this is a great ride when you have the luxury of time to spare making the otherwise drony run from la to sf or back. with exception of the beginning and end it avoids major highways completely and winds through some of the most diverse and beautiful motorcycle roads in california. read the notes about fort hunter-liggett below.

highlights (in south to north order)

* getting off I-5 and climbing up through frazier mountain
* the diner in pine mountain club (mil potrero rd)
* the ridgeline curves and spectacular views of cerro noroeste, my favorite ride anywhere
* the chevron in taft with the shade structures and misters marked "motorcycles only"
* the perfect banked blacktop curves of highway 58
* ...which then cleaves through hollow canyons
* ...then into highspeed roller coaster whoops!
* ...then into top speed straights with perimeter fences and mile long visibility
* ...and inexplicable 90 degree turns
* diner on spring street in paso robles
* lake naciamento
* the eerie but serene ride through fort hunter-liggett, a fully operational military base
* a very challenging, extreme ride up and down through naciamento-fergusson road ~ watch for loose gravel, construction vehicles and mesmerising views.
* the near vertical descent into the south edge of big sur
* a short trip south on 1 to gorda springs
* back up north on 1 through big sur (which should need no introduction here)
* ride into santa cruz or just head straight up highway 9 and through the big basin loop (giant redwoods)
* skyline blvd
* lunch at alice's restaurant in sky londa
* more skyline
* short hop on I280N then hop off at skyline again
* descent to the great highway in sf

there are gas stops spaced no more than 120 miles apart, but i never pass an open station (i wouldn't recommend this route at night if you aren't familiar with it).

about fort hunter-liggett ~ its a military base ~ you will be asked to stop and show license, registration and proof of insurance before you are allowed to pass. the guards are friendly, but unwaveringly firm. if you are coming from the south, you can pass h-l and come up around carmel valley road through the carmel highlands into monterey. but don't get caught going all the way over naciemento-fergusson road to get turned back at the western gate. the ride through the base is, as i said, eerie and meditative ~ except at the gates, i've never seen another soul, military or civilian, in the roughly 30 miles between them.