Pacific Coast Highway (or similar) as a touring route

[mrsman]

Copied from another thread:

Drifting off-topic, but I would love to see the name PCH be reassigned as a touring route, independent of actual street names and/or route designations. Start at the border, hew as close to the coast as reasonable, really pick up more of the feel of the California coast. For example, use Silver Strand Blvd., historic US-101 in San Diego County, 2nd Street/Ocean Blvd. in Long Beach, the Vincent Thomas Bridge, Palos Verdes Drive, etc., etc. Guide signs to connect drivers to and from freeways.

DTComposer has a great idea of a touring route for Coast travel along the entire California coast.  In many cases, there are significant roadways that are closer to the actual coast than CA-1.  The idea isn't that the road would change maintenance (some sections would be Caltrans controlled and some would be local control), it is the idea of providing a scenic coastal drive that stays as close to the coast as practical, without burdening small residential streets or going down streets that don't go through.  Ideally, it provides little backtracking.

I generally like DTC's routing approach.  The routing signage starts at I-5/CA-75 and follows CA-75 and then National Ave, C Chavez, Harbor Dr, Nimitz, Mission Bay, Mission Blvd, Torrey Pines, Camino Del Mar, Old Coast Hwy, (I-5 as necessary near Camp Pendleton), El Camino Real.

CA-1 through most of OC, 2nd and Ocean through Long Beach.  CA-47, Gaffey, 25th in San Pedro, Palos Verdes Dr.  Catalina Ave, Hermosa Ave, Manhattan Ave, Highland, Vista Del Mar, Culver, Lincoln, Fiji, Admiralty, Via Marina, Washington, Pacific Ave. (Venice), Nielsen Way, Ocean Ave., and then rejoining CA-1 in Santa Monica.

In Oxnard area, follow Hueneme, Ventura, Channel Islands, and Harbor and rejoin US 101 in Ventura.

Through much of the area north of there, it seems as though CA-1 or US 101 is pretty close to the coast.  But I can definitely see the possibilities of coastal routings in Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco.  Follow CA-255 in Arcata.

[Max Rockatansky]

So essentially a realigned Pacific Highway Auto Trail which accounts for roads that didn't exist prior to the 1930s?

The problem with touring routes is that while neat in concept they generally aren't signed well.  The Great Lakes touring routes are probably the best signed example whereas as stuff like the De Anza Trail being more poorly signed is more the norm.

[Ted$8roadFan]

Does California have any specific designations for scenic routes?

[Max Rockatansky]

It does and it sorely needs some additions.  They are covered by State Highway Code 263, here is a random sample:

https://casetext.com/statute/california-codes/california-streets-and-highways-code/division-1-state-highways/chapter-2-the-state-highway-system/article-25-state-scenic-highways/section-2637-additional-routes-included-in-state-scenic-highway-system

[RZF]

Here in Port Hueneme we have the "Pacific Coast Bike Route" signed everywhere along Hueneme/Ventura/Channel Islands. Makes sense because it hugs the coast the best way possible a few miles west of CA-1. The whole route stretches from Imperial Beach up to Crescent City and beyond, so it might be a great reference point for a possible touring route.

GSV: https://www.google.com/maps/@34.1478581,-119.1947007,3a,36.6y,281.15h,87.62t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sYDFcSPr9nfv-qSfrYdPNAw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

[DTComposer]

Thoughts about for other cities:

Santa Barbara:
Exit US-101 at Cabrillo Blvd., follow Shoreline, Cliff, Las Positas back to US-101 (i.e. mostly the former full route of CA-225).

Monterey/Santa Cruz:
I don't know if I'd include the 17-Mile Drive/Cannery Row, but maybe well-signed as an "spur/loop" route off CA-1. Same with Capitola/Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

San Francisco:
Exit CA-1 at Skyline Drive (CA-35), follow Skyline/Great Highway/Geary back to CA-1.

***

When I thought about PCH in this way, I was envisioning it as part of an establishment/re-establishment of some other "Auto Trails" or touring routes:

-El Camino Real (acknowledging that the romanticization of the Mission system has glossed over much of the nastier aspects of that era): The "official" definition, in addition to be non-contiguous and confusing in several places, misses several of the missions by 20 miles or more. I'd like it to be more historically accurate, and get within spitting distance of the missions themselves.

-Gold Rush (i.e., CA-49): I don't know how close this gets to some of the important historic locations.

-Redwood Trail/Highway, probably in a northern and southern segment

-High Sierra Trail: Lassen Volcanic, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia/Kings Canyon

-Mojave Trail: Joshua Tree, Death Valley, etc.

-Steinbeck/Chavez Trail: a route that covers the agricultural history of the state

[mrsman]

Thoughts about for other cities:

Santa Barbara:
Exit US-101 at Cabrillo Blvd., follow Shoreline, Cliff, Las Positas back to US-101 (i.e. mostly the former full route of CA-225).

Monterey/Santa Cruz:
I don't know if I'd include the 17-Mile Drive/Cannery Row, but maybe well-signed as an "spur/loop" route off CA-1. Same with Capitola/Santa Cruz Boardwalk.

San Francisco:
Exit CA-1 at Skyline Drive (CA-35), follow Skyline/Great Highway/Geary back to CA-1.

***

When I thought about PCH in this way, I was envisioning it as part of an establishment/re-establishment of some other "Auto Trails" or touring routes:

-El Camino Real (acknowledging that the romanticization of the Mission system has glossed over much of the nastier aspects of that era): The "official" definition, in addition to be non-contiguous and confusing in several places, misses several of the missions by 20 miles or more. I'd like it to be more historically accurate, and get within spitting distance of the missions themselves.

-Gold Rush (i.e., CA-49): I don't know how close this gets to some of the important historic locations.

-Redwood Trail/Highway, probably in a northern and southern segment

-High Sierra Trail: Lassen Volcanic, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia/Kings Canyon

-Mojave Trail: Joshua Tree, Death Valley, etc.

-Steinbeck/Chavez Trail: a route that covers the agricultural history of the state

Love it!

Agree for Santa Barbara.

17 mile drive would not be on my list because of the toll nature.

I would absolutely include Legion of Honor/Camino del Mar/Lincoln for SF.


And I also would love a great follow through of El Camino Real that really follows the old routing as close as possible.  On another thread, I've always wondered about some of the routes that actually connect some of the missions.    Especially San Gabriel which is really off from any of the old 101 routings.

[Max Rockatansky]

The De Anza Trail more or less emulated the Spanish iteration of El Camino Real.  The El Camino Real bells more or less denote the early American Auto Trail of the same name.  I tend to view both as separate entities since there was some significant differences.

[GaryA]

The De Anza Trail more or less emulated the Spanish iteration of El Camino Real.  The El Camino Real bells more or less denote the early American Auto Trail of the same name.  I tend to view both as separate entities since there was some significant differences.

I like what they did with the De Anza Trail, where sections are marked "Historic Trail" (where you are on or close to the actual route), and other sections are marked "Auto Tour Route".

[Max Rockatansky]

The concept is great, it just needs way more reassurance signage.  I do find it interesting that is marked as "Historic Trail" on Old Stage Road in San Benito County.  Old Stage Road is still technically classified as a public roadway even though it is open one day a year to cars.

https://flic.kr/p/2ibjtgu

[kkt]

-Steinbeck/Chavez Trail: a route that covers the agricultural history of the state

The Steinbeck Trail should include Cannery Row as well.