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WytEurp
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:22 pm    Post subject: California Pacific Coast Hwy Reply with quote

Looking at taking a trip down the California Pacific Coast Hwy from San Francisco to San Diego. Can anyone tell how bad the inclines are? My 81' Vanagon does not like hills...

Last edited by WytEurp on Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:37 pm; edited 1 time in total
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busdaddy
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 6:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

http://veloroutes.org/hillgradecalculator/
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RareAir
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The steepest part of that route will be at the beginning of your trip. Just South of Monterrey, near Big Sur are where all the mountainous regions are. Once passed that area, your home free to San Diego
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WytEurp
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good deal thanks Guys. We'll give it a shot
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Randall
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PostPosted: Wed Oct 15, 2014 11:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't start out at Hill St & Church St and head toward Sanchez St. That's a 26.5% grade. Laughing
http://veloroutes.org/hillgradecalculator/?loc1=Hi...mp;units=e

That is a fun website to play around with.

This next link is actually on PCH. There's a whopping 5% grade over 0.4 mile. Think your Vanagon can make it up that hill? Question
http://veloroutes.org/bikemaps/?route=122218 (click on the satellite view at the top right corner of the map)

When you get to Santa Monica I suggest you take the I-405 to the LA County/Orange County border and then exit at Seal Beach Blvd to return to PCH. You will get caught in a lot of traffic signals and you won't see much of the ocean anyway if you stay on Hwy 1 (PCH) south of Santa Monica.
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Jon Schmid
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:59 am    Post subject: California Pacific Coast Hwy Reply with quote

Randall wrote:

When you get to Santa Monica I suggest you take the I-405 to the LA County/Orange County border and then exit at Seal Beach Blvd to return to PCH. You will get caught in a lot of traffic signals and you won't see much of the ocean anyway if you stay on Hwy 1 (PCH) south of Santa Monica.


But then he'll miss driving through Torrance! Wink
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Randall
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:46 am    Post subject: Re: California Pacific Coast Hwy Reply with quote

Jon Schmid wrote:
But then he'll miss driving through Torrance! Wink

All the more reason to take the 405. Cool
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Mr Mike
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 10:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My wife and I have driven the PCH twice in our '63 15 window. Living on Whidbey Island in Washington state we travelled nearly its entire length starting with 101 here in Washington, down through Oregon and on to the CA HIWAY ONE. Its been a few years but what I recall mostly are narrow roads with areas of hair pin turns offering spectacular views south of San Francisco. The road isn't meant to be travelled fast It was three or four days between Frisco and San Diego going south and maybe five on the way north ( this on our first trip) I would think if our stock '63 could handle the road, your vanagan should be able to. There is a lot of printed information available on this road from various travel sources on line. One book I found particularly helpfull was PACIFIC COAST HIWAY: 2066 miles from Seattle to Tijuana by Nick Freeth. The Isbn number is 0-7603-1463-2 You may be able to locate a copy in a used book store or perhaps Amazon.com. It was originaly put out by classic motor at www.motobooks.com. If time permits see if you can snag a copy somewhere its an excellent read. Good luck.
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e&m_ghia
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 6:48 pm    Post subject: Re: California Pacific Coast Hwy Reply with quote

Randall wrote:
Jon Schmid wrote:
But then he'll miss driving through Torrance! Wink

All the more reason to take the 405. Cool


Sounds like my old stomping grounds... I used to travel that way a lot...

Certainly between San Diego and Santa Cruz there are no grades of consequence on PCH... If you ask me, the grades are worse on the next alternative, the 101. Think about it this way: if there were grades on PCH steep enough to strand a VW bus, there would be countless hippies stranded in Big Sur since the 1970's... Come to think of it, there were countless hippies in Big Sur since the 1970's... But for different reasons.

I do have to offer a counter-suggestion for the 405 from Santa Monica to Orange County, though... If you get on the 405 at the wrong time of day, it can be a very traumatic experience... And the "wrong time of day" lasts... Well, sometimes all day... And into the night...

Better to hug the coast - PCH becomes some unidentifiable entity starting in Santa Monica, with countless slow lights. But one can still try to keep toward the coast, and actually move faster than the 405 a lot of the time while picking up local culture & sights.

Where I10 comes off of PCH in Santa Monica, keep on PCH and merge toward Main Street Santa Monica, where it ends skip over to Admiralty in Marina Del Rey... Skip around where this ends, and turn into Play Del Rey... Stay on the coast, ignore the sewage plant & refinery (look right), and you land in the nice areas of Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach & Redondo Beach... All nice beach towns, home of the Beach Boys & other great cultural movements...

One is forced back onto PCH around where you get to Palos Verdes. It's pretty dreary until you get toward the Orange County border, as suggested...

But at least you get to skip the 405 entirely...

