Road Trippin'--The South West!

Road Trippin’
with Steve McCarthy

Before I get started, I have a shameless plug! Son of Road Trippin’ has been released! Yes, the Long Awaited Sequel to my first book, Road Trippin’ is now available. Autobooks will have copies as soon as they get printed, so get your copy NOW!
OK, I’ll be honest. This trip is a Leap of Faith. Well, most of it is. We’d planned on this Road Trip to be our Annual Trek, but other things have come up and well, it’s gonna be delayed. No worries, YOU can blaze the trail for us and let us know what worked! If you’ve done a few of our trips, you should be well seasoned by now, and able to roll with the punches. Realize that not everything goes as planned, you have to adapt on the fly, and you’ll be just fine.
I’d like to make a few suggestions for this journey. One, a GPS. These little things can be useful, especially if you’re hunting for a place to eat or rest your weary head. Two, a radar detector. Most states are using speed traps as revenue enhancement, so being forewarned is being forearmed! Three, Watch your fuel levels! A lot of this Trek is on LONG LONELY ROADS! Like Pee Breaks, never pass up an opportunity to top up from anything below half tank. Four, Bring stuff for picnic lunches! You will probably find neat places along the road to toss out a blanket and share a loaf of bread, some salami and cheese, and a nice view. Sure beats the Mickey D! Five, I’ve only suggested a couple of places to stay. Six-time of year. Unless you have great A/C, don't do this in the summer! Spring and Fall are best. Otherwise, find something local that fits your style and enjoy!
So, what’s this trip about? The Great Southwest! Lots of sand and cactii, lots of turquoise (!) and lots of spectacular scenery. There’ll also be a good hunk of history and enough funky stuff to keep you amused.
The first leg is a well known one. Get your kicks on Route 66. Try the Summit Inn at the top of Cajon Pass for breakfast, and maybe Mr. Ds in Kingman for lunch. Don’t gas up in Needles. They have the worst prices! Flagstaff will be the place to stop the night. There are a bunch of good motels near the old town, and the old part of Flagstaff has a ton of good places to eat and shop.
Next day, we’re headed south to Douglas, Arizona. Not much of a town, and a picnic lunch might be a good idea. Douglas isn’t much of a town, but the Gadsen Hotel is THE place to stop. It’s ancient, a bit funky, but has the largest TIFFANY STAINED GLASS WINDOW IN THE WORLD! I’ve so far only seen photos, but MAN this looks neat! Browsing about, it seems there are some good places to eat. I’m sure the hotel staff will recommend something. Or, let your fingers do the clicking.
The third day heads us to El Paso for BBQ and lunch. I pulled several possibilities from a local website and they all sound REALLY good! Pick one. It’s hard to go wrong with Texas BBQ! From there, it’s more of the Great American Desert to the funkiest place in the country, ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO!
Yes, folks, THAT Roswell. Of Alien Landing Fame. It’s a hoot. Tacky doesn’t do it justice. But even if you are a cynical unbeliever (like I am) this is a place you really have to see. Once. It’s High Kitsch! There’s museums (really gift shops) and alien crap everywhere. Go ahead. You know you want to!
From there on Day Four, it’s real history time. Tucumcari was an important place in the lore of the Wild West. Stop and see the stuff there. It was one of those great tourist traps in the days of Old Route 66.
After that, we’ll get artsy. Taos, NM is a haven for the creative. Take the time to poke around. After that, spend the night in Santa Fe. This is a great place, especially around the old town area. There are lots of places to eat and stay, so take your pick and enjoy.
Day five will take us to one of the most spectacular hotels in the world. The View is set smack dab in the middle of Monument Valley. Constant Reader will know we are obsessed by the beauty of this place. The hotel is fairly new (we haven’t had the pleasure of staying there, but reviews are excellent.), and reservations might be a good idea. It’s run by the local Native Americans.
If Monument Valley isn’t enough, the next couple of days will knock your socks off! Head up into Utah to the Arches, then Brice Canyon, then Zion. These are National Parks and will charge an admission fee. Some hiking may be involved so be prepared! The rock formations are incredible. You may want to build in an extra day or two, depending on how much exploring you want to do. There are motels and restaurants near each place.
From Zion, it’s a straight shot home on the good old I-15. Yeah, I know. But sometimes, you have to bite the bullet and just do it. Try not to waste time and any money you have left in Lost Wages!


