On Sat, 25 May 2013 22:32:36 -0400, "- Bobb -"
wrote:

I have to disagree. I've driven all of east and west coastal roads and
Carmel to San Simeon is one of my favorites drives. Views like:
http://travel.sndimg.com/static_file...ia_966x543.jpg
or
http://www.travelchannel.com/interes...hway-road-trip

Despite the caption, the photo does not show the Pacific Coast
Highway. The PCH ends jsut north of Santa Barbara. From there to San
Francisco it is the Cabrillo Highway. Once upon a time the state
published a map on the web that showed this as PCH and I sent an email
pointing out that they, of all people, should know that it is the
Cabrillo Highway. I got an email of thanks in return and the map was
corrected within a day.

The Bixby Bridge is also on the Cabrillo Highway, not the PCH.

The mistake seems widespread, and given the glamour associated in
minds with the PCH I can understand the mistake by people residing
quite far away. I lived for some 16 years in, first, Pacifica and then
Daly city and traveled Hwy 1 wiht regularity. The first time I called
it Pacific Coast Highway in ftont of some Pacificans my error was
quickly pointed out in no uncertain terms.

Unfortunately, the actual Pacific Coast Highway, which runs between
north of Santa Barbara to San Onofre south of LA, is nowhere near as
scenic as the Cabrillo Highway, although I will grant a bit of
scenicness around Malibu.

I've done it 7 or 8 times. From Monterey down to San Simeone. Stay overnight
at the Cavalier hotel on the water. Fire pits on the ocean at night. THE
best apple pie at their restaurant, and drive back up the next day. Driving
south I think is the better view, car on the outside and curvy roads are in
view ahead and below you. On way north, you're on the inside and sometimes
not as nice a view. It is true that it CAN be dangerous to cruise and gawk
at same time so pull over often and enjoy it.

I DO agree with the advice on foggy, dank conditions. Although when I'm
there off season and it is overcast/damp, rather than the drive, I head to
Pebble Beach and often get on the course for cheap money. A few years ago I
played Spanish Bay for $85 ! Just wait until about 12 noon, as the fog
lifts. I'm not an avid golfer but love walking those courses. Spanish bay is
a links course so a lot of water views.

When I first moved to Arizona in the mid-1960s my wife and I made the
trip to San Francisco one mid-spring. I came back the the University
of Arizona raving about the scenery along what I, too, at first called
the PCH, and about the green rolling hills east of the Coast range. A
colleague took my advice and drove up the coast in June. When he came
back he cussed me out and said the drive was one of the toughest he'd
ever made what with the fact tha it was so foggy and, besides, those
hills were brown (Californians like to call them "golden"). How was I
supposed to know it didn't rain in California in the summertime (the
Mommas and the Poppas cover of the song came out later) and that
summer was the foggy season on the California coast.