Today, we’ll be on California Highway 1, the world-famous Pacific Coast Highway. All day long.

Highway One is said to be one of the world’s most scenic and iconic drives. I’ve ridden it a half-dozen times, north and south. Each time it just gets better and better. Today should be no different.

This coastal gem begins 1,300 hundred miles of riding over the next six days, as we work our way up the coast of California, Oregon and Washington.

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US Highway 101 is our route out of Santa Maria.

“The 101,” as Californians call it, takes us past Pismo Beach, and turns inland for a few miles before arriving in the college town of San Luis Obispo, called “SLO” by those in the know. The school, formally known as California Polytechnic University at San Luis Obispo, is most often referred to as Cal Poly.

SLO is also the International Olympic Committee code for Slovenia, the country of 2 million people located in the Balkans, in Central Europe. Slovenia, once part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, gained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and today is a member of the European Union and NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

In southern California SLO, we turn north and west on Highway One. The fun is almost upon us.

Ten more miles and we hit the beach.

Just after passing through Morro Bay, we lock eyes on the Pacific Ocean, which will be our companion until the middle of next week.

The artistic haven of Cambria is 20 miles ahead. I’ve stayed in Cambria twice on previous Harley trips. It’s either the finish line marking the end of a southern trip down the coast, or the start line, denoting the beginning of our northward fun-fest.

We arrive in Cambria, take a breather, and get ready for the ride of our lives.

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From Cambria, it’s only 10 miles to San Simeon, home of the Hearst Castle, a 90,000-square foot mansion that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Today, the Hearst Castle is a California state park, and a National Historic Landmark. It’s been closed for the past two years due to the pandemic and severe rainstorm damage that prompted a $14 million renovation. It finally re-opened to the public on May 11.

William Randolph Hearst’s timing was impeccable. He got disgustingly wealthy in the early 1900s, making a fortune in the newspaper business, developing what was at the time the largest newspaper chain in the US. Hearst dreamed big, and lived large.

Between 1919 and 1947, he built La Cuesta Encantada (The Enchanted Hill), known today as the Hearst Castle. It cost $700 million to build; today, the construction bill, adjusted for inflation and current building costs, would run around five billion dollars!

At the height of Hearst’s wealth, the estate around the castle totaled more than 250,000 acres. Hearst, his castle and his lifestyle were satirized by Orson Welles in his 1941 film, Citizen Kane.

The castle has spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean.

So do we.

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Riding north from San Simeon, there’s nothing but miles and miles of unparalleled visual beauty. 

Highway One is a narrow, twisty roadway with steep drop-offs over cliffs that fall precipitously to the Pacific Ocean. It’s 65 miles from San Simeon to Big Sur.

Big Sur has been called the longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the lower 48. It’s a popular destination for about seven million people who live within a day’s drive, and visitors from across the world.

The region receives about the same number of annual visitors as Yosemite National Park, but offers extremely limited bus service, few restrooms, and a narrow two-lane highway with few places to park alongside the road. Perfect!

About 10 miles north of Big Sur is the picturesque Bixby Creek Bridge, made famous in more than a few Hollywood movies and TV shows. The 714-foot-long bridge has been featured in Basic Instinct, Play Misty for Me and the HBO series, Big Little Lies. 

The Bixby Creek Bridge signals that we’ve almost arrived in Monterey, 10 miles north of the bridge. Monterey is home to the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman’s Wharf, and the annual Monterey Jazz Festival.

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I love traditions. Sarah’s cheesecake at Thanksgiving. Sunday New York Times crossword puzzles. Hot cookies at Up 4 Pizza at Snowmass with my Aspen Valley Ski Club kids. Seder with family. Harley riding with my good buddies.

Traditions are important because they contribute a sense of comfort and belonging. 

Today marks a return to an important tradition on Harley rides that involve the California coast: clam chowder on Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf. For the third time, Dave and I are stopping at the Old Fisherman’s Grotto restaurant for yummy chowder, served in a carved-out loaf of French bread.

Tradition.

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We leave Monterey with full tummies and a renewed sense of tradition.

Tonight’s destination, Santa Cruz, is only 42 miles away.

We ride along Monterey Bay, continuing our journey north on Highway One. Santa Cruz is situated on the northern edge of Monterey Bay. The bay is huge. It takes us about an hour to cover the 42 miles from Monterey to Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz is a thriving beach town with a population approaching 65,000. It’s home to the University of California, Santa Cruz (best team name in college sports: the Banana Slugs).

Highway One actually goes through the heart of Santa Cruz, but misses the city’s major attraction: the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. We exit Highway One, cross the San Lorenzo River, and head for tonight’s lodging, right on the Boardwalk.

What a day!

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To view today’s route in Google Maps, click here.

My number today: 177 (number of miles ridden today on Highway One)

What’s your number?