Suggestions for a long 1 day drive. . .

[JustDJR]

Hi guys,

I'm planning on taking a drive up to Santa Cruz for my friends wedding and decided it would be the perfect excuse to take the Elise on PCH. While poking around road ranking websites and just taking a general look at the map I found that highway 33 and 58 look like worlthy diversions. My planned route should be viewable by this link:

from:Los Angeles, CA to:CA-33/Forest Rte-5N24/Maricopa Hwy to:35.344255,-119.937744 to:CA-1/Cabrillo Hwy to:Santa Cruz, CA - Google Maps

I was mostly looking for any tips or suggestions from anyone who's taken an extended day drive or taken a drive up the coast like this for anything to look out for or places to stop etc. I've never driven north of LA and I've never been in the Elise for more than a couple hours and thought it wouldnt hurt to see what everything thinks.

Thanks

[agirls]

Make sure you have drinking water. The 33 is my backyard and depending on when you go, it'll be HOT and phone signal is non-existent. And make sure you have a good tire patch kit (one with t-handles!), a can of fix a flat, and an air compressor because nails happen. In case you do not already have these things. I never carried these, til I learned the hard way.

[Vicynax]

33 58 is a great drive. If you've the time, you can cut out part of PCH and actually go through Naciemento-Fergusson from inland and then meet PCH at the end of that hwy. It's pretty gorgeous and really really twisty.

[LarryB]

Taken 58 many a time, very fun route. If you have some time on the way back, Carmel Valley road, 25 to 198 (then back on to 5) are also great, fun back roads. Likewise, once your in the Santa Cruz area (my neck of the woods), Bear Creek road, 9, Skyline (35) and 84 are fun local roads. Highway 1 is best taken going south... that way your on the coast side.

[doug_porsche]

Ibuprofen. Took my Elise for a drive Saturday (4-5 hrs in the car) and had a blast, but needed ibuprofen later that night!

[JustDJR]

Originally Posted by LarryB

Taken 58 many a time, very fun route. If you have some time on the way back, Carmel Valley road, 25 to 198 (then back on to 5) are also great, fun back roads. Likewise, once your in the Santa Cruz area (my neck of the woods), Bear Creek road, 9, Skyline (35) and 84 are fun local roads. Highway 1 is best taken going south... that way your on the coast side.

Those all look awesome, not sure I'll have have the time though. Maybe do the 25 and 198 on the way up and my current planned PCH stint on the way back.

Vicynax: I see the lake but im not really sure which road or route your talking about. Is there a road name or highway number?

There sure are a lot of nice looking roads in this area, I thought I was privledged to live smack in the middle of rim of the world and GMR, but there looks to be quite a bit of variety up north ha!

doug_porsche and agrils: Noted and thank you, painkillers are something I surely would have left behind, and Ill make sure now to grab a patch/plug kit from the shop before I take off. Im thinking of trying to find something to take the edge off the elise seat and soften it up a little, espically since my lumbar bubble thing cant seem to hold air anymore.

[LarryB]

On Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd

Found a quick once over on it at:

Nacimiento-Fergusson Road: Big Sur
Nacimiento-Fergusson Road - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Driven it a few times, great road but you also go through:

"Hunter-Liggett military reservation; you may be asked for your driver's license and vehicle registration or auto rental contract at the reservation's gates, and military traffic may be using the roads. You should telephone in advance and obtain a good local map before using these roads."

Indeed the 2-3 times I've been stopped by a MP on entry and checked. It can also be a little tricky finding your way back onto 101.

[MikeinAlexandria]

If you have time once you are as far as Santa Cruz, Half Moon Bay was nice at one time. (I used to work in San Francisco) Also, driving across the Golden Gate Bridge and up along the coast past Stinson Beach and Bodega Bay was very cool. (And somewhat Alfred Hitchcockian)

[MattG]

Originally Posted by Vicynax

33 58 is a great drive. If you've the time, you can cut out part of PCH and actually go through Naciemento-Fergusson from inland and then meet PCH at the end of that hwy. It's pretty gorgeous and really really twisty.

Agreed, that's a great 'shortcut' to 1. From 58, take 101 to Paso Robles, take the 46E exit (but go west on Nacimiento Lake Drive). You'll drive through Fort Hunter-Ligget (make sure your license and registration are up to date, there will probably be guards at the boundaries checking). Generally, head west, you'll rejoin with highway 1 after a great drive. You should be able to see the route in a map; I was having a bit of trouble finding it in Google Maps. There's an old Mission in the middle of the Fort area with bathrooms if needed. It's a really nice detour, I recommend it. You can even take your Elise through a river if you want to experience that (there's a paved river crossing for the tanks to use, or a bridge right next to that for lightweight vehicles).

Highway 58 is one of the best roads I've ever been on; do NOT miss out on that one! Just have plenty of gas, there's a lot of nothing between 101 and I-5.

[MattG]

Alright, got the directions for Nacimiento-Fergusson:

From 101, take the hwy 46 East exit, but turn left onto 24th street. This road becomes Nacimiento Lake Drive, AKA road G14. You'll see those G14 signs at occasional intervals on the side of the road. Stay on road G14; just past the Nacimiento Reservoir (you'll drive over an earthen dam), you'll need to make a left turn to stay on G14, otherwise the road becomes G19. Stay on G14; you'll eventually approach what I THINK was a four way stop; make a left turn on Jolon Road to stay on G14. After a short distance, make a left on Mission Road to, I think, enter the military base. You'll then make a left to get onto Nacimiento-Fergusson Road (after ~3 miles), or just continue a short ways on Mission to go visit the Mission. After that, it's easy, stay on Nacimiento-Fergusson road and it'll take you to highway 1. Be sure to gas up in Paso Robles if you take this detour.

[JustDJR]

Hey guys another question for anyone familar with the highway 33/58 area. I was looking at lockwood east and taking the road back west through pine mountain but ran into this wonder street view:

Google Maps

And became slighly concered about the creek corssings, should this be a issue in June? Anybody take Lockwood Valley Rd before?