OT: Driving California Options

[patssle]

Seems like there are a ton of Cali 914ers around here, so thought I would pop the question here.

In September I will be driving out to California for 2 weeks (not in the 914). Never been west of Vegas yet, so this will be a first. Last year I drove about 10k miles between the 4 corner states in May and the Appalachians in November - so I love driving.

I'm in the research phase right now. I tentatively have in mind of heading up California on the eastern end through Death Valley, Yosemite, and to Tahoe...then over to the coast and down Highway 1.

My main question would be...is it worth the entire drive from San Francisco down to San Diego on the coast, or does it get repetitive?

I'm not really interested in the touristy stuff (with a couple exceptions), I'm more for the geography, national parks, and getting away from the populated areas. If you have any suggestions on natural areas, I'd appreciate it!

[underthetire]

Hwy 1 is awesome.(especially in a 914) The trip between death valley and Yosemite might get boring.

[patssle]

Hwy 1 is awesome.(especially in a 914) The trip between death valley and Yosemite might get boring.

This will be my 3rd and 4th time through west Texas. I can take whatever California has to throw my way in terms of boringness! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[TheCabinetmaker]

PCH get more awesome the farther north you go. Going north to south might be "anti climactic". I would start at Frisco and go north.

BTW, Big Bend is anything but boring.

[underthetire]

BTW september is about the best month for SF. I know its touristy, and I really don't like the city, but fisherman's wharf is fun, I still enjoy going there.

[underthetire]

And on your way down 1, you could take a small detour to Felton and go to the roaring camp railroad. Bring lunch with you and take the steam train to the top, have lunch in the redwoods. Thats really a nice place too.

[patssle]

PCH get more awesome the farther north you go. Going north to south might be "anti climactic". I would start at Frisco and go north.

BTW, Big Bend is anything but boring.

You mean start at San Fransisco and head north towards Oregon? I'm not opposed to that, if the scenery warrants that much more driving. But I can't drive north forever - even though I'd love to.

And yeah, Big Bend is not boring. But driving 9 hours to get out of Texas is.

[TheCabinetmaker]

PCH get more awesome the farther north you go. Going north to south might be "anti climactic". I would start at Frisco and go north.

BTW, Big Bend is anything but boring.

You mean start at San Fransisco and head north towards Oregon? I'm not opposed to that, if the scenery warrants that much more driving. But I can't drive north forever - even though I'd love to.

And yeah, Big Bend is not boring. But driving 9 hours to get out of Texas is.

When I was stationed in Del Rio in the 60's the standing joke was that an airman could spend 20 years in the Air Force, each year at a different base, and never leave the state of Texas. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

[TheCabinetmaker]

101 to Crescent City takes you thru the redwoods. Then 395 will take you down the easterd side of the state to I-40 or I-10. Lots of sight seeing stuff on 395. Seqouia, Death Valley, Yosemite, Tahoe, Mojave. Damn, I wanna go to!

[Tom_T]

Lotsa good ideas already by the others here for you.

My suggestions are:

1 - Reverse your circle route to go up/north on PCH & down/south for the Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoyah (that's the correct spelling for this famous Cherokee's name - not Sequoia), etc. This is particularly so if you're wanting to drive it aggressively, because you're on the inside lane of the 2 lane SR1 against the mountain, & you can cross over to the otherside at scenic points.

If in the 914, it's fun to play "double the speed limit" with the yellow diamond signs on the curves! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif)

2 - Below/south of Morro Bay, PCH/SR1 has only bits worth driving, such as Malibu-Zuma-Pt. Huneme, San Clemente to Newport Beach or maybe as far as Huntington Beach & Surfside, & La Jolla/Torrey Pines to Oceanside (if you don't mind the traffic stops every light & tons of traffic. The other OC & LA County Beach Cities cruises on PCH/SR101 are likewise congested but fun for the "eye candy" (see below). These are the old urban Beach City cruises, with the little beach towns now all grown up & sprawled together for a continuum of humanity! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

3 - The legendary postcard mountains to the sea Route 1 is north of Morro Bay & broken by San Francisco/Bay Area metropolis - so Los Osos/Morro Bay to Santa Cruz or Half Moon Bay (or into SF), then north of SF to the OR border.

BTW - I strongly disagree with vsg914/Curt, that Morro Bay to SF is anticlimactic, since Big Sur sits right in the middle of that run with the National Park on both sides. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

4 - Death Valley in Sept. - plan on 120+ degree days out there even then! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/prop.gif)
Furnace Creek Inn is aptly named for the temps, & also a nice place to stay.

5 - You might want to consider going "the back way" down US 395 from Tahoe & take the side trips or cross over for Yosemite & the other Sierra spots. Bridgeport, June Lake, Mono Lake (Big Mama Tufa's live there! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ), & Mammoth Lakes/Mtn. are all nice. You can still cross over at Lake Isabella at the Southern Sierra NFs' reach.

6 - Can you tell that way back in 70-74 when gas stations gave you stuff to buy gas, that I worked during college doing green marker lines on maps for people who sent in the little 4x5 trip cards from Texaco!!?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)
So today, you can go to the local AAA & peruse the maps, tour books, etc. & then have them lay you out a killer trip! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

7 - Last but not least - remember that it's still Summer in SoCal & inland CA up through Sept./Oct. (except at higher elevations & the far north of the state). So you just may want to reconsider bringing the 914, because after all - THAT is what Porsche obviously intended for us Teeners when the made this promo shot!

