Highway 1 & Big Sur to Monterey

North of Morro Bay there was a brief stretch of inland driving which reminded me a lot of places in Namibia.  The vast rolling hills and sun kissed rocky mountains, I even spotted a herd of Buffalo on the plains, where the buffalo roam.  As I passed Cambria I knew that I was approaching the famous strip of highway, the road rejoined the coastline and gradually up the seaside cliffs.  It was hard to drive very far on this route without stopping to marvel in the view and get some photos.  The road was in great shape but a challenging drive as you wind through the hairpin turns around the cliff edges.  The challenge of keeping your eyes on the road is also great as there is so much beauty here.

I had plans to visit Hearst Castle on the way, but by the time I reached the turnoff it was already 4pm.  Had I gone up to Hearst Castle I would have surely been  driving the highway in the dark, missing the views and increasing the risks.  I made a quick decision to forgo the castle and continue up the road.  In the end this worked out perfectly as I ended up arriving in Monterey as all light was lost.  The sun set at 6pm in California in October which was something I hadn’t considered.

This drive is beautiful, and endless, at 197km from Morro Bay to Monterey.    As I drove north I noted the temperature was dropping, and by the time I got to Monterey I was freezing my buns off!  The fog also rolled in Monterey making it even more cold and wet.  I did a lot of driving today coming from Carpinteria to Monterey a total of 420 km.