Monterey - Morro Bay ( Pacific Coast Hwy 1 )

May 8, 2010 - 5.0

This road is just awesome, cant think of any negatives. scenery is simply stunning, loved morro bay, had a warm welcome anywhere i went on this road, did it in november and loved it, was unusually dry and warm for the time of year. only hard thing was keeping your eyes on the road, as the scenery is just so nice.

November 14, 2007 - 5.0

Rabbit is quite correct, Big Sur is a biker paradise. In Big Sur itself is a superb place to stop for lunch or dinner - Nepenthe. Have the ambrosia burger and a Martini (only one). An excerpt from a guide to Ca I wrote for a friend visiting Ca. I'd been to Big Sur area for day trips and driven the road a few times. There was always this intriguing place named Nepenthe that I'd never stopped at until December of 1969. My girl friend and I had made plans to drive one of the company's new E-types to Monterey, dinner at Encanta's and spend the night in Carmel. By the time we arrived, the weather had turned sour and a walk about the town after the meal was no longer an option. I had a brain flash and suggested we go the extra 30 miles to Big Sur and check out that odd place I'd always by passed. It was dark when we pulled into the parking lot. The wind was howling, rain lashing, thunder, lightening wet and cold. All we were hoping for was that the joint would be warm and cosy. I was stunned. Nepenthe was high ceiling, all wood, glass and stone floor, low lighting Rustic with Style. Long bar on the right, handmade tables, chairs and settees and a wall of glass which, on a clear evening, overlooks the hillside, cliff and a vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. But not tonight. Planted in the centre and dominating the large room was a six foot diameter circular stone fireplace with a huge copper bell bottomed chimney flue. It was warm, cosy and comfortable. There were only a half dozen people in the place and I did a subtle double take at a stunning blonde dressed in black curled up on a sofa poetry book in one hand and a martini in the other. Kim Novak. Somewhere, I'd read that Ms Novak had retired south of Carmel, near Big Sur. This was a woman I had to speak to about anything! I moved over, she looked up, smiled and I asked how the martinis were. "They're excellent. Are you dining?"
"Yeah"
"If you are a carnivore, have one with an Ambrosiaburger."
"My brain spiralled , Kim Novak asking if I were a carnivore! Ambrosiaburger!??? At 22, I'd never encountered such a magnetic woman or one that could stir such emotion - the eyes, that voice, dusky, smoky, sensual. I was somewhere in between involuntarily shitting my pants and voluntarily tearing her clothes off."
Neither happened. I thanked her for the tip, strolled back to the bar and, in a daze, ordered up 6 burgers and 10 martinis, then asked Cathy what she'd like. A short while later, Ms Novak left and as she walked by, glanced and smiled a personal look that is just between two people, or so it felt. It was one of those rare times when such an encounter seemed perfect. It was also a fitting end to the year - Neil, Buzz and I had now all been to the Moon. After dinner Cathy and I got into a conversation with a couple that ran Deetjens Cottages just a few turns down the road. Although, they were closed for the season, they agreed to let us have one of the cottages for the night. Ten bucks couldn't beat it. here Deetjens cottages looked like something out of McCabe and Mrs. Miller ramshackle, wood frame and siding, no insulation, no heating (pot belly stove and no wood that night), brass bed. Cold as a witch's tit and regardless of body friction and the number of quilts on the bed, we were still freezing. This is when I discovered Mans use for a woman's hair dryer. Plug it in, turn it on, stick it under the covers, kick it around a bit and, Bingo - toasty. I've been back to Nepenthe many, many times never saw Ms Novak again and have never had anything other than a Martini and Ambrosiaburger. Ive added a picture, from Hwy 1 just south of Carmel, to Rabbits - its my favourite road sign in whole world.

August 5, 2007 - 5.0

In many ways this road is a perfect bike trip, the atmosphere, the scenary and the climate make for a great biking experience, plenty of corners with mostly a good surface. There is sometimes a lot of tourist traffic though and long sections of the road where overtaking is not permitted mean it can be a bit frustrating for bikers. However still a great road. Check at the Elephant seals at the beach by Big Sur and Hearst castle (the basis for Citizen Kane) Enjoy