Backroads Tour Guide

Backroads of Big Sur
Self-Guided DrivingTour
W
elcome to the tour! I have used a rally-mileage format to
make the points of interest along the route easy to find.
Mileages are approximate, measured from the start. You may
prefer to throw this guide away and just follow the roundel on your
hood. That’s what I have done for the last 30 years, and I’m still
finding new places to explore in Monterey County. Enjoy! —Ken
Route by Ken Whitson
Maps by Brad Houser
1
Pre-tour gathering: 9:15 A.M. at the Rio Grill parking lot (located
at the signal at Rio Rd and 101 Crossroads Blvd.) at the Crossroads
Shopping Center, just east of Highway 1, at the south end of Carmel.
The gas station here has the cheapest prices you’ll see for awhile.
Driving time from Salinas to the start is 30-35 minutes.
Tour departure: 10:00 A.M.
Alternate start: Coming from Salinas or Carmel Valley, you can save
time by starting at Carmel Valley Village (Tour Mile 12.2). Driving time
from Salinas is 25-30 minutes. To get to Carmel Valley Village from Salinas, take HWY 68 toward Monterey, turn left at LAURELES GRADE
(G2, just before Laguna Seca), continue over the hill to CARMEL VALLEY RD., turn left and continue about two miles to the Village.
Beginning Map
Please note that this route goes through Fort Hunter Liggett;
when you get to the gate they will probably ask to see your driver’s license, car registration, and car insurance.
START:
0.0 [1] Turn right out the shopping center on RIO RD.,
Zero your odometer.
0.2 [2] Make a left here on CARMEL
RANCHO BLVD.
0.6 [3] Turn right at signal on CARMEL
VALLEY RD. [G16]
Radar area next 12 miles!
11.5 Panetta Rd.: Former White House
Chief of Staff Leon Panetta lives here.
The road was named this long before
Leon got famous.
12.3 [5] Carmel Valley Village: alternate start location. Last chance for
gas and bathroom stops for the next 50 miles. If you are looking for a
snack, the Oak Deli on the right has nice pastries. Continue east on
CARMEL VALLEY RD. [G16]. This road is great fun to drive, but it has
many inconsistent corners—second gear hairpins just after fourthgear sweepers, etc. Don’t trust it any further than you can see! Also,
portions of this road are narrow so watch for oncoming vehicles!
START
(box numbers are
bracketed in text)
Lunch option:
We have scheduled a stop for lunch at The Hacienda
(hotel/restaurant) and Mission San Antonio ~ 12:30 P.M.
You have a choice to either bring picnic food with you or to
order food at the restaurant. Near our route start is CORNUCOPIA COMMUNITY MARKET (26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd) a natural foods market that opens at 9:00 AM.
2
16.5 [6] CACHAGUA RD. on your right. A chance to start an even
twistier option: “Maximum Fun for Drivers Like Dan
Tackett Loop.” If you want to take the loop, turn
right here. Follow CACHAGUA RD. for 10.3 miles,
turn left on TASSAJARA RD., and drive for 1.4
miles back to CARMEL VALLEY RD. Rejoin the
tour at Tour Mile 23.9. This is a narrow road, so
watch out for oncoming traffic! This loop will add
4.4 miles and
about 15 minutes
to the tour. The
main tour continues on CARMEL
The Tackett Loop
VALLEY RD.
3
23.9 [7] TASSAJARA RD.: end of the Tackett Loop. By the way, twenty miles up this
road—fourteen of them being narrow dirt—is
Tassajara Hot Springs Zen Mountain Center;
this 130-year-old resort is now a zen monastery, which allows visitors during the summer.
41.3 [8] Bear left at the stop sign onto ARROYO SECO RD.
47.9 [9] Bear right toward 101 SOUTH to
stay on G16. Go a short distance down to
the junction at the steel bridge. Turn right
and cross the bridge. This is the Arroyo
Seco River. Soon you will be driving along
the Wente Bros. Vineyards.
52.0 [10] Turn right at CENTRAL AVE.
59.2 [11] Watch out for a sharp left turn on
the main road just just before the intersection of HWY 101; don’t take the road straight
ahead. Turn right at the stop sign on
HWY 101.
62.1 [12] Take the JOLON RD. EXIT and
turn right at the stop sign on JOLON RD. If
you need gas, food, or a rest, stay on HWY
101 and take the next exit at King City. Return to JOLON RD. to rejoin the tour.
