Central CA backcountry...mind blown
I've driven north from LA to Monterey and the Bay Area countless times now, and have always taken the Pacific Coast Highway because its always seemed like the obvious thing to do. However, it's closed right now due to landslides near Big Sur, so to make it up to Sonoma this past weekend I had to get creative. I certainly wasn't about to take the interstate, so took a close look at what kind of scenic options there are instead of the coast. Little did I know, my mind was about to be blown.
The inland backroads between LA and the Bay Area are, dare I say, even better than the coastal road. Like...seriously. It's nothing but rolling hills out there which host the most perfect sort of roads for cruising, and there's NOBODY else driving out there. At one point I did nearly 50 miles while being able to count on 1 hand how many other vehicles I came across (and they were all either ranch workers or construction workers). I'm so much more accustomed to both the very rocky terrain of Southern California and the very forested terrain of Northern California, that these endless green hills of the central region still always catch me by surprise. Absolutely love it.
If you're interested in the specific route I'm referring to, the bit between Morro Bay and Santa Cruz, the last picture shows my northern leg in blue and southern leg in red. The highlight of this stretch would definitely have to be Peach Tree Road and Indian Valley Road, a 40 mile stretch that runs from the intersection of Routes 25 & 198 down to San Miguel. It's the perfect combination of great roads, scenic views, and total solitude. Feels like it's just you and the cows out there! All of Route 25 is amazing too though, as well as all those backroads through Lake Nacimiento and Lockwood.
