| California 1 & 135 south |
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California 1 & 135 are cosigned on this shield assembly after the two routes merge together. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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This mileage sign along California 1 and California 135 south provides the distance to Vandenberg Air Force Base (10 miles) and Lompoc (15 miles). Omitted is the distance to Los Alamos via California 135 south. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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For most of their shared alignment, California 1 and California 135 are up to freeway standards. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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Pacific Gas and Electric power lines cross over California 1 and California 135 near a substation south of Orcutt. Most of this area is rural with farms and ranches. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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The two state routes divide just north of the Air Force Base boundary. Use California 1 south to Vandenberg and Lompoc. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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The freeway ends prior to the split because of a single at-grade intersection with Graciosa Road, which provides local farm and ranch access. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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Southbound California 1 & 135 approach Graciosa Road prior to their split. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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The left two lanes carry California 135 southeast to Los Alamos; the right lanes follow California 1 south to Vandenberg Air Force Base and Lompoc. Photo taken 03/20/06. |
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Southbound California 1 and California 135 divide at this point. Stay left for California 135 southeast to Los Alamos and U.S. 101; stay right for California 1 (Cabrillo Highway) south to Vandenberg Air Force Base and Lompoc. (An alternate route to Lompoc is available via Harris Grade Road, which is old California 1. To Harris Grade Road, follow California 135 southeast.) Photo taken 03/20/06. |
| California 1 south |
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After splitting from California 135 and passing the intersection with San Antonio Road West, southbound California 1 (Cabrillo Highway) begins its ascent toward Vandenberg Air Force Base. Photos taken 09/29/07. |
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Southbound California 1 (Cabrillo Highway) approaches Firefighter Road. Turn right here to connect to the Vandenberg Air Force Base Utah Gate. Continue straight to the main gate for the base. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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The next major intersection along California 1 (Cabrillo Highway) south will be with California Boulevard and Lompoc Casmalia Road. California 1 will turn south onto Lompoc Casmalia Road, while the main lanes will continue straight into Vandenberg Air Force Base as California Boulevard. All through traffic for California 1 should merge left. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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A traffic signal governs the intersection with Lompoc Casmalia Road. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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A NASA educational site is available by turning left. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Southbound California 1 (Cabrillo Highway) approaches California Boulevard and Lompoc Casmalia Road. California 1 turns south onto Lompoc Casmalia Road, while the main lanes will continue straight into Vandenberg Air Force Base. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Southbound California 1 (Cabrillo Highway) meets California Boulevard and Lompoc Casmalia Road. The left lane continues along California 1 (Lompoc Casmalia Road) south, the middle lanes continue straight into Vandenberg Air Force Base, and the right lane turns onto Lompoc Casmalia Road north. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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California Boulevard travels west into Vandenberg Air Force Base, while California 1 (Lompoc Casmalia Road) travels south toward Vandenberg Village and Lompoc. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Leaving behind the main gate of Vandenberg, California 1 continues south as an expressway. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Coastal scrub and rolling hills dominate the view of unspoiled areas within the Air Force Base. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Southbound California 1 (Lompoc Casmalia Road) approaches Santa Lucia Canyon Road to western Lompoc. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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An auxiliary sign advises that Santa Lucia Canyon Road travels south to the U.S. Penitentiary and Lompoc gate to Vandenberg Air Force Base. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Southbound California 1 (Lompoc Casmalia Road) meets Santa Lucia Canyon Road at this off-ramp. Watch for turning traffic at this intersection. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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A California 1 south reassurance shield is posted after the Santa Lucia Canyon Road intersection. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Leaving the Air Force base, southbound California 1 (Lompoc Casmalia Road) becomes a freeway briefly. The only exit on this segment of freeway is Exit 211, Constellation Road to Vandenberg Village. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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All motorist services are available at Exit 211, Constellation Road to Vandenberg Village. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Southbound California 1 (Lompoc Casmalia Road) meets Exit 211, Constellation Road to Vandenberg Village at the top of this hill. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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After Exit 211 (Constellation Road to Vandenberg Village), southbound California 1 descends into the Santa Ynez River valley. