The Northern Coast to Big Sur

Part 1: The Northern Coast to Big Sur

• Start in Ferndale, exploring the Victorian village.

• Take CA-211 south down to the Lost Coast, passing through Petrolia.

• At Honeydew, turn east onto Mattole Road to connect with US-101.

• Instead of US-101, take the scenic CA-254 (Avenue of the Giants) through Humboldt Redwood State Park.

• At Leggett, take the turn for the Drive Thru Tree. Then, follow CA-1 south along the coast (Shoreline Highway).

• CA-1 merges with US-101 to cross the Golden Gate Bridge into San Francisco.

• Side Trip: From San Francisco, you can take I-580 to Dublin to visit the Arlen Ness motorcycle museum.

• From San Francisco, take CA-35 (Skyline Boulevard) south to the famous Alice's Restaurant.

• From Alice's, take either CA-9 or CA-84 west down to the coast to rejoin CA-1.

• Ride through Santa Cruz down to Monterey and Carmel on CA-1 south.

• Continue south on the iconic stretch of CA-1 (Cabrillo Highway) through Big Sur.

Part 2: The Final Leg - Decision at Morro Bay

After Big Sur, you reach Morro Bay, where you have two options for the final part of your journey:

Option A: The Direct Coastal Finish

• Continue south on CA-1 from Morro Bay towards Los Angeles.

• Get onto I-10 towards the coast.

• In Santa Monica, turn right on Olympic Boulevard, then right on 4th Street, then left on Santa Monica Boulevard.

• The plaque marking the end of Route 66 is in the park ahead, and the official end is on Santa Monica Pier.

Option B: Inland Desert and Mountain Loop

• At Morro Bay, turn left onto CA-41 (Atascadero Road) to Atascadero, then take CA-46 to the James Dean Memorial.

• Connect briefly to I-5 south, then take CA-58 (Blue Star Memorial Highway) east through Bakersfield.

• Follow CA-14 south to Mojave and Rosamond. Visit the Air Force Flight Test Museum.

• From Palmdale, follow CA-138 east through Antelope Valley, then take CA-18 to Lucerne Valley.

• Climb into the San Bernardino Mountains on CA-18 (Rim of the World Drive) to Big Bear for an overnight stop.

• Descend into San Bernardino on CA-18. Find the original McDonald's Museum and the classic Wigwam Motel.

• From San Bernardino, make your way west to Santa Monica to find the end of Route 66.

Brand's Source: https://www.advrider.com/america-the-beautiful-4/