Rt Planning SF

[Nostromyet]

Hey all West Coasters,

I'm looking to ride the coast from North to South and need advice on getting around/through SF and LA. I want to stay on STATE highways, keep as near the coast as is reasonable, and would like to avoid bad areas.

If anybody can offer any help within those 3 requirements, I'd sure appreciate it!! Thanks in advance.

[mikevstrom]

Are you doing a registered "Iron Butt"? (Might change my suggestions).

[Jonnylotto]

Easy.


Stay on CA 1 as much as possible. You'll have to go through San Francisco via the Golden Gate but once you pick up 1 again it's great riding to about Santa Barbara, where you're on 1/101. South of Ventura stay on 1, you can follow it all the way down to San Diego (it parallels I5 south of Capistrano).

I can't vouch for CA 1 anywhere north of Capistrano or south of Malibu.

[gibbage]

From what I hear, the 1 takes a VERY VERY long time. Lots and lots of stops. If thats your goal, then PCH it!

[CAStromer]

I did a trip from San Francisco to San Diego on highway 1 back in October 2006 for the first time since 1974. All the open stretches and small beach towns in SoCal are now overgrown, upscale communities. Highway 1 is multi-lane with stoplights and stop signs for miles and miles.

The Coast highway is still beautiful getting there, but Malibu south is now mostly urban.

The ride from San Diego over to Riverside is also very urban now. However, the ride up 395 to Reno is also still beautiful.

[ekaphoto]

101 follows the coast then turns a little inland south of eureka, Take 101 untill you get to the "town" of Leggitt about 7- 80 miles south of Eureka. I recommend filling your gas tank in Garberville. Turn off 101 to Hwy 1 (this is where it starts) and just take it. Great ride at least north of SF. You have to go through SF and the golden gate, and that far south I have no idea what it turns into.