Road Trippin’
with Steve McCarthy
Day Three of our Further Adventures Along the Central Coast will involve the usual eclectic nature of California backroads and the best damn steak you’ve ever had! Yes, folks, that means Jocko’s in Nipomo. It’s not really that far away, so you can sleep in, get a small breakfast (save room for STEAK!) and take a leisurely pace.
I’ve talked about Jocko’s before, but it bears repeating. The place has been there since 1898 or so, Jocko sold bootleg booze during Prohibition, and the place looks like a dive bar. Inside, the decor is late 60s at best. Don’t let that fool you! Without a doubt, they make the best steaks ever. All locally raised and dressed, then grilled over an oak fire, they are tasty and tender. The sides (salad, beans and fries or baked spud) are equally good. We took my sister and her husband there a couple of weeks ago and they were stunned at how good and fresh it all was. An added bonus is the price! The four of us ate there (with wine) for $100!!! Be prepared for a wait. Without reservations, it can take an hour at dinner time. Lunch a bit less so, but don’t be put off! Although they have chicken and ribs that are good, just eat the steak and don’t bother bringing vegetarians!
This drive also takes us down one of my favorite roads, Bitterwater Road, from the 46 to the 58. This is a GORGEOUS stretch of road, flanked with rolling green hills dotted with wild flowers (in the spring that is!) and lots of oak trees. DO BE CAREFUL! Parts of it are open range, so be prepared to meet something that will wind up on your plate at Jocko’s a bit earlier than you may want to.
After lunch is 166, then the back way to the I-5 through Frazier park, then home. Highway 166 is often patrolled, so have your radar detector at the ready!
All in all, this is a pleasant three day drive that has a variety of challenges, terrain, and scenery. I know you’ll like it.
DAY THREE
Western States Inn San Miguel
1099 K St
San Miguel, CA 93451
1. Head north on K St toward 12th St 0.3 mi
2. Take the 3rd right onto 14th St 0.2 mi
3. Continue onto N River Rd 4.7 mi
4. Turn left onto Wellsona Rd 2.3 mi
5. Turn right onto Airport Rd 2.3 mi
6. Turn left onto Dry Creek Rd 2.1 mi
7. Continue straight onto Jardine Rd 0.2 mi
8. Turn left onto CA-46 E 2.3 mi
9. Turn right onto Geneseo Rd 5.3 mi
10. Turn left to stay on Geneseo Rd 2.1 mi
11. Slight left onto Creston Rd 3.0 mi
12. Turn left onto CA-41 N 12.9 mi
13. Turn right onto W Centre St 2.7 mi
14. Turn right onto CA-41 N/CA-46 E 4.2 mi
15. Turn right onto Bitterwater Rd 9.1 mi
16. Turn right onto Annette Rd/Bitterwater Rd
Continue to follow Bitterwater Rd 22.4 mi
17. Turn right onto CA-58 35.6 mi
18. Continue to follow CA-58 W 1.3 mi
19. Turn right onto CA-58 W/Estrada Ave 0.3 mi
20. Turn left onto CA-58 W/El Camino Real/G St
Continue to follow El Camino Real 1.8 mi
21. Take the ramp onto US-101 S 7.5 mi
22. Take the exit toward Monterey St 0.1 mi
23. Turn left onto Buena Vista Ave 0.1 mi
24. Slight left onto Garfield St 85 ft
25. Turn right onto Monterey St 0.6 mi
- Turn left onto Johnson Ave 2.1 mi
27. Slight left onto Orcutt Rd 1.0 mi
28. Turn left to stay on Orcutt Rd 8.0 mi
29. Turn right onto Lopez Dr 2.7 mi
30. Continue onto Huasna Rd 1.6 mi
31. Turn left onto E Branch St 0.8 mi
32. Crossover 101 0.2 mi
33. Turn left to merge onto US-101 S 4.9 mi
34. Take the Los Berros Road exit toward Thompson Avenue 0.3 mi
35. Turn left onto Los Berros Rd 276 ft
36. Continue onto N Thompson Ave
Destination will be on the right 3.1 mi
148 mi – about 3 hours 33 mins
Jocko's
125 N Thompson Ave
Nipomo, CA 93444
37. Head southeast on N Thompson Ave toward E Tefft St 4.1 mi
38. Turn left onto CA-166 E 62.0 mi
39. Turn right onto CA-33 S 20.0 mi
40. Turn left onto Lockwood Valley Rd 26.8 mi
41. Turn right onto Frazier Mountain Park Rd 6.9 mi
42. Turn right to merge onto I-5 S toward Los Angeles 44.4 mi
43. Take the exit onto I-210 E toward Pasadena You can find home from here!
176 mi – about 3 hours 24 mins
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