DAY 8
DAY 10
FINISH:
miles
Los Angeles, CA
5790.3
Los Angeles. Leaving Salinas, I had to take a short drive to Monterey to get to Route
1. Once I got past Monterey, I had a constant view of the Pacific Ocean for the next
100+ miles. The road has many twists and turns, but the scenery is beyond
description. I figured a picture would do a better job describing the scenery than I ever
could, but unfortunately, the picture I took of the Pacific Ocean from this stretch of
highway is the only one from the entire trip that didn't come out. Route 1 sits high
above the ocean, and I could maintain a speed of only about 40 mph, and only 15-20
mph as I negotiated the turns. If you are every driving from San Francisco to Los
Angeles, and you have a few extra hours to spare, I would definitely recommend
driving down Route 1. As I ventured further south in California, Route 1 loses its view
of the Pacific, at times as far as 10 miles from the coast (in Guadalupe and Lompoc,
for example), and at some points running concurrent with Route 101 (the freeway).
Shortly after passing through Oxnard, Route 1 starts hugging the coast again, as it
makes its way through Malibu and into Santa Monica. The drive through Malibu was
interesting. On my right was the ocean, and on the left were tall hills. Luxury homes
are found right on the hills, and in many cases, stilt-like supports are needed to
physically keep the house on the hill. A short while later, I found myself in Los
Angeles (where I would be spending some time in Day 10), and I spent the night in a
suburb named Sylmar.