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 Highway
1 Coastal Road
While
going through my images to see which ones I wanted to use for our
CafePress
mousepads, I came across some shots I'd forgotten about of northern
California that caught my
attention.
It wasn't so much the images themselves as it was the
thoughts of
how much fun I had driving down the coast with the car windows rolled
down, the radio cranked up just cruising along enjoying the drive.
If you've
never meandered down Highway 1 from Half Moon Bay through Santa Cruz and
on into Monterey Bay you've missed out on some of the most breathtaking scenery
on the planet.
I'd highly
recommend if you're in the northern California area to plan on at
least one day to make the drive down along the coastal road. If you
have a couple of days to spare that's even better because you'll have
plenty of time
to dawdle along at your own pace without being rushed for time.
Half
Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay is one of those places you'll want to go find yourself a nice
quiet spot on the
 beach, plop your bum down in the sand and just kick back
and take in the sights, sounds and smell of the ocean. If you arrive there
all stressed out, I can guarantee you won't have
any worries by the time you leave.
After your
stop at Half Moon Bay, head on down the coast leaving enough time to take
in the sights along the way. There's dozens of pullouts with paths leading down to
the beaches and lots of lookouts giving you great views up and down
the coast and out over the ocean. Nice!
I'd recommend pulling into
as many of the pullouts as you have time for because each spot will be
unique and have something different to see and explore. From the golden
cliffs leading down to
the beaches and seawater lagoons left behind by the outbound tides, there'll
be
plenty of things to check out. And, if all you want to do is kick
back and do absolutely nothing that's fine too!
Santa
Cruz
As you
head further south you'll eventually find yourself in
Santa Cruz. It's a
popular spot for both the young and the young of heart. The beaches are
great, the restaurants are fantastic and there's lots of things to do both
during the day and
at night.
 The
Santa Cruz Amusement Park is always fun. Located on the beach
it's within a stone's
throw of the ocean. Views from atop
the rollercoaster ride are incredible. If you can, stop by the amusement park
around sunset to ride the rollercoaster. There's few sights as good as catching a sunset from the top!
Monterey Bay
From Santa
Cruz it's on down to
Monterey Bay. Like Santa Cruz, Monterey
has lots of things to do, but in a different sort of way.
Not that that's a bad thing. Whereas Santa Cruz is more of a party
town, Monterey is geared more towards tourists.
A
stroll along the wharf is an absolute
must where you'll find great shops and some of the best seafood restaurants
in the area. Its also got a miniature amusement park for the kids.
Although it isn't big, the wharf's got enough going on you'll find plenty
of things to do to keep yourself occupied for hours if not days.
If you're
into whale watching or sightseeing by boat you can always
anti up a few dollars to take one of the boat rides that leave from the
wharf.
Time To
Head North Again
Okay, so
now you've had all the fun you can stand, it's time to get you back up
north again from whence you came. You can either meander
back the same way or shoot across to Interstate 101 via Highway 68 and
head north from there. Although it's no where near as pretty, it is the fastest route.
Another
alternative is to head back up to Santa Cruz and catch Highway 17 over to
Interstate 101. Highway 17 is a very scenic drive. If you've got a sports
car and you want to have some fun this would be the route I'd take because
of the nice, windy roads!
Enjoy your
drive down northern California's coast!
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Where
Did My Artistic Flare Come From?
confessed that she was the one with the artistic talent. She told me she had taken up sketching as a young girl in her teens
and continued through her
early 20's after which she quit for reasons she can't remember.