80.3 [13] Turn right at MISSION RD. This is
a good spot for those of you who are driving
up from the south to enter the Tour. To get to
Jolon from HWY 101 NORTH, take the first
JOLON RD. EXIT north of Camp Roberts,
and go west to Jolon.
4
80.6 [14] You are entering Fort Hunter
Liggett. Tell the gate guard that you are taking the road to HWY 1. They will probably
ask to see your driver’s license, car registration, and car insurance. Speed limits are
radar-enforced! This is the second-largest
military base, by acreage, in the country.
5
83.6 [15] Continue on Mission toward Mission San Antonio de Padua (California Landmark 232) and The Hacienda. The mission
is one of the best-preserved California missions.
85.6 [16] You should arrive for lunch (around
12:30). The Mission San Antonio is on the
left, The Hacienda on the right.
LUNCH STOP BREAK
Either enjoy an outdoor picnic at the mission with the food you
brought, or sit down for a bite at The Hacienda—the building Julia
Morgan designed for William Randolph Hearst as a hunting lodge.
On a Bun:
• Hamburger (1/3 lb. sirloin)
• Cheeseburger
• Chiliburger
• HLMR Burger (2 patties,
2 ham slices, American &
Swiss cheese)
• BLT
• Texas Ham & Cheese
• Turkey Sandwich
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Fish Sandwich
• Tuna Melt
Mission San Antonio de
Padua, established 1771
The Hacienda,
designed in 1929
Hacienda Menu
• Gourmet
Burger (seasoned
patty, w/American & Swiss
cheese)
• Como Burger (ortega chili,
bacon, cheese)
• Phili
• Club
• French Dip
• Grilled Cheese
• Tuna Salad Sandwich
• Patty Melt
• Steak Sandwich
• Soup
• Soup
and Sandwich
and 1/2 Sandwich
Steaks, Chicken & Fish
• 10 oz. New York Strip
Steak
• Shrimp Platter
• Fish Platter
• Chicken Basket
• Chef’s Salad
• One-Trip Salad Bar
Mileage numbers after this might be off due to
addition of lunch-stop detour from original route.
85.6 Depart on Mission Rd (South)
87.6 [17] Turn right on NACIMIENTO FERGUSSON R./COAST HWY 1
88.4 Turn left again toward NACIMIENTO and cross the steel
bridge over the San Antonio River. Or you can drive through the
river at the tank ford just downstream.
96.8
You’re now leaving Fort Hunter Liggett. Resume safe speed.
100.1 [19] There is a good place here to stop and wade in the river,
assuming it isn’t dry.
6
105.7 [20] SOUTH COAST RIDGE RD. intersection: This provides
some great opportunities for back-road exploring, especially if you
like four-wheeling. To the left is Los Burros; it was a minor gold-mining area at one time. To the right is the trailhead to Cone Peak, over
5,000 feet in elevation.
7
110.2 [21] The turnout provides a good photo opportunity.
112.9 [22] Turn right at the stop sign on HIGHWAY 1. If you
want to explore the South Coast area,
turn left here. Some of the things you may
find: Sand Dollar Beach and Jade Cove (you
can really find pieces of jade at Jade Cove!);
Hearst Castle (get your tickets in advance);
the town of Cambria is a quaint tourist spot.
The tour continues north on HWY 1. Expect to
share this wonderful road with summer tourist
traffic. There are a few places striped to allow
passing, but not many. Enjoy the scenery!
117.0 The “town” of Lucia is only a few buildings. You can buy
gas and food here if you are desperate.
130.2 Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park: a nice day-use park. A path
under the highway leads to a view of a waterfall falling directly into
the ocean.
132.2 [25] Partington Cove: An unmarked public trail leads down
to a beach and an old ship landing. The cove
is reached by walking down the trail, crossing
the bridge over Partington Creek, and going
through the tunnel. A small parking area is
located along the highway where the sign on
the metal gate on the left side of the road says
“Fire Road.” Directly across the highway is a
trail which leads up the creek, passing many
pools and waterfalls.
134.2 Nepenthe: famous restaurant and gift shop. The view is
wonderful. You can get a drink and snack at Cafe Kevah, on the
lower deck.