If you take this way... Have good local maps, or the electronic equivalents. But the South Bay beach towns are actually a pretty nice area to get lost in. Walks on the strand are always pleasant...
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williamM
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 6:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Keep an eye out for the exotic wildlife Laughing Cool last year we saw a bunch of tourist stopped at a pull-out feeding hotdogs and chicken to a Condor. He was HUGE- like a flying german shepherd.

The hot dogs were right up their alley- (they eat road kill)- Embarassed
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iowegian Premium Member
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

williamM wrote:
Keep an eye out for the exotic wildlife Laughing Cool last year we saw a bunch of tourist stopped at a pull-out feeding hotdogs and chicken to a Condor. He was HUGE- like a flying german shepherd.

The hot dogs were right up their alley- (they eat road kill)- Embarassed

And near San Simeon you might even catch a glimpse of Lucky, the famous Elephant Seal. Very Happy
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Jon Schmid
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PostPosted: Fri Oct 17, 2014 12:43 pm    Post subject: Re: California Pacific Coast Hwy Reply with quote

Randall wrote:
Jon Schmid wrote:
But then he'll miss driving through Torrance! Wink

All the more reason to take the 405. Cool


Actually, I represent that remark. I was born in Torrance. Very Happy
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TwistedGray
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PostPosted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 9:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I live in Monterey and used to ride motorcycles down Highway 1 on the weekends. The only bad part I can think of South of San Francisco is Big Sur; however, in the Southern direction you will mostly be going downhill.

There are a few really gnarly ones like between Monterey and Carmel, a really steep incline for the bus. Otherwise enjoy the trip and it's really not that bad. Try to be driving past Carmel by 9am to avoid much of the congestion...or become part of it and create some yourself Smile

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williamM
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 5:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A bit north of your starting point - Stop in Bodega bay for sea food and if your a fan of "the birds" movie.

And agree with TG to be having breakfast some where while the locals hurry their way to work. Those idiots racing Beemers down the 1 are a little nuts. Don't forget the new bike law of 3 feet clearance when passing bikes - but after a 5 car stack they have to pull over. -- Lots of turn outs least you lead the parade for to long.
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2weel
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 8:19 am    Post subject: Re: California Pacific Coast Hwy Reply with quote

Jon Schmid wrote:
Randall wrote:

When you get to Santa Monica I suggest you take the I-405 to the LA County/Orange County border and then exit at Seal Beach Blvd to return to PCH. You will get caught in a lot of traffic signals and you won't see much of the ocean anyway if you stay on Hwy 1 (PCH) south of Santa Monica.


But then he'll miss driving through Torrance! Wink


Exactly! Crazy to miss Torrance Beach and the RAT! At least if you run the 405 jump off at Rosecrans West. Run PCH past all the Piers and significant beaches, Manhatan, Hermosa, Redondo then onto the Esplanade and Avenues to TORRANCE Beach where you can see the RAT. Then run along PV Peninsula and see all the coves, Malaga, Lunada, Abalone, White Point all the while looking at Catalina Island and drop into San Pedro and cross over the Vincent St Thomas bridge and pass the Long beach Navel shipyard down ocean to 2nd street over Naples Island and drop back onto PCH and turn right in to Seal Beach and run the water again YEE HA!

OK? How did my memory serve me today? I moved away 30 years ago.
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Randall
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 12:03 pm    Post subject: Re: California Pacific Coast Hwy Reply with quote

2weel wrote:
OK? How did my memory serve me today? I moved away 30 years ago.

I'm impressed.

I grew up in Naples (before the realtors started calling it Naples Island) and Seal Beach. I have been to Royal Palms Beach near White Point numerous times. (A big chunk of land about a quarter-mile from White Point fell down the bluff two years ago taking the main road with it. Some of that land ended up in the ocean.)

When I suggested taking the 405 I was comparing that route versus staying on PCH; and PCH is not within sight of the ocean for pert near 35 miles.

The OP, WytEurp, hasn't logged on in the last four days. So the rest of us commenters have just been shooting the breeze since then. But isn't that what the General/Chat and Off Topic forums are about? Laughing
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TwistedGray
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PostPosted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

williamM wrote:
And agree with TG to be having breakfast some where while the locals hurry their way to work. Those idiots racing Beemers down the 1 are a little nuts. Don't forget the new bike law of 3 feet clearance when passing bikes - but after a 5 car stack they have to pull over. -- Lots of turn outs least you lead the parade for to long.


Bikes: True; however, I have quite mixed feels about this law (ride 2 wheels as well). Would love to see cyclists be a little more proactive following the laws themselves and recognizing that they'll never win a fight with a vehicle. So, while 3 foot rule is "nice" it might put the wrong sense of safety in someone's mind.

5 Car: Again, True; however, we're talking Highway 1 in the Monterey/BigSur area. For every one person who pulls over a dozen won't...fortunately in your bus you are in no hurry Smile
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