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Around the intersection with Hancock Drive west to Allan Hancock College, California 1 enters the city of enters the city of Lompoc ("The City of Arts and Flowers"), with a population of 41,103 as of the 2000 Census. The city was settled in the mission era in 1787 and was incorporated in 1888. The city gained significant population through the late 1950s and 1960s with the development of Vandenberg Air Force Base, which brought military jobs to the region. The name of the city of "Lompoc" is derived from a Chumash (Native American) word "Lum Poc" that means "little lake" or "lagoon." Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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After Hancock Drive, Lompoc Casmalia Road splits. To follow California 1 (H Street) south into downtown Lompoc, stay right. To California 246 east to Buellton and Solvang, use La Purisima Road east. La Purisima Road travels east to La Purisima Mission State Historic Park and merges into California 246 east of there. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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Lompoc Casmalia Road ends as the right lanes connect to California 1 (H Street) south into downtown Lompoc and the left lanes connect to La Purisima Road east to California 246 en route to Buellton and Solvang. Photo taken 09/29/07. |
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After crossing the Santa Ynez River and traveling south through downtown Lompoc, California 1 approaches California 246 (Ocean Avenue) after the intersection with Walnut Avenue. This sign provides the mileage to Surf via California 246 west and Buellton via California 246 east. California 1 turns left along with California 246 for a brief overlap through southern Lompoc. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Meeting California 246 at this traffic signal, turn right to follow California 246 west to the site of Surf and turn left to follow California 1 south and California 246 east to Buellton and Santa Barbara. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
| California 1 south & 246 east |
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After the H Street intersection, California 246 east and California 1 south are supposed to be cosigned, but only a California 246 shield is posted here. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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California 246 east remains signed, but California 1 south is not signed again on this shield assembly in Lompoc on Ocean Avenue. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Eastbound California 246 and southbound California 1 meet Third Street at this traffic signal. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Eastbound California 246 and southbound California 1 meet Seventh Street at this traffic signal. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Soon thereafter, the routes will divide: eastbound California 246 will continue toward Buellton and Solvang, while southbound California 1 will turn southeast toward Gaviota and Santa Barbara. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Continue straight through this intersection to follow eastbound California 246 to Buellton and Solvang, and turn right to follow California 1 southeast toward Gaviota and Santa Barbara. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
| California 1 south |
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Leaving Lompoc, California 1 travels southeast to rendezvous with U.S. 101 at Las Cruces. The highway passes through beautiful valleys and passes between the Santa Rosa Hills and Santa Ynez Mountains. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Passing lanes are available along this section of busy California 1. The state route initially follows Salispuedes Creek south until the Jalama Road turnoff. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Turn right on Jalama Road west to Jalama Beach County Park. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Beautiful foothill scenery abounds on California 1 as the highway continues southeast, now following El Jaro Creek. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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California 1 crosses El Jaro Creek on this bridge. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Rock and mud slides can be a problem along these steep cliffs that follow California 1 along El Jaro Creek. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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The skies began to clear out as the weather dried up. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Reaching an elevation of 1,107 feet, California 1 begins its final descent toward U.S. 101 at Las Cruces. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Only one lane is allocated for southbound traffic on this seven percent grade, while northbound traffic has a climbing lane. Photos taken 02/02/08. |
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Nearing the bottom of the hill, southbound California 1 approaches U.S. 101. Use U.S. 101 north to Santa Maria and San Francisco and south to Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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The first ramp from southbound California 1 connects to U.S. 101 north to Santa Maria and San Francisco. Continue sraight ahead for the connection to U.S. 101 and California 1 south to Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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Southbound California 1 approaches U.S. 101 near Las Cruces as it descends from the mountains between Lompoc and Gaviota. At this point, California 1 is traveling due east toward its rendezvous with U.S. 101. There is a hot spring located at this U.S. 101 & California 1 interchange at Las Cruces, but it has not yet been field tested. As to the overhead signs, these are very old, 1960s-era signs, but the "to" overlay was likely added at some point thereafter. Photo taken 02/02/08. |
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On the transition from southbound California 1 (Cabrillo Highway) onto southbound U.S. 101/El Camino, the transition ramp crosses under the ramp from southbound California 1 to northbound U.S. 101. Photos taken 02/02/08. |
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Immediately after the ramps cross, motorists are greeted by an end California 1 shield. This end shield is not correct, because California 1 silently merges onto southbound U.S. 101, remaining on the freeway from here until Ventura (with a brief respite from the freeway at Seacliff between Exits 78 and 72). Oddly, California 1 is cosigned with U.S. 101 on most southbound overhead signs between here and Ventura, but it is omitted on most reassurance shield assemblies. Note the change in California 1 shield at this end shield assembly between 2002 and 2008. Photos taken 02/02/08 and 06/01/02. |
Page Updated June 29, 2009.
