Malibu Beach Highway 1 North from Los Angeles
Part 2 of Las Vegas to Los Angeles and the Pacific Coast Highway – Highway 1
Having left the Sawtooth Canyon BLM site we needed to drive through all the traffic around Las Vegas before stopping again. The part of our trip takes you to San Francisco
We spent the next 7 days just driving and overnight stops without setting up camp properly as there is hardly any free places to stay and some are difficult for a Class C.
This picture shows the 6 lane highway around Las Vegas. We did drive past the LA Times but when Colleen tried to photos the Hollywood sign in the distance something always got in the way of her photo as we were driving 🙁
Arrive last afternoon at Highway 1 Malibu beach. Not impressed with the beach which is very small and not golden sand. There is an area there with lots of old RV’s next to the road on the shore side looking a mess.
That evening we stopped at Sycamore State Park which cost us $45 ! Just a table and fire pit. Most we have ever paid and they only give senior citizens a $2 discount. No were you can pull off as everywhere is posted “no camping” next to the road or no parking between 22.00 and 06.00. Welcome to California.
At least Colleen got to put her feet in the cold Pacific Ocean.
Alan paddling in the cold Pacific Ocean
Yep the happy couple have made it to the West coast
Driving through miles and miles of cultivated agricultural land right next to the road and most of it is level with no fences. This picture shows a border of flowers however.
This State Park Beach actually did not charge and a great place to stop for coffee. Hmm the seagulls moved onto our roof after this.
Boardwalk along the cliff edge.
This was the first main coastal area
Lots of places have seals and the beach here was covered in them.
When stopping later we found we had damaged both of our right rear tyres on a terrible main road with bad sink holes from lorries etc. Diverted off the coast to Robles and a Walmart that had some tyres. Hmm they would change the tyres if we took the wheels off as they did not work on RV’s. So Alan had to remove and refit. At least they let us stay in their car park that night as it was late and there was town ordinance against overnight stopping. Has we stayed hidden around the back behind the auto centre and little did we know there was night work going on via a door next to us with sheet metal being moved and dropped all night!
Hoping to stop next at Plaskett Ridge for several night but when we saw the state of the track and how steep it was we decided against it. However immediately opposite we found this lovely overnight spot:)
Sunset at our Plaskett Ridge main road stop
The coast is beautiful and as you can see most of it is very steep and rocky. The first settlers used “landings” to get supplies and these consisted of wooden cranes going out over the cliff to sailing ships. The same system that was used in Portland UK to get the stone to ships and then up to London in the 19th century.
A lunch spot on a windy day. The wind blew all the time up the coast and it could be cold at times.
Crossing the Golden Gate Bridge going North.
The toll charge is only when entering San Francisco on any of the bridges.
View back down south of the bridge.
They have a speacil machine that moves the central divider in the road to make an extr lane in the direction of the rush hour traffic.
Walking the Golden Gate Bridge
At last someone is using speed cameras for bikes!
Flat Eric on the bridge
As the sign says Alan walked across the bridge in wearing his hat holding the hand of the little girl Colleen 🙂
Our overnight free spot in the North visitor centre/vista area of the Golden Gate Bridge. So quiet is was unbelievable. We were there with 4 other RV’s all in a row.
Unlike other places it was marked out for RV and bus parking and we just took up car parking areas as well.
All the time there is security passing through.
We left Footloose there the next day and brought on line tickets for the Hop On Hop off San Francisco bus tour that has a stop here .
Golden Gate Bridge at night.
Steep streets of San Francisco. Not overly impressed with the bus tour and commentary.
The South African Nation flower down near Pier 39
Pier 39 Jazz band
Yes she has ice cream ion her hand yet again. This is after a splurge on mini doughnuts and coffee, followed by fish and chips:) Colleen picked up on the bridge yesterday what looked like rubbish and it was over $70 so a day out splash.
Due to Federal law wild animals have the first rights and sea lions have moved into Pier 39 to take over a section and the boats had to move out! Whilst these ones were dozing in the sun there was 3 or 4 other wooden platforms of jostling going on as to who was King of The Castle of sea lions giving great entertainment to visitors
Haute St were the Summer of Love started in 1968 and the likes of Janis Joplin lived.
Famous restaurant where everything but everything has garlic in it and that includes the wine. The Stinking Rose, San Francisco
We spent the next night in a viewing spot on the ocean side of bridge. There was only one end spot we could get our size RV in as the cars were parking in the only RV spot as usual. We named this bench the “Love Bench” as later that evening a couple older than us turned up and he was obviously wooing her. He got out the blankets, the drinks, the food etc etc and we had first class viewing – of the bridge of course.
The next morning the fog rolled in and this was the first we had seen of it in 2 days which was very lucky.
