California Hwy. 1 South--The Grapevine

The California Route 1 south drive from Monterey to Morro Bay is a 123-mile, six-hour trip along the Pacific coastline. Before heading south out of Monterey on Route 1, visit the Royal Presidio Chapel, Monterey State Historic Park, Custom House, Casa Soberanes, Larkin House, Fisherman's Wharf, and Cannery Row, home of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. A few miles south of Monterey, stop in Carmel-by-the-Sea to visit the Mission San Carlos Borromeo del Rio Carmelo, founded in 1770; the Tor House, home of poet Robinson Jeffers; and Carmel River State Beach.

Continuing south, take the 17-mile drive through Point Lobos State Reserve, a 456-acre park and 750-acre undersea ecological reserve. Pass through Carmel Highlands to the start of Big Sur, a 90-mile coastal drive where the Santa Lucia Range meets the sea. Stop at Garrapata State Park, one of the few beaches which is easy to reach, or watch sea otters from Soberanes Point. Continue south to the 700-foot-long Bixby Creek Bridge. Leaving the bridge, pass Hurricane Point and the mouth of Little Sur River to the Point Sur Light Station. Just past the station, stop at the 4,800-acre Andrew Molera State Park to see beech, oak, and redwood forests.

Enter the town of Big Sur and head for Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park. Here you can see the Big Sur River and 800 acres of redwoods, maples, sycamores, bay laurel, and ferns. Just past the park, take the turnoff to Sycamore Canyon to see Pfeiffer Beach. Back on Route 1, pass Henry Miller Memorial Library; Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Bark, which holds 80-foot-high McWay Fall; and the Piedras Blancas Light Station on your way to the town of San Simeon. Here you can take a bus ride to Hearst Castle. After visiting the castle, drive south to Morro Bay. Here you can drive right up to 50 million-year-old Morro Rock and the Morro Bay State Park Museum of Natural History.

Starting Point:
Monterey, CA

Distance of Drive:
127 miles

Must Eat:
Golden Buddha
3678 The Barnyard, Carmel, CA 93923
Phone:  831-625-1668
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.  

Rappa's Seafood
101 Fisherman's Wharf, Monterey, CA 93940
Phone:  831-372-7562
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.
Good Stop For:  Best in Seafood

Sly McFly's Refueling Station
700 Cannery Row, #A, Monterey, CA 93940
Phone:  831-649-8050
Call ahead to confirm hours of operation.  
Good Stop For:  Seafood

Best Time of Year for Drive:
Year round

Points of Interest on Drive:
Fisherman's Wharf and Cannery Row
Big Sur--Highway 1
San Simeon--Hearst Castle

UsedCars.biz Road Trip in the Same State:
California--Rim of the World Scenic Byway

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