The Coalinga/Highway 1 Drive: 5-1-04
03-17-2004, 10:21 PM
#1
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The Coalinga/Highway 1 Drive: 5-1-04
Here's the tenative route:
101 south from S.J.
To Highway 25 south (from Gilroy)
Follow 25 south thru Hollister and past Pinnacles
Continue S on 25 about another 10 (?) miles to Los Gatos/Coalinga Rd
This is a windy and little-traveled road that winds you through the Diablo Range (east of King City, west of Fresno) and dumps you out in the oilfields of Coalinga. Most of this road is one lane like Mines.
Once in Coalinga, we'll jump on Highway 198 West back over the Diablo Range through Priest Valley and take one of two possible roads off 198 west:
a. Parkfield Grade; a windy gravel road that will climb up to the tiny town of Parkfield and then on to Highway 46 or I think there is some back road "Turkey Flat Road" or something (I'll have to check a map) that dumps you down on 101 near Paso Robles or San Ardo.
b. Peachtree Road off of 25 that is a small windy road that I have only driven once a long time ago at night that eventually drops you out at 101 near San Ardo.
Once we're on 101, head south to 46 west and run it out to Highway 1 at the junction near Cambria. If we leave S.J. early enough in the morning, we can eat lunch in Cambria. From here, we'll run 1 north through Big Sur and Carmel and come back to the Bay Area.
I think it will eat up an entire day and probably run into the evening. Probably an honest 8 hr drive.
My wife and I are probably going to stay in Monterey on Sat night instead of driving all the way back to San Leandro.
Where should everyone meet in San Jose and what time? I would think near SJ Airport and sometime around daybreak.
So May 1st is the tenative date.
:banana:
101 south from S.J.
To Highway 25 south (from Gilroy)
Follow 25 south thru Hollister and past Pinnacles
Continue S on 25 about another 10 (?) miles to Los Gatos/Coalinga Rd
This is a windy and little-traveled road that winds you through the Diablo Range (east of King City, west of Fresno) and dumps you out in the oilfields of Coalinga. Most of this road is one lane like Mines.
Once in Coalinga, we'll jump on Highway 198 West back over the Diablo Range through Priest Valley and take one of two possible roads off 198 west:
a. Parkfield Grade; a windy gravel road that will climb up to the tiny town of Parkfield and then on to Highway 46 or I think there is some back road "Turkey Flat Road" or something (I'll have to check a map) that dumps you down on 101 near Paso Robles or San Ardo.
b. Peachtree Road off of 25 that is a small windy road that I have only driven once a long time ago at night that eventually drops you out at 101 near San Ardo.
Once we're on 101, head south to 46 west and run it out to Highway 1 at the junction near Cambria. If we leave S.J. early enough in the morning, we can eat lunch in Cambria. From here, we'll run 1 north through Big Sur and Carmel and come back to the Bay Area.
I think it will eat up an entire day and probably run into the evening. Probably an honest 8 hr drive.
My wife and I are probably going to stay in Monterey on Sat night instead of driving all the way back to San Leandro.
Where should everyone meet in San Jose and what time? I would think near SJ Airport and sometime around daybreak.
So May 1st is the tenative date.
:banana:
03-17-2004, 10:25 PM
#2
more than meets the eye
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post it here
https://www.i-club.com/forums/forumd...?s=&forumid=91
i'm down to meet @ the SJ airport. i'm about 15 min from there.
daybreak... as in 6-7am??
https://www.i-club.com/forums/forumd...?s=&forumid=91
i'm down to meet @ the SJ airport. i'm about 15 min from there.
daybreak... as in 6-7am??
03-17-2004, 10:27 PM
#3
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Originally posted by soundwave
post it here
https://www.i-club.com/forums/forumd...?s=&forumid=91
i'm down to meet @ the SJ airport. i'm about 15 min from there.
daybreak... as in 6-7am??
post it here
https://www.i-club.com/forums/forumd...?s=&forumid=91
i'm down to meet @ the SJ airport. i'm about 15 min from there.
daybreak... as in 6-7am??
