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It may have been this exact section, but there was a CHP parked in the shade of a tree just like that one.
I saw 2 sheriffs on the way down and 2 on the way back, I believe all on 25. I almost got tagged by the first one coming out of Hollister. He was sitting off to the side in some bushes on the first long straight. It didnt look right and I slowed out of precaution. Lucky move. The others were all within 10 minutes of Coalinga and luckily I passed them on slow corners. I think they patrol near the towns on either end but not deep into the country. You should be fine out there.
I saw none on 33. I took it easy on the way down but dropped the hammer on the way back once I knew the roads more. On many stretches you have perfect visibility to the horizon.
You make a case for the taxes, mudslides, earthquakes, & brownouts all being worth it ��
Dont forget the $4.2-$4.8 gas prices along the way :-)
would you have taken PCH if it wasn't closed down or is it too played out or too meandering?
PCH is amazing and everyone should do it, but its a 2 day trip from SF to LA, and its more suited for an old Mustang convertible, not a 911. PCH going north from SF is another story. Thats more rugged and desolate.
How is 33 from Coalinga south? Relatvely straight compared to going into Ojai?
33 between Coalinga and Maricopa, the last town before you enter Los Padres, is loooong straights through the desert, plains and then maybe 20 miles of oil fields.
Amazing. I need to do this reverse route from LA upwards in my GT3 pronto.
I actually enjoyed it more coming north. I knew what to expect.
@Joe - what I really needed was a way to cut from 25 to the 1 and bypass San Jose and Palo Alto traffic. That was the worst part of the trip. Is there any good way to get to/from Hollister from the 1 or Skyline drive?
When I do 25, it's 35 to 9 to 85 to 101 to 25 to 198 to Coalinga. You can go 1 to Ferguson--Naciememto Rd to Jolon Rd to King City, then G13 over to 25. AFAIK, no good way from 1 to Hollister directly.
I'm kicking myself for all the times I took I-5 the whole way down. How long did this route end up taking you? Was there traffic when you hit LA?
Google says 9hrs vs 6.5hrs on the 5 (in practicality the 5 usually takes us 8-10 hrs with kids in the Land Rover). This route took me 9hrs on the dot and that was stopping for pictures quite a bit and lunch.
I completely bypassed LA traffic on the 405 by going to the 1 from ojai and driving through Ventura and Malibu instead of Thousand Oaks. That was a great way to end the trip.
On on the way back I got caught in San Jose and Palo Alto rush hour traffic and that was the worst part of the trip. I think it took 3hrs from Hollister to Marin.
I’ll take this route with kids when we go back for thanksgiving. The 5 is always a ****show over holidays.
I have only driven my 911 from Pacifica/Half Moon Bay to Big Sur via Hwy1. Would love to join you guys for a drive in my new to me 997 on that 25 and 33 route.
TheBruce - part of me wants to echo the "SHHHHH!" comment above so these roads stay secret, but a bigger part of me wants to celebrate them. They are THAT GOOD (esp. Hwy 25); gorgeous, flowing, uncrowded and with mostly excellent sight-lines. It's like manna from heaven. You can't believe it's real even when you're in the middle of it.
I've driven a lap of the US (8,000+ miles) in a then-new Cayman S, staying on 2-lane roads the whole time. This included the (in)famous "Tail of the Dragon." Even in the best moments all those other roads only managed to equate to CA-9 on a busy weekend (i.e. curvy, but with poor sight-lines and way too many vehicles). They all pale in comparison to Hwy 25 and its sisters.
Here's a pic from several years and two P-cars ago, taken near the junction of CA 25 & 198 on my way to Buttonwillow for a time trial. You could stand at that intersection for an hour and never see two cars at a time.
@quickxotica I had the same feeling but decided I couldnt be that selfish. I actually think the 198 section was my favorite. I know some guys peel off when 25 turns into 198 thinking they have seen it all. 25 is just the appetizer through farmlands vs the mountainous twisties of 198. Stringing them all together is like listening to Dark Side of the Moon from start to finish. Every section builds up to the next.
@quickxotica I had the same feeling but decided I couldnt be that selfish. I actually think the 198 section was my favorite. I know some guys peel off when 25 turns into 198 thinking they have seen it all. 25 is just the appetizer through farmlands vs the mountainous twisties of 198. Stringing them all together is like listening to Dark Side of the Moon from start to finish. Every section builds up to the next.
It's not a question of being selfish. It's a question of trying to keep these roads from the invading crowds. Yeah, selfish, but look what Hwy1 became...
05-26-2018, 05:39 PM