The Easy part is the 210 to the I-15 North, Eat breakfast at the Summit Inn at the top of Cajon Pass. Then:

1. Keep right to continue on I-40 E, follow signs for Needles 49.9 mi
2. Take the exit toward Ludlow 0.3 mi
3. Turn right onto Crucero Rd 364 ft
4. Turn left onto National Trails Hwy 62.6 mi
5. Turn left onto Historic Rte 66 E 16.7 mi
6. Continue onto Goffs Rd 12.5 mi
7. Turn right onto US-95 S 6.5 mi
8. Turn left to merge onto I-40 E/US-95 S toward Needles 0.3 mi
9. Merge onto I-40 E/US-95 S
Continue to follow I-40 E
Entering Arizona 21.9 mi
10. Take exit 1 toward Golden Shores 1/Oatman 0.2 mi
11. Turn left onto Co Hwy 10/Oatman-Topock Hwy
Continue to follow Co Hwy 10 47.8 mi
12. Turn right onto Historic Rte 66 0.4 mi
13. Turn left to merge onto I-40 E toward Flagstaff 0.4 mi
14. Merge onto I-40 E 8.2 mi
15. Take exit 53 for State Route 66 E/Andy Devine Ave toward Kingman Airport 0.2 mi
16. Turn left onto AZ-66 E/B-I 40/Historic Rte 66
Continue to follow AZ-66 E/Historic Rte 66 83.3 mi
17. Turn left onto I-40BUS W 1.2 mi
18. Turn left to merge onto I-40 E toward Flagstaff 0.3 mi
19. Merge onto I-40 E 70.1 mi
20. Take exit 191 for Interstate 40 Business toward Flagstaff 0.6 mi
21. Turn right onto I-40BUS E/Historic Rte 66 3.8 mi
22. Turn left onto Historic Rte 66/Milton Rd
Continue to follow Historic Rte 66 0.6 mi
23. Turn left onto N Humphreys St 394 ft
24. Take the 1st right onto W Aspen Ave 358 ft
25. Take the 1st right onto N Beaver St 354 ft
26. Take the 1st right onto Historic Rte 66 331 ft
Flagstaff, AZ
Drive 390 mi, 7 h 26 min

Day Two
Flagstaff, AZ

1. Head west on Historic Rte 66 toward N Humphreys St 0.6 mi
2. Continue onto Milton Rd 1.0 mi
3. Turn right onto W Forest Meadows St 0.1 mi
4. Turn left onto S Beulah Blvd 0.6 mi
5. Turn left onto Lake Mary Rd 53.6 mi
6. Turn right onto AZ-87 S 35.5 mi
At the traffic circle, continue straight onto AZ-260 E/AZ-87 S 0.6 mi
8. At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on AZ-260 E/AZ-87 S 240 ft
9. Exit the traffic circle onto AZ-260 E/AZ-87 S
Continue to follow AZ-87 S 17.6 mi
10. Turn left onto AZ-188 S 60.9 mi
11. Turn left onto US-60 E 2.9 mi
12. Turn right onto N Broad St 430 ft
13. Continue onto W Ash St/Willow St 3.3 mi
14. Continue onto US-70 E 0.9 mi
15. Slight left to stay on US-70 E 74.2 mi
16. Turn right onto US-191 S/S 1st Ave
Continue to follow US-191 S 16.6 mi
17. Turn right onto AZ-266 W 19.3 mi
18. Turn left onto Fort Grant Rd 8.6 mi
19. Turn left onto Ash Creek 2.9 mi
20. Turn right onto S Brookerson Rd 3.0 mi
21. Continue onto Fort Grant Rd 14.9 mi
22. Continue onto W Rex Allen Dr 1.1 mi
23, Turn right onto AZ-186 E/N Haskell Ave (signs for Interstate 10 Business) 0.7 mi
24. Turn left onto AZ-186 E/E Maley St
Continue to follow AZ-186 E 5.9 mi
25. Slight right toward S Kansas Settlement Rd 0.2 mi
26. Continue straight onto S Kansas Settlement Rd 20.0 mi
27. Turn left onto US-191 S 43.0 mi
28. Turn left onto AZ-80 E 1.5 mi
29. Continue onto G Ave
Destination will be on the right 0.3 mi / 1 min