??
03-17-2004, 10:30 PM
#4
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I say we meet @ the starbucks on brokaw rd. in san jose. It's about 5 min from the SJ airport and has a big parking lot. And it's close to 880/680 and 101.
That and people can get some caffeine to wake up.
forgot to ask, how many estimated total miles do you think this drive will be?
That and people can get some caffeine to wake up.
forgot to ask, how many estimated total miles do you think this drive will be?
Last edited by soundwave; 03-17-2004 at 11:20 PM.
03-18-2004, 06:39 PM
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For us in the SC area, I think that somewhere that we could get some breadfast would be a good idea. Espically for my wife who has bloud shugar issues.
03-18-2004, 08:26 PM
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Round trip from San Jose looks to be about 450 miles, not a short drive, but do-able in a day.
My suggestion would be to schedule 15 minute stops at a couple of towns on the way down, maybe Gilroy and/or Hollister, for gas, caffiene and so people coming from Monterey or Santa Cruz don't have to get up and drive up over 17 before dawn for the start.
Leaving San Jose at 7 would have you leaving Hollister after 15 minutes at about 8, from there via 25 and Coalinga, then back either Peach Tree or Parkfield to Paso Robles would have you getting to Cambria by 1-1:30 at a brisk but casual pace even with a few breaks I'd expect.
My suggestion would be to schedule 15 minute stops at a couple of towns on the way down, maybe Gilroy and/or Hollister, for gas, caffiene and so people coming from Monterey or Santa Cruz don't have to get up and drive up over 17 before dawn for the start.
Leaving San Jose at 7 would have you leaving Hollister after 15 minutes at about 8, from there via 25 and Coalinga, then back either Peach Tree or Parkfield to Paso Robles would have you getting to Cambria by 1-1:30 at a brisk but casual pace even with a few breaks I'd expect.
03-18-2004, 10:11 PM
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Originally posted by psoper
Round trip from San Jose looks to be about 450 miles, not a short drive, but do-able in a day.
My suggestion would be to schedule 15 minute stops at a couple of towns on the way down, maybe Gilroy and/or Hollister, for gas, caffiene and so people coming from Monterey or Santa Cruz don't have to get up and drive up over 17 before dawn for the start.
Leaving San Jose at 7 would have you leaving Hollister after 15 minutes at about 8, from there via 25 and Coalinga, then back either Peach Tree or Parkfield to Paso Robles would have you getting to Cambria by 1-1:30 at a brisk but casual pace even with a few breaks I'd expect.
Round trip from San Jose looks to be about 450 miles, not a short drive, but do-able in a day.
My suggestion would be to schedule 15 minute stops at a couple of towns on the way down, maybe Gilroy and/or Hollister, for gas, caffiene and so people coming from Monterey or Santa Cruz don't have to get up and drive up over 17 before dawn for the start.
Leaving San Jose at 7 would have you leaving Hollister after 15 minutes at about 8, from there via 25 and Coalinga, then back either Peach Tree or Parkfield to Paso Robles would have you getting to Cambria by 1-1:30 at a brisk but casual pace even with a few breaks I'd expect.
Yes, I'm concerned about the duration of this trip. It IS a lot of driving. My intention isn't for everybody to drive flat-out and try to set some time-distance speed record. I have driven these roads before many times and I thought fellow Impreza fans would enjoy them too. I just want to make that clear. If you want to go for broke, go for it. But these roads are tight and twisty and late in the day fatigue will set in. Breaks every few hours to rest and refuel on caffeine or just to check out the scenery (some of it can get pretty strange out in Bum F...) is a good idea.
I'm totally open to any suggestions.
I think a meet point in Hollister is a good idea. Maybe near the Burger King as 25 turns south towards the Pinnalces.
Another at the intersection of 25 and Coalinga Rd (near Bitterwater)?
