Ever since we enjoyed The Mother of all Roads down under, we’ve been looking forward to doing its sister: Highway 1, going along the coast of California. Having taken care of business in LA, we started with a great Coffee in Santa Monica.
What followed was… beautiful. And very, very cold.
Even though “California 1” does not go all the way along the coast anymore (there are parts where you have to take the freeway), the long stretches where it does make it worth your while. The first day took us to Lompoc, a place we’d never heard about, somewhere in between Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. We got there almost frozen, since the temperature was an estimated 15 degrees lower than what we were expecting. Good thing we stayed with a Couchsurfer who happens to be a full-time winemaker – that got Judith warmed right back up in no time.
Apparently, the ironically called Lompoc Wine Ghetto makes for some great wine. The entire region is pretty cool, with very scenic hills and valleys. Michael Jackson seemed to like it: His “Neverland” is close by. Funny fact: The entrance is still guarded by a dozen mean-looking dudes. I guess the asking price of USD 100 mio. allows for a couple bodyguards, even if the guy is long gone.
The ride north is lined with small towns and long curves. It did not get warmer, but oh boy did enjoy the ride! Just beautiful, every bit as nice as people make it out to be. A dream for every motorbike rider – and Corvette and Mustang driver, apparently. We saw more of these in the 3 days on Highway 1 than in our entire lives before. No kidding.
We rolled into the San Francisco Bay Area a bit stiff, but with smiles larger than the visors on our helmets. What a great ride!
Oh, and which one wins, you might ask? The Great Ocean Road or Highway 1? Well – hard to say. Both are pretty epic, we found. Until now, we tend to give the prize to the former, but the much nicer weather and being accompanied by one of the coolest couple around might influence that choice a bit. But Highway 1 is far from done: It goes on for a looong time (for us, at least). We shall see.
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