Gadsden Hotel
1046 G Ave, Douglas, AZ 85607
Drive 426 mi, 7 h 50 min

Day Three

Gadsden Hotel
1046 G Ave, Douglas, AZ 85607

1. Head north on G Ave toward 11th St 0.3 mi / 1 min
2. Turn right onto AZ-80 E/Pan American Ave
Continue to follow AZ-80 E
Entering New Mexico 48.2 mi
3. Continue onto NM-80 N 8.1 mi
4. Turn right onto NM-9 13.9 mi
5. Turn left onto NM-338 N/NM-9 E 0.1 mi
6. Take the 1st right onto NM-9 E 95.1 mi
7. Continue onto A003 County Rd 3.1 mi
Continue onto A 001 County Rd 0.3 mi
9. Continue onto State Hwy 9 34.4 mi
10. Turn left onto NM-136 E 2.6 mi
11. Turn right onto Airport Rd 2.3 mi
12. Turn right onto McNutt Rd
Entering Texas 8.3 mi
13. Continue onto Anapra Rd 0.2 mi
14. Take the ramp onto W Paisano Dr 1.3 mi
15. Turn left onto Executive Center Blvd 1.1 mi
16. Turn right onto N Mesa St 2.0 mi

221 mi / 4 h 16 min
El Paso, TX

For Lunch, pick one. They all sound GOOD! I got these comments from a website run by a local radio station.
http://klaq.com/who-has-the-best-bbq-in-el-paso-heres-my-top-5-or-6/

A. StateLine- 1222 Sunland Park Dr, El Paso, TX 79922I’m a big fan of the baby back rib platter and brisket. Amazing !!!
B. Rib Hut- 2612 N Mesa St, El Paso, TX 79902Try the beef rib plate or the sausage plate, always filling  and finger licking awesomeness!
C. Smokey’s Pit BBQ and Saloon 346 N Lee Trevino Dr #207 El Paso, TX 79936( any of the 3 locations )- The pork ribs and beans are always a treat. Try their smoked turkey (moist and juicy) and some of the chili con queso.
D . Rudy’s (7970 Gateway Blvd E. El Paso, TX 79907 Always consistent. The St.Louis BBQ ribs and the baby backs are off the bone deli-sh! (n.b. This might be the best choice, it’s on the road out of town.)
E. Famous Dave’s 1360 George Dieter Dr, El Paso, TX 79936- Check out the any of  ribs with the rich and sassy BBQ sauce, and you can’t forget  the corn muffins.

17. Head southeast on N Mesa St toward E Schuster Ave 0.5 mi
18. Turn left onto E Rio Grande Ave 1.4 mi
19. Continue onto Grant Ave 0.9 mi
20. Turn right onto Elm St 0.1 mi
21. Turn left onto Pershing Dr 1.6 mi
22. Continue onto Dyer St 1.0 mi
23. Turn right onto Monroe Ave 236 ft
24. Slight left onto Forrest St/Monroe Ave 308 ft
25. Continue onto Cassidy Rd (signs for Gateway S) 0.2 mi
26. Turn left onto Gateway N Blvd 0.8 mi
27. Slight right onto Railroad Dr 3.8 mi
28. Slight left onto McCombs St 4.8 mi
29. Turn right onto US-54 E/Gateway N Blvd
Continue to follow US-54 E
Entering New Mexico 70.8 mi
30. Turn right onto Charlie Lee Memorial Relief Route 5.4 mi
31. Turn left onto US-70 E/N White Sands Blvd
Continue to follow US-70 E 114 mi
205 mi / 3 h 35 min
Roswell, NM

