Highway One

State Route 1, abbreviated SR 1, is a major highway that runs along most of the Pacific coast of the US state of California.

Highway 1 is divided into sections called the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway or Coast Highway.

California State Route 1 ends south on Interstate 5 (I-5) near Dana Point in Orange County.

The north end is at U.S. Highway 101 (US 101) near Leggett in Mendocino County.

Sometimes Highway 1 joins US 101 on an 87 km stretch of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and over the Golden Gate Bridge.

The beautiful coastlines along California have helped Highway 1 become so popular. The road is popularly called an “All-American Road”.

Highway 1 takes you to many different destinations but also during the journey there are smaller stops to make.

Driving along California State Route 1 can be very intense because there are no guardrails at the edge and there is little room for error if traffic turns in your direction. It is also called Highway 1, it takes about five hours to get through it.

PCH, Pacific Coast Highway and Coast Highway are common names on the Pacific Coast Highway. It is also known as State Route 1. The PCH freeway begins in Southern California at Interstate 5 near Dana Point at Capistrano Beach.

Even in good weather, Highway 1 is one of the most dangerous highways in the state even if the weather is good. In bad weather, several areas on the road are often closed.

In the event of a trip in the area, you should call in advance to be informed about road hazards, rocks and closures.

Highway One follows the Pacific coast from Baja to the top of the Olympic Peninsula. The 224 kilometers between Monterey to Morro Bay near San Luis Obispo are the most scenic.

John L.D. Roberts, a physician from New York, founded the city of Seaside in 1887 on land he had purchased from his uncle. His dream was that there would be a path that would take him from his home in Monterey quickly out to patients in need. He was the one who realized how important this stretch was and photographed and mapped the area of ​​the rocky coastline between San Simeon and Carmel.

Construction of Highway One began in 1919.

Initially, the highway was estimated to cost $ 1.5 million.

Federal funds were used and in 1921 additional state funds were approved.

The San Quentin prison provided road construction with labor.

Three temporary concentration camps were set up. One at Little Sur River, one at Kirk Creek and later one at Anderson Creek. The working prisoners received 35 cents a day and their prison sentences were shortened.

Many local books helped with the road construction, including the author John Steinbeck.

More than 30,000 kg of dynamite were used to blast through granite, marble and sandstone. Lime was melted down to make concrete for the road.

More than 10 million cubic meters of rock were blasted away and the heaviest construction was between Spruce Creek and the area north of San Simeon.

All the blasting caused a lot of destruction and the road has needed many renovations over the years.

In 1945, some workers found several original dynamite sticks along part of the road.

Along the highway, 33 bridges have been built and the most famous is the Bixby Rainbow Bridge at Big Sur which is featured in many car commercials. During the construction of the bridge, 825 trucks drove 6,600 cubic meters of concrete and 270,000 kg of reinforcing steel. The rainbow was first formed with 300,000 feet of Douglas fir.

Since California State Route 1 was built in 1934, the road has been maintained many times. It goes on all the time. Most of the damage to the highway has been due to landslides. Storms during the winter have caused erosion, which has meant that the road has had to be closed during these periods. In the spring, the road opens up again and is again trafficked by tourists and natives.

The construction of the Pacific Coast Highway provided the opportunity to reach many fine sights despite some time delays due to coastal weather, landslides and technical obstacles. What would initially cost $ 1.5 million turned into $ 10 million and it took 19 years before the road was completed.

A British sailor named Jack Swain built California’s first theater in Monterey in 1847. His idea was to serve as a boarding house and salon, but the first play was performed there in early 1848.

Fort Ord, which was a U.S. Army base, is now the site of California State University in Monterey Bay. It was founded in 1917 and became a major training post during World War II. It was the home of the 7th Infantry Division until 1993.

At beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea, Clint Eastwood’s Hog’s Breath Inn is a great break in life.

Jade Cove is perfect for the adventurous and exploratory tourist who loves diving. The cave can be climbed into and there, naturally polished jade stones can be seen. You can find small pieces of jade that can be found throughout the bay.

For a fee, you can travel the 435-kilometer drive to Pebble Beach, located on the Monterey Peninsula.

The further south you go on California’s State Route 1, the better ocean views are provided. On the other side are cypress groves that are mysteriously twisted and curved cypresses.

Morro Bay was discovered by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo in 1512. The town of Morro Bay was founded by Franklin Riley in 1870. It is a nesting area for peregrine falcons, which are often seen flying in the area.

San Luis Obispo is the start of the Big Sur coastline. It is popularly called SLO.

In San Simeon is the 115-room Hearst Castle, perched high in the Santa Lucia Mountains overlooking the ocean. It belonged to William Randolph Hearsts, who owned a number of major newspapers and magazines, along with several radio stations and film companies. Hearst Castle became a state monument in 1958. It has become one of California’s most popular tourist attractions. Construction began in the same year as California State Route 1, in 1919. The castle cost as much as the entire highway to build.