My partner and I have been going up to Sea Ranch from the north bay more regularly.
We bring our dog and she seems to get a bit sick on the windy CA-1 north of Jenner. We saw that there's a road called Stewart Point-Skaggs Springs Rd a bit off US-101 that goes west to the coast. Is that a good alternative as far as potential car sickness goes? It looks crazy on the map but just wondered if it was a decent alternative.
I do love the Jenner drive (just as good as the Big Sur drive IMO) but it would be nice to have an option. Also might be more comfortable in the rainy season when those cliff sides are particularly scary, though they haven't had any washouts as significant as the Big Sur ones that caused long term closures.
It's a somewhat popular road with the cruiser bike crowd. Basically the road is curvy and mountainous but not too overly wild. You definitely wouldn't be saving any time versus taking CA 1 and the only difference is the lack of coastal cliffs, CA 116 might be more what you are looking for. CA 1 north off the Bay Area isn't quite as slide prone as Big Sur largely because it doesn't quite hug the coast via sheer mountain cliffs nearly as often. If anything the east/west mountain roads between CA 1-US 101 experience more slides and flooding.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 02, 2022, 08:01:24 AM
It's a somewhat popular road with the cruiser bike crowd. Basically the road is curvy and mountainous but not too overly wild. You definitely wouldn't be saving any time versus taking CA 1 and the only difference is the lack of coastal cliffs, CA 116 might be more what you are looking for. CA 1 north off the Bay Area isn't quite as slide prone as Big Sur largely because it doesn't quite hug the coast via sheer mountain cliffs nearly as often. If anything the east/west mountain roads between CA 1-US 101 experience more slides and flooding.
As Max noted, it's popular with motorcyclists, partially because it's got lots of turns. It's a fantastic road but if this issue is motion sickness, it's probably not a the best alternative. I'd suggest giving it a try anyway, since the scenery is certainly spectacular with lots of redwoods to the west and then the Dry Creek Valley with vineyards and oak woodlands galore on the eastern portion. With the curvier parts on the western portion you'll be driving slower anyway so maybe that will help.
Quote from: heynow415 on November 02, 2022, 11:07:48 AM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 02, 2022, 08:01:24 AM
It's a somewhat popular road with the cruiser bike crowd. Basically the road is curvy and mountainous but not too overly wild. You definitely wouldn't be saving any time versus taking CA 1 and the only difference is the lack of coastal cliffs, CA 116 might be more what you are looking for. CA 1 north off the Bay Area isn't quite as slide prone as Big Sur largely because it doesn't quite hug the coast via sheer mountain cliffs nearly as often. If anything the east/west mountain roads between CA 1-US 101 experience more slides and flooding.
As Max noted, it's popular with motorcyclists, partially because it's got lots of turns. It's a fantastic road but if this issue is motion sickness, it's probably not a the best alternative. I'd suggest giving it a try anyway, since the scenery is certainly spectacular with lots of redwoods to the west and then the Dry Creek Valley with vineyards and oak woodlands galore on the eastern portion. With the curvier parts on the western portion you'll be driving slower anyway so maybe that will help.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on November 02, 2022, 08:01:24 AM
It's a somewhat popular road with the cruiser bike crowd. Basically the road is curvy and mountainous but not too overly wild. You definitely wouldn't be saving any time versus taking CA 1 and the only difference is the lack of coastal cliffs, CA 116 might be more what you are looking for. CA 1 north off the Bay Area isn't quite as slide prone as Big Sur largely because it doesn't quite hug the coast via sheer mountain cliffs nearly as often. If anything the east/west mountain roads between CA 1-US 101 experience more slides and flooding.
Thanks to you both - we decided to come back this way yesterday.
HOLY COW what a drive! That has to be one of the best drives anywhere - the sheer variety of scenery from mountain top vistas, vineyard views, river valleys, redwoods, very little human development anywhere, it was just incredible!
I'm glad the road gets better after the first chunk from stewart's point though, i couldn't have taken 30 miles of that.
Hello: I've travelled the Stewarts Point - Skaggs Springs Road a few times, and while quite scenic, parts of it aren't paved (just dirt/fine gravel) in the central portion of it just past Las Lomas in the east, and just past Stewart's Point Rancheria (slow down here!) in the west.