California Roads - CA 1 - Vandenberg AFB-Little Sur River

CA 1, Vandenberg AFB to Little Sur River


Photos are northbound unless otherwise stated.


The last two signs are left and right on the same gantry. Just before them, the Juan Bautista de Anza auto tour leads you to a gravel dead end. Just stay on CA 1 and you'll see more of the trail.


The Santa Maria area starts with Black Rd. to the southwest and ends at the Santa Maria River, really more of a gulch, at the San Luis Obispo (SLO) County line past Guadalupe.


Into Oceano.


In Pismo Beach up to Price St. The fire hydrant is on a random side street.


CA 1 rejoins US 101 a third time, for those keeping score, from Pismo Beach to SLO. I present you a bunch of button copy up until a slightly unforgivable error: miles vs. mile.


SB signs in that stretch.

Morro Strand State Beach has a couple of entrances, but the Cayucos exit (284B) is for day use only, says the brown background button copy courtesy Lou Corsaro.


SB from Exit 284 back into Morro Bay. Day use here also. Gotta turn farther south for night use.


A lot of different ways to sign CA 46, which violates the MUTCD on consistent messaging. The first two and last two photos are courtesy Lou Corsaro.


Who's using metric mileage here but only here? There are no metric highways to this point. Last 2 photos courtesy Lou Corsaro.


Some more SB button copy.


Some views to all sides as I cross Limekiln Creek northward on this 1957 bridge.


Apparently the chicken wire wasn't enough, so Caltrans built the Big Sur rock shed over the highway.


The 1938 Big Creek Bridge closed a gap that required a detour of many miles inland and back out, one of the major engineering challenges and architectural landmarks of CA 1. There's a temporary 1-lane road at the north end to clean up a rockfall, a common affliction along CA 1.


I'd rather have button copy (SB) than metric (NB), but I'll take both at once.


Continuing up to the Little Sur River and thus the end of this page.

CA 1/US 101, Pismo Beach-San Luis Obispo
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