only one lane in either direction, and in many places it's simply the main street through towns like Lompoc and Guadalupe.

It's a gorgeous drive, but after three hours of twisty-turny and getting stuck in a line of cars behind an RV, you'll probably begin thinking about switching back to 101. If you're stopping to check things out, you might want to either take 1 only part of the way or spread your trip out over four days so you can really enjoy it.

That said, you'll definitely want to stop to see Morro Rock in Morro Bay, Hearst Castle in San Simeon, the Bixby Bridge outside of Big Sur, The Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, and if you're feeling brave you might drive by the Federal Prison in Lompoc. Cannery Row in Monterey is a little tourist/kitsch-heavy but you might want to check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
posted by fandango_matt at 12:33 PM on November 24, 2006

You might also want to check out Mavericks, just outside Half Moon Bay. The big wave surf contest won't be on, but the view and the waves are worth a look.
posted by fandango_matt at 12:42 PM on November 24, 2006

Mavericks is fun. Hearst Castle is great. In Big Sur, Deetjen's is the nicest and oddest inn on the whole coast (after St Orres, maybe, which is a lot fancier and up near Gualala). They also have an AMAZING!!!! restaurant that you need to have supper at.

Just up the road is Nepenthe, a restaurant/shop built on the cliff that you need to walk up to the top of and check out one of the greatest views on the California coast ...

There's a Henry Miller museum in Big Sur, too, on the highway, next door almost to Deetjen's.

Just N of Santa Cruz there are some nice beaches & good spots to see the sea lions along the highway, too.
posted by luriete at 12:49 PM on November 24, 2006

Santa Cruz in general is a bit strange. I live here.

Another vote for Mystery Spot.
posted by gradient at 1:25 PM on November 24, 2006

What Fandango_Matt said. Highway 1 is beautiful but best consumed in small cunks. The long stretches north of San Simeon where it is literally a ledge on a cliff over the Pacific Ocean can be a bit stressful, particularly in the dark or in bad weather. (But at least you're driving north, so you've got the southbound lane between you and oblivion!)
posted by MattD at 1:38 PM on November 24, 2006

Not quite wierd or quirky... but Julia Pfeiffer Burns SP is a must. One of the most photogenic spots I have ever seen. And is only a 2 minute hike from the parking area.
posted by telseth at 2:14 PM on November 24, 2006 [1 favorite]

Gaudalupe has excellent restaurants,Guadalpe's and the Far West, very yum. Call ahead to make reservations to soak in the hot springs at Esalen twenty miles north of Treebones Resort.
posted by hortense at 6:02 PM on November 24, 2006

There's Ostrich Land in Buellton and Neverland Ranch near Los Olivos.
posted by shoos at 9:19 PM on November 24, 2006

Pt Lobos is a nice marine headland type place. One of the more interesting points on the globe I've seen.

Bean Hollow S.B. is my favorite spot between Santa Cruz and S.F.
posted by Heywood Mogroot at 1:30 AM on November 25, 2006

Ano Nuevo State Reserve is one of the world's largest Elephant Seal breeding colonies. Its starts to kick off in December and its an amazing spectacle. You might need to book a guided walk because they won't let you wander during the breeding season and its pretty popular. Be warned, its stinks of seal crap and if you are travelling with small kids they might find some scenes disturbing.
posted by anglophiliated at 7:12 AM on November 25, 2006

TACOS
posted by billtron at 9:02 AM on November 25, 2006