BackRoads: The Big Sur

California Rides

For motorcyclists California provides diversity unmatched by any of the other 48 states. From the deserts of southern California, Death Valley, the stunning beauty of the coastline, to the thrill of riding the Sierra Nevada California has more to offer bikers than most would be able to adequately cover in a life time.

If you want to see California first-hand and gain the most from the experience consider taking a motorcycle tour with an experienced tour operator. They know the best places to ride, where to stay, where to eat and what to see. As a “local” they can make sure that you get to visit some of the biker hang outs and meet bikers from the area.

The California Coastline

Ride Free Tours (RideFree.com) manages a ride that originates at Venice Beach. From there ride to Palm Springs to can enjoy the desert, play in the sand or enjoy the pool. From Palm Springs to the Joshua Tree National Park, the Yucca Valley, Lake Isabella and into Redwoods of Sequoia National Park.

Visit Hollister, famous for the 1947 motorcycle riot that the Marlon Brando file Wild One is based on. The Hollister area will give you a real taste of the old cowboy days of farming and ranching. The Cannery Row in Monterey inspired Charles Dickens.

The route from Monterey to Los Angeles is one of the most awe-inspiring rides in the world. The coastline twists along flat, sandy beaches and high, rocky cliffs.

They say that Big Sur is as much a “state of mind” as an actual place. But for those of us who truly enjoy spectacular motorcycle roads it is almost heaven. Big Sur Highway (Route 1) provides as many challenges, rewards and views as any place in the country and motorcyclists should plan on riding it at least twice – once in each direction. Big Sur is quite possibly the best way for a rider to grasp the coastline’s beauty with the rocky walls protruding into the crystal blue waters to the marine life that abounds on the beaches. Pebble Beach. Carmel. Big Sur. Point Pinos. Monterey Bay. These names are the stuff that dreams (and vacations) are made from.

People who have been to Big Sur always want to return; and those who haven’t been, want to have the experience.

Waterfalls punctuate the scenery as they thunder over cliffs to create clear serene pools below. Five thousand foot mountain ranges appear to be sliding into the crashing surf of the Pacific Ocean. The rocky coves carving into the hillsides offer panorama views of the incredible landscape.

Some of the waterfalls are easily accessible, some are on private land and you should honor the no trespassing signs, and still others require a strenuous hike through the rugged terrain – but the views are worth the effort. Of special note is McWay Creek where it falls onto the beach in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park. Every direction you look...

We hope that you enjoyed reading this excerpt from "The Big Sur". If you would like to read the entire article and more, you can order a back issue of Mar / Apr 2006 where this article was originally published.

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