In Coalinga? (any Central Valley I-club people could meet the group)
I will consult some more maps and look for more replies.
Another thing to think about......Cambria is a "one street town", and I think there could be parking issues if everyone wanted to park together. I haven't been down there in a few years and I can't remember.
Last edited by jimr; 03-18-2004 at 10:14 PM.
03-18-2004, 10:21 PM
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If you are planning on going that far south, we could pick up the G-14 and hit Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd in Fort Hunter Liggett across to the 1. Or vice versa. Take the 46 out to the 1, then Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd to the G-14, 101 N for 10 miles, then take Carmel Valley Road back to 1.
Just a thought.... PCH is nice, but being on it for that long with that many cars might get irritating with all of the tourists that are out at this time of year.
Just a thought.... PCH is nice, but being on it for that long with that many cars might get irritating with all of the tourists that are out at this time of year.
03-18-2004, 10:41 PM
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Originally posted by kindersplus
If you are planning on going that far south, we could pick up the G-14 and hit Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd in Fort Hunter Liggett across to the 1. Or vice versa. Take the 46 out to the 1, then Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd to the G-14, 101 N for 10 miles, then take Carmel Valley Road back to 1.
Just a thought.... PCH is nice, but being on it for that long with that many cars might get irritating with all of the tourists that are out at this time of year.
If you are planning on going that far south, we could pick up the G-14 and hit Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd in Fort Hunter Liggett across to the 1. Or vice versa. Take the 46 out to the 1, then Nacimiento-Ferguson Rd to the G-14, 101 N for 10 miles, then take Carmel Valley Road back to 1.
Just a thought.... PCH is nice, but being on it for that long with that many cars might get irritating with all of the tourists that are out at this time of year.
I've never driven the Nacimiento area.....but that sounds better than getting stuck behind 5-10 RV's lumbering up Highway 1.
03-21-2004, 07:31 PM
#10
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Hey that sounds like fun.... Hopefully I will get to come along too!
Miranda
Miranda
03-22-2004, 12:07 AM
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I drove Parkfield and 198 today, had a Game Warden stop me on Parkfield and give me a hard time about going too fast.
On 198 saw an oncoming BMW E46 M3 followed by CHP followed by another E46 M3, followed by yet another CHP.
Don't know what was up with that- either they had CHP escorts for their drive, or more likely they were about to both get busted.
Fantastic roads though, its been a long time since I did Parkfield N to S but coming down going S to N that has got to be about the funnest road I've ever driven.
The curves are all nicely banked, and because it's downhill, you don't need much throttle, a little brake gets the tail to drift and in no time you'll feel like you're driving in the WRC!
way too much fun!
On 198 saw an oncoming BMW E46 M3 followed by CHP followed by another E46 M3, followed by yet another CHP.
Don't know what was up with that- either they had CHP escorts for their drive, or more likely they were about to both get busted.
Fantastic roads though, its been a long time since I did Parkfield N to S but coming down going S to N that has got to be about the funnest road I've ever driven.
The curves are all nicely banked, and because it's downhill, you don't need much throttle, a little brake gets the tail to drift and in no time you'll feel like you're driving in the WRC!
way too much fun!
03-24-2004, 12:23 PM
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Originally posted by soundwave
bump
nobody else wants to go??
bump
nobody else wants to go??
03-24-2004, 01:29 PM
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Originally posted by jimr
too much driving?
too much driving?
Or it could be people don't want to wake up that early... ?
03-25-2004, 12:13 PM
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Originally posted by soundwave
Yeah, that could be it. Maybe if you cut the driving distance in 1/2? 200 mi?
Or it could be people don't want to wake up that early... ?
Yeah, that could be it. Maybe if you cut the driving distance in 1/2? 200 mi?
Or it could be people don't want to wake up that early... ?
Naw........I wanna do the whole drive, and I think the others that replied do too. Maybe I'll draw up a flyer to give out at UCKK? Think so?