Has anyone traveled the entire California coast? - Montana Owners Club

melanie7ny · 03-25-2010, 12:08 PM

Hi, everyone! We are taking a trip to the west coast this summer, and would like to do the whole coast from San Diego to Cresent City. Pacific Coast Hwy looks like the perfect road, has anyone taken this route, and if so, is it a good road choice for a big montana? I do have the car haulers USA atlas, so that is a big source of info, but I would love actual experience advice! Thanks

Melanie

exav8tr · 03-25-2010, 01:06 PM

Melanie, I'm sure others will be along to give some helpful hints, but here is mine. The PCH (US1) is NOT shown as a truck route on my truckers atlas, therefore I would not travel this way. Just my opinion, of course. I have heard others nix those plans also as the PCH is not, in places, big rig friendly. Having said this, it might turn out to be a great experience, one you may not want to repeat. Good luck, let us know what you decide.....

NCFischers · 03-25-2010, 01:42 PM

Having lived out there for 20 years and traveled PCH, I wouldn't want to do it pulling a rig. It's two lanes and winding with very few places to pull over. Camp different places and explore the coast in the truck.

PapaBeav · 03-25-2010, 01:45 PM

I do not know about driving the entire coast but I definitely would not take an RV on the stretch of hwy 1 through Marin County from Mill Valley to Valley Ford. Others can tell you about the rest.

DHenry · 03-25-2010, 02:53 PM

There are way to many hair pin curves on the PCH to travel it with a large RV.

helmick · 03-25-2010, 03:05 PM

It was a great ride in our Corvette, but not pulling Monty.

rphoward · 03-25-2010, 04:47 PM

Highway 101 is a great road and will provide views of the ocean and coastal areas. In So. Cal there will be several areas where it will be slow going as it will be in highly populated areas. But from Ventura north is a beautiful drive. I would not recommend traveling Hwy. 101 through San Francisco area - bypass SF and Marin county and hook back up on Hwy. 101 at the San Rafael Bridge. We've pulled from San Rafael Bridge to Oregon several times. It's a very scenic route, just not fast--take your time and enjoy

Trailer Trash 2 · 03-25-2010, 06:29 PM

I have taken Hwy 1 and 101 north from LA up to Tillamuck OR. we did a little of both 1 and 101, I had a much smaller trailer when I did this trip and enjoyed the beautiful sights. parking will be you biggest problem if pulling your RV, we stayed away from Big Sur, and did 101 then bounced back in hear and there. Avenue of the Giants is beautiful, and I could pull my monty through there but stopping on the side of the road with all that I would forget about doing that. what we ended up doing was use a campground as our base of opperation and do a few day trips to see the sights. AAA or Good Sam club should be able to set up a trip chit of acceptable roads for you too.
Good luck and have fun.

adelmoll · 03-26-2010, 03:05 AM

We went from San Deigo all the way to the Canadian border in our Montana 3475. We stayed on the coast as much as possible but there were some places where we had to go to 101 for a bit. We ran into some washouts... We had a lot of time and it was worth every hairy curve. It was so beautiful that we plan on reversing that trip this fall.

Helen

melanie7ny · 03-26-2010, 03:47 AM

Thanks so much for the great info! We are doing the whole coast up to Canada, but I'm most concerned with the California part of the trip, because we want to see so much! Thankfully we will have 4-6 weeks to do the coast, then we have to head back east to NY...i have a feeling we wont want to go home! It sounds like I'm really going to have to study the maps, and listen closely to everyones advice, and we should have an amazing trip! We do things backwards over here: fulltimers before we even hit the road, and doing the "big trip" before the kids come along and we retire!

NCFischers · 03-26-2010, 06:15 AM

Near Big Sur is a restaurant called Nepenthe. Stop there for lunch. The view is incredable. For what you want to see, 4 to 6 weeks is a pretty tight schedule.

Parrothead · 03-26-2010, 06:16 AM

I have to agree with everyone - there is no way I would tow on PCH especially in the Monterey area. It is scary in a car!!! There are some places (like Devils Point south of Pacifica) that are almost always under construction. There are several ways to get north of San Francisco without going through it. I worked in San Rafael for five years and we still had a stick house in So. CA so we made the trip many, many times and never went through SF. We liked the KOA in Petaluma and they have tours available. The best way to see things is park and then take tours or day trips. There are a lot of tours available for SF as well as wine tours in Napa area. There is also a ferry that runs from some of the bay cities to SF and the ferry is fun! 101 runs along the ocean in the Ventura area. In Northern CA 101 will take you through the redwoods which is an awesome drive. Keep us posted on your adventures.
Happy trails........................

farmboy · 03-26-2010, 07:45 AM

Wish I could do it again. I drove from Frisco. down to Ventura 42 years ago. I need to see if it has changed, but then again my memory has slipped a bit now. A trip for the future. Hope you enjoy it.

Parrothead · 03-26-2010, 10:22 AM

farmboy
Boy has it ever!!!! I did that trip the first time in 1958. There are more people everywhere now.
Happy trails..................

NCFischers · 03-26-2010, 11:09 AM

I remember when there was open road on I5 between LA and San Diego, now it's wall to wall. The PCH is a lot more crowded now also.

Capt Kidd · 03-26-2010, 11:41 AM

I have pulled my 3075 over most of Highway 1 and 101. Yes it is narrow and windy but remember they drove big trucks over it to pave it. If you don't feel comfortable doing Hyw 1 then just do 101 it is much more user friendly and you will still see a lot of the coast and a bunch of awesome views.

If you are in the Eureka, Trinidad are near dinner time there is a totally fabulous resturant in Trinidad called Larapins (sp).

Have a great trip. Oh and if you are in Seattle the 13 Coins is a great place to eat.

PapaBeav · 03-26-2010, 03:03 PM

There is a very nice KOA here in Petaluma (40 miles north of San Francisco) that a lot of people use to explore the area. If you decide to stay there send us a PM and maybe we can get together or I can at least give you some pointers. We are only about 4 miles from there.

mtheo · 03-26-2010, 07:04 PM

Drove it all with our 3000RK, some twisty sections, but a great view all the way. Just be ready to take your time. If you don't do it you'll miss some of the best of CA.
I do have to say I have also done it all on a motorcycle and it is a lot funner.

lasater · 03-29-2010, 07:18 PM

Last year, we started at Bodega Bay (west of Sacremento and Santa Rosa) and followed Hwy 1 and 101 all the way to Port Angeles, Washington. It was a really neat trip. The only problems we had were when the logging trucks kept trying to climb up our ladder while we were going downhill into Leggitt, CA. Those guy need to learn engine braking. Spent a week with my brother-in-law at Eureka before continuing on into Oregon.

We had to make a side trip up OR 18 to McMinnville, Oregon, to see the Spruce Goose. What a HELL of an airplane that was. We also stopped at the Tillamook Cheeze Factory for a tour and taste.

That coastal trip was well worth the time it took. Now I have to plan on chasing the fall colors down the Atlantic Seaboard.

HamRad · 03-29-2010, 07:34 PM

Brad and Carol,
Love your plan! And glad to hear that someone has actually taken the Ligget leg of the 1. That give me the courage to try it. It is the only section we have not taken other than the section just nort of San Francisco. And I've done that section but not with the Monty.

Good luck and enjoy!
Dennis

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