California road trip offers welcome respite from quarantine monotony and Arizona heat
The Arizona Republic — August 30, 2020
CAMBRIA, California – Otter and Boone had the right idea.
A whale-watching viewpoint on the Highway 1 Discovery Route in Cambria, California.
Feeling lost and frustrated with the perceived injustices of the outside world closing in on their trouble-making fraternity, the “Animal House” characters had but one solution to cope with their hardships:
“Road trip.”
Going stir crazy at home during the pandemic, not feeling comfortable hopping on an airplane, and desperate to escape the brutal Arizona summer heat, we came up with the same diversion.
The dramatic landscape on Highway 1 at Ragged Point in San Luis Obispo County, California.
The choice of where to go was easier than finding a beer at a Delta House toga party. We packed up the car and headed to one of the most scenic and iconic stretches of road in the country — California’s Highway 1 – for a five-day getaway.
The highway, officially designated as State Route 1, runs north-south about 650 miles along the Pacific coast. We focused on the “Highway 1 Discovery Route,” an especially picturesque 57-mile stretch of the road in San Luis Obispo County, about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The route offers access to 13 state parks, numerous hiking and biking trails, wildlife sanctuaries, historic lighthouses, wineries and relatively uncrowded beaches.
Recognizing the concerns travelers now have related to COVID, the area’s tourism board recently launched a new “Coastal Discovery Trail,” which guides visitors to sites that offer the best experiences for “social distancing, solo and/or family time, and dog-friendly experiences.”
A paddleboarder navigates through a secluded cove in Estero Bay north of Cayucos, California.
We wore masks and face shields, constantly used disinfectant wipes and sprays, and ate meals on our hotel-room balconies or at outdoor restaurant patios. Whether strolling through one of the small towns on the route such as Cambria or Cayucos, hiking on trails overlooking the Pacific, or riding horses through a pine forest, we had had plenty of space to keep our distance from other travelers.
The August weather in the coastal parts of San Luis Obispo County was typically 30-40 degrees cooler than Phoenix. At night, temperatures dropped into the 50s and we needed sweaters when eating dinner outside.
Here are my top-five experiences – all of which can be enjoyed while social distancing — along the Highway 1 Coastal Discovery Trail in San Luis Obispo County:
Ragged Point
Located at the southern end of Big Sur in northern San Luis Obispo County, Ragged Point not only offers spectacular views of the rocky coastline and surrounding Santa Lucia Mountains, but one of the most challenging hikes in the region.
Hikers head down the steep Black Swift Falls Trail toward the Pacific Ocean at Ragged Point.
The Black Swift Falls Trail isn’t long – less than a mile roundtrip – but it’s incredibly steep, declining 400 feet in elevation to the Pacific Ocean. A narrow path of switchbacks leads to a small black-sand beach fed by a seasonal waterfall. We only made it about halfway down the trail, using a rope part of the way to keep our footing before we decided it was best to head back. Those who want to venture to the bottom of the trail should plan on bringing grippy hiking shoes.
Driving to Ragged Point is more than half the fun. The hilly 15-mile section of Highway 1 between San Simeon and Ragged Point is one of the most picturesque stretches of road in the country.
Ride the Clydesdales
Some of the magnificent Clydesdales at the Covell Ranch in Cambria.
Perhaps best known for their starring role in a Budweiser advertising campaign, Clydesdales are one of the largest and most-powerful horse breeds. Many have beautiful white markings, particularly on their legs.
The Covell Ranch on the outskirts of Cambria offers visitors a chance to ride one of these majestic creatures. I was aboard an 11-year-old mare named Lindsey for a leisurely 4-mile trek through the ranch’s pastures and pine forests. At one point, we reached a bluff with stunning views of the Pacific.
Rides, which take about 90 minutes, are offered twice daily except on Sundays. Reservations are required as each trek can accommodate a maximum of eight riders. You don’t need to be an experienced horseback rider to enjoy the experience.
No, the Covell Ranch doesn’t offer a cold Budweiser at the completion of the ride.
Taste Olallieberry Pie
If you haven’t heard of the olallieberry (pronounced oh-la-leh-berry), you’re not alone. The fruit — which tastes like a cross between a blackberry and raspberry — has only been around since the 1940s, when it was developed in Oregon by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
A slice of olallieberry pie à la mode at Linn’s Restaurant in downtown Cambria.
The tangy fruit was later popularized by the Linn family, who started growing olallieberries and other fruit on their farm east of Cambria. Today, the family ships olallieberry products to supermarkets all over the country.
It’s olallieberry pie that has become the Linns’ trademark. I sat down and had a slice with Aaron Linn, who grew up picking olallieberries and now runs the family business, which includes a farm store, giftshops and a popular restaurant — Linn’s Restaurant in downtown Cambria.
“The fact that it’s somewhat rare is something that makes it more special,” he said of the fruit. “It’s a unique flavor.”
Do a Seaside Wine Tasting
There are more than 200 wineries in San Luis Obispo County, the state’s third-largest wine-producing region (behind Napa and Sonoma). Perhaps none offers a more spectacular setting for sampling the region’s high-quality red varietals than the Hearst Ranch Winery’s seaside tasting facility in San Simeon.
The Hearst Ranch Winery offers seaside wine tasting in San Simeon, California.
Located across Highway 1 from the famed Hearst Castle (now closed for tours due to the virus), the facility serves 18 different wines on socially distanced picnic tables right on the beach. The grapes are grown at vineyards in Paso Robles, about 30 miles inland.
If you want to combine your wine tasting with a meal, there is a mobile restaurant called The Truck at the site that serves fish tacos and burgers.
Hike Estero Bluffs
For hikers who want a trek much less strenuous trek than Black Swift Falls at Ragged Point, there is a relatively secluded coastal trail at the Estero Bluffs State Park just north of Cayucos.
The seaside hiking trail at the Estero Bluffs State Park in Cayucos, California.
The 4-mile trail runs parallel to the rocky coast. Like most of the hiking trails located on the Highway 1 Discovery Route, Estero Bluffs features viewing platforms with descriptions of the many types of marine life found in the area.
We encountered only a few other hikers on the trek while enjoying 75-degree temperatures and a cool ocean breeze.
Website for more info:
Highway 1 Discovery Route
The seaside town of Cayucos, California, on the Highway 1 Discovery Route.
© 2020 Dan Fellner
