1. Home
  2. CT News
  3. Archive
  4. CT News 2022, Issue 2
  5. Road trippin': Watsonville to Cambria

Road trippin': Watsonville to Cambria via SR-1

CT News continues its trip down California's most famous roadway by pulling onto southbound State Route 1 at Watsonville during a pleasant day on the coast (aren't they all?) in March. This stretch of the historic highway has been in the news often due to rockslides, washouts and, most recently, for repairs to the striking 1930s-built Bixby Bridge. 

Photo gallery

sr1-01 (Screen shot courtesy of Google Maps)
sr1-02 Moss Landing is a fishing community between Watsonville and Monterey along State Route 1.
sr1-03 The twin smokestacks at Moss Landing are a familiar sight for motorists on this stretch of the coastal roadway.
sr1-04 As State Route 1 largely bypasses Monterey and Pacific Grove, its ramps access the famous 17 Mile Drive of Pebble Beach,
sr1-05 Parking can be tricky near the entrance to Point Lobos State Park, one of the state's most scenic gems.
sr1-06 Look closely at this road sign and you might wonder whether Carmel has a sketchy cinema or somesuch.
sr1-07 Views such as this one south of Carmel can become practically routine for those driving down State Route 1.
sr1-08 The iconic California roadway has many pull-off places where motorists can stretch their legs and feast on the view.
sr1-09 Like it or not, road construction is a fact of life along a coastal highway whose footing sometimes needs restoration.
sr1-10 The Bixby Creek Bridge, here seen from the south, is one of the more striking engineering features of State Route 1.
sr1-11 Striking cypress trees and small islands are among the striking sights one can encounter on clear days along State Route 1.
sr1-12 Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park is an enormous presence along the Central Coast near Big Sur.
sr1-13 Once southbound motorists have reached serendipitous Big Sur, they still have a solid 90-minute drive on down to San Simeon.
sr1-14 Views aren't always this clear along the California coastline, but when they are, they are positively soul-nourishing.
sr1-15 State Route 1, one of the most famous roadways in the world, extends for some 656 miles from Leggett in the north to Dana Point.
sr1-16 At this and many, many other portions of State Route 1, it is easy to see how rockslides are a major concern.
sr1-17 At this vista point south of Big Sur, motorists can learn about one of the region's most famous endangered species.
sr1-18 In early 2021, storm waters rampaged down Rat Creek to such a violent extent that they swept of portion of SR-1 down to the ocean.
sr1-19 Caltrans and its contractors were able to restore the washed-out portion of SR-1 at Rat Creek in timely fashion by rebuilding the shore..
sr1-20 This "rock tunnel" north of San Simeon was Caltrans' innovative solution to a rockslide area in the mid-teens (21st century).
sr1-21 Not many State Route 1 signs remain along the roadway, perhaps because they have been stolen. This sign, however, has other issues.
sr1-22 State Route 1, in this "Big Sur Section" between Carmel and San Luis Obispo, is formally listed as a National Scenic Byway.
sr1-23 Due to the pandemic or other considerations, some attractions along State Route 1 are closed, including this historic lighthouse.
sr1-24 One of the most popular, and memorable, places to stop along the Central coast is the elephant sea rookery near San Simeon.
sr1-25 These elephant seals resting at Piedras Blancas are, rather astoundingly, two of hundreds there, and are among the smallest.
sr1-26 Late January, late April and late October reportedly are the busiest times for sea lions at the rookery. In early March, the vibe was agreeably lazy.
sr1-27 Look closely, because those things on the beach down there at Piedras Blancas are not all boulders!
sr1-28 The rookery, a few miles north of the Hearst Castle visitors center, is open year-round and costs nothing to visit.
sr1-29 Thanks to the pandemic, Hearst Castle has been closed to visitors for a couple of years. A reopening is imminent, one hopes ...
sr1-30 The closure of Hearst Castle, one of the state's better-known tourist destinations, has been devastating to San Simeon's economy.
sr1-31 State Route 1 runs past Cambria, a charming Central Coast town a half-hour or so south of Hearst Castle.
sr1-32 CT News completed its southbound trek down this portion of State Route 1 by veering off on SR-46 toward Paso Robles.