.



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Being a Trojan Alum & a Teener & lover of a good road trip, I'll modify our "Fight On" theme to .....

Drive on! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[Elliot Cannon]

Stop by an see us at the Red Rocks Classic in Moab Utah Sept. 10 - 12. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[rick 918-S]

Monterey, 17 mile drive, Carmel, Pebble Beach, Mazda Raceway, Big Sur.... Twisty roads everplace off the freeway, on and on! 914world on steroids! I agree. the farther north on PCH the wilder it gets.

[bryanf]

Tom_T has got it right. Personally, I would head go thru death valley, then head up 395 through the eastern sierras...Tioga pass through yosemite is awesome and it is definitely worth spending some time fighting the tourists in yosemite valley (go mid-week). All the little towns on the eastern sierras are cool and funky in their own way. The hiking and scenery is amazing. The trip from Yosemite to Tahoe is also fantastic...you might want to stop in Bridgeport and ask about the natural hot springs in the area...or go to Markleeville and go for a soak in the hot spring at the state park. Tahoe is pretty spectacular, but I prefer to hike into some of the smaller lakes in the area (Angora lake is great) There isn't much to see in the central valley, but the rivers in the western foothills are very nice...September is a little late, but there is a lot of water this year, so I'd be tempted to see if any of the river raft companies are still running. Not much to see in the central valley, so head straight to SF and turn south down Hwy 1. If you want to see spectacular redwood groves without the crowds or paved hiking trails, check out some of the little state parks south of half moon bay (memorial, purrisima, etc). I like Santa Cruz...its a funky town with a cool old-style board walk, good surfing and a nice downtown...then keep heading south...Monterey Bay Aquarium, Carmel, Point Lobos, Big Sur, San Luis Obispo...

You really can't go wrong.

(oof...I want to go now)

[underthetire]

No kidding. How about a 914 drive down the coast, any takers?

[zx-niner]

I'll be the dissenter here. Hwy. 1 is boring. Everytime I try it, I get about 2 hours into the drive and cut east to Hwy. 101. If you take the PCF and find yourself bored, too, get over to the 101 and find Hwy. 58 east to Bakersfield. Great road and tons of little known canyons in the same vicinity. I'm sure that Highways 166, 154 and 198 are also great canyon roads.

I would rank Death Valley highly except for the time of the year you're traveling. You really should do that drive before May 1. If you do end up in Death Valley and are near Hwy. 395, any one of the 5 passes over the Sierra Nevadas coming off 395 are terrific-- Hwy. 155, Hwy. 120, Hwy. 108, Hwy. 4, or Hwy. 88. Highway 49 running north-south through the Gold Country is also nice.

You can probably sense where my preferences lie. I realized long ago I am not an ocean or forest person. I love the desert and foothills. The other benefit is these roads tend to be less traveled, therefore fewer rolling chicanes and CHP.

[patssle]

Great tips. Love Google Earth, can look at pictures of the areas you guys mentioned.

Any other opinions about driving the PCH? Is the whole thing worth it (San Fran down to San Diego) or be sure to drive north of SF?

[underthetire]

Great tips. Love Google Earth, can look at pictures of the areas you guys mentioned.

Any other opinions about driving the PCH? Is the whole thing worth it (San Fran down to San Diego) or be sure to drive north of SF?

I would say no, maybe SF, or north of SF to Monterey or so. Go too far south and it becomes a parking lot.

[TheCabinetmaker]

Lotsa good ideas already by the others here for you.

My suggestions are:

1 - Reverse your circle route to go up/north on PCH & down/south for the Yosemite, Kings Canyon, Sequoyah (that's the correct spelling for this famous Cherokee's name - not Sequoia),

That was exactly my suggestion one post above yours.

Sequoia is the correct spelling for the tree. Sequoyah was Born after the tree was discovered and named. I doubt he was named after the tree. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/screwy.gif)

[JoeSharp]

Don't take me wrong but driving the coast is always nice but not spectacular. So we will be taking 1 from San Luis Obispo north to the WCR 2011. We just returned from the WCR 2010 visiting Yosemite on the way there. Yosemite is the only MUST SEE on your route. Tioga Pass is always questionable. It was closed when we returned from The WCR a month ago.
If I had to rate them:
Yosemite 10

The Redwood Highway With the Skunk Train and Jerry's Jet Boats 9.5

Tahoe 9

The Coast North of SLO to SF 8.5 And that's only if there is no racing at Laguna Seca

Carter Lake 8

Kings Canyon (Sequoia) 8

It is the wrong time of year to see Death Valley. The heat will put a real dampener on your visit. I rate it a 1 in the summer and a 7 in the winter.

Stopping by Team NARP Headquarters for a (IMG:style_emoticons/default/jsharp.gif) 11 You can overnight here and regroup.
Just remember we will be going to the RRC so we won't be here for that.

[Randal]

If you're going to be in Death Valley then get to 395 and run up to HW 108 and come in the back way to Yosemite. Do the HW108 part in the daytime, absolutely beautiful.