Regional Guide

It's California cruising at its best. Driving 122-mile Highway One, or the Cabrillo Highway, along the coast from Monterey to Morro Bay takes you through classic California landscapes—from the rugged cliffs of Big Sur to the towering tops of Los Padres. Driving is best in spring and fall when fog and rain are minimal.

For inland views, try California highways 198 and 25, a 110-mile route that winds from grassy fault-line valley through the Coastal Range to the coast and serves up subtle western charm.

Drive Monterey's Old Coastal Road. As the 18-mile route just south of Monterey winds its way to the famed Highway One, a short drive will take you through several distinct changes of California landscape—from dry canyons to lush areas crowded with fern and redwood.

Cross Steinbeck country on Route 156, from the Gabilan mountain range to the Santa Lucia range in the west, through the rich agricultural landscape of Salinas Valley.

Drive the Valley of Flowers. Head to the southern town of Lompoc, known to many as the"The City of Murals in the Valley of Flowers" for a 19-mile drive through the variegated fields that make it famous.