139.1 Ventana Inn: It’s a great place to stay, but expensive.
Across the highway is the first new resort in Big Sur in many
years, Post Ranch Inn. It’s ultra-exclusive—and ultra-expensive.
140.2 [28] SYCAMORE CANYON RD.: narrow paved road several miles long which leads to Pfeiffer Beach. The road is hard to see;
it is a downhill left turn. There are some signs and mailboxes here,
but usually nothing to identify the road or indicate the way to the
beach; the locals tear the signs down to reduce tourist traffic. The
road ends at a paved parking lot; the beach is reached by a short
trail. The famous love scene in The Sandpiper was filmed here.
8
9
141.3 [29] Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park: a great park for families.
Make camping reservations in advance. There is a large area for
day visitors, with barbecue areas, softball field, etc. It’s fun to hike
up the Big Sur River to the big pool and waterfall in the gorge.
143.3 River Inn: This is a great place to sit on the lawn and sip a
drink next to the river, especially on Sunday afternoon when they
have live jazz.
145.8 [30] OLD COAST RD. (optional route): located directly
across HWY 1 from Molera State Park entrance. Also known as Coast Rd., this is the
original route to Big Sur. It is dirt, somewhat
rough, but not too bad. I took my 2002 on it
many times. It’s thirteen miles long and takes
about an hour. It comes back out to HWY 1
at Bixby Creek. You’ll climb over ridges, wind
through redwoods, pass wilderness trailheads, and see old homestead cabins. It’s a
superb trip through a part of Big Sur most people don’t see.
149.3 [31] Point Sur: About here you can see Point Sur, with its
lighthouse on the ocean side. The rock is State Park property, and
you can take guided tours by special arrangement.
153.0 [32] Hurricane Point: so called because it’s usually windy
here. There is a paved turnout with great views.
154.1 [33] Bixby Creek Bridge: perhaps second only to the
Golden Gate as the most photographed bridge in California. This
one is first in car ads. There is a turnout on the left just after the
bridge which is a good area for photos.
154.3 [34] Old Coast Rd.: opposite the north end of Bixby Creek
Bridge is the end of the optional COUNTY RD. loop.
156.3 [35] PALO COLORADO RD.: This is a dead end. It has a
lot of old cabins and some newer homes. Parts of it are right out
of the ’60s. The paved road ends at a trailhead, which is a starting
point for hikes into the wilderness.
157.8 [36] Garrapata Beach: a popular beach which is a short walk
from the road. This used to be a popular nude beach, but since the
State Parks people took it over, they have tried to put a stop to it.
10
11
164.6 [37] Carmel Highlands Service Station: Some people restore cars; my friend Dan Keig restored a gas
station and remodeled the old service bay into
a classy convenience store. It was built in the
1920s, and Dan has completely refurbished
it to make it a showpiece. It has appeared in
magazine articles and advertisements.
165.3 [38] Point Lobos State Reserve: a
fabulous area for nature walks. Allow several
hours to see it when you have a chance. Be
sure to see Whaler’s Cove and China Beach.
166.0 [39] Monastery Beach: This is a very popular beach, especially with divers. It is named for the Carmelite Monastery across
the road. Unfortunately, it is very dangerous due to severe rip currents. Many people have drowned here, including some who were
only wading. The locals call this Mortuary Beach.
167.2 [40] Carmel River Bridge: The old bridge at this location
was washed out in the floods of 1995. Working 24 hours a day,
crews rebuilt the new bridge in 33 days!
The contractor got a bonus of $340,000 for
finishing early.
END OF TOUR
Thanks for joining the Golden Gate
Chapter in doing what we love best:
driving our great California roads! We
hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed putting it together. And if you didn’t
have time to take the tour on this visit, keep
these instructions for the next time you’re here!
12
13
Route design and write-up: Ken Whitson
Route maps: Brad Houser
Layout: Kelly Kirkland
Mapping Software: Copyright © 1988-2002 Microsoft Corp. and/or its suppliers. All
rights reserved. http://www.microsoft.com/streets
© Copyright 2001 by Geographic Data Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. © 2001 Navigation Technologies. All rights reserved. This data includes information taken with permission
from Canadian authorities © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.
BMW Festorics
www.festorics.org
An Event of the Golden Gate Chapter, BMW CCA
www.ggc-bmw-cca.org
14