Day Four

Roswell, NM

1. Head east on W 2nd St toward N Main St 82 ft
2. Take the 1st left onto US-70 E/N Main St 5.3 mi
3. Take the US-70 E/US-70 W ramp to Portales/Ruidoso 0.2 mi
4. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for Portales and merge onto US-70 E 61.1 mi
5. Turn left onto NM-330 S/S Roosevelt Rd Ak/Texico Ave
Continue to follow NM-330 S 20.4 mi
6. Continue onto NM-267 14.2 mi
7. Turn left onto Denby Ave 1.0 mi
8. Turn right onto NM-268 N/Brownhorn St
Continue to follow NM-268 N 27.5 mi
9. Turn left onto NM-209 N/State Rte 18
Continue to follow NM-209 N 30.9 mi
10. Continue onto S 1st St 364 ft
11. Turn right onto E Mc Gee Ave 377 ft
12. Take the 1st right onto S Adams St 358 ft
13. Take the 1st right onto E Tucumcari Blvd 410 ft
14. Take the 1st left onto S 1st St 33 ft
161 mi / 2 h 52 min
Tucumcari, NM

15. Head south on S 1st St toward E Hines Ave 325 ft
16. Take the 1st right onto E Hines Ave 364 ft
17. Take the 1st right onto S 2nd St 364 ft
18. Take the 1st right onto E Tucumcari Blvd 397 ft
19. Take the 1st left onto NM-104 W/S 1st St
Continue to follow NM-104 W 106 mi
20. Continue onto E University 0.3 mi
21. Turn right onto Grand Ave 0.7 mi
22. Turn left onto Mills Ave 0.7 mi
23. Turn right onto NM-518 N/7th St
Continue to follow NM-518 N 72.7 mi
24. Turn right onto NM-68 N/Paseo Del Pueblo Sur 3.5 mi
25. Continue onto Paseo Del Pueblo Norte 312 ft
26. Turn right onto Barela Ln 121 ft
27. Take the 1st right to stay on Barela Ln 253 ft
185 mi / 4 h 2 min
Taos, NM

28, Turn right onto Kit Carson Rd 105 ft
29. Turn left onto NM-68 S/Paseo Del Pueblo Sur
Continue to follow NM-68 S 45.3 mi
30. Continue onto S Riverside Dr 1.8 mi
31. Continue onto US-285 S/US-84 E 22.2 mi
32. Turn left onto W Alameda St 0.6 mi
33. Turn left onto N Guadalupe St 413 ft
34. Take the 1st right onto W San Francisco St 0.3 mi
70.3 mi / 1 h 22 min
Santa Fe, NM

Day Five
Santa Fe, NM

1. Head east on E San Francisco St toward Cathedral Pl 289 ft
2. Turn right onto Cathedral Pl 0.2 mi
3. Turn right onto E Alameda St 0.3 mi
4. Turn left onto Don Gaspar Ave 20 ft
5. Turn right onto W Alameda St 0.9 mi
6. Turn right onto US-285 N/US-84 W/N St Francis Dr
Continue to follow US-285 N/US-84 W 15.5 mi
7. Take the NM-502 W/Los Alamos exit 0.2 mi
8. Turn left onto Los Alamos Hwy 1.7 mi
9. Continue onto NM-502 6.2 mi

36.1 mi / 45 min
Los Alamos, NM

10. Continue straight onto NM-501 W 2.9 mi
11. Turn right onto NM-4 W 49.6 mi
12. Turn right onto US-550 N 120 mi
13. Turn left onto Co Rd 7010 12.9 mi
14. Turn right onto Co Rd 7100 1.7 mi
15. Turn right onto NM-371 N 5.5 mi
16. Turn left onto US-64 BYP W/W Murray Dr 0.9 mi
17. Turn left onto US-64 W/W Main St
Continue to follow US-64 W 27.4 mi
18. Turn right to stay on US-64 W
Entering Arizona 26.0 mi
19. Continue straight onto US-160 W 71.7 mi
20. Turn right onto US-163 N
Entering Utah 23.7 mi
21. Turn right onto Monument Valley Rd
Entering Arizona
Destination will be on the right 3.7 mi


349 mi / 6 h 8 min
The View Hotel
Indian Route 42 East, Monument Valley, UT 84536

 Day Six
The View Hotel
Indian Route 42 East, Monument Valley, UT 84536

1. Head southwest 0.6 mi
2. Continue straight onto Monument Valley Rd/Monument Valley Tribal Park Rd
Continue to follow Monument Valley Rd
Entering Utah 3.1 mi
3. Turn right onto US-163 N/US-163 Scenic N 41.0 mi
4. Continue straight onto US-191 N 30.1 mi
5. Turn right onto E Center St 0.1 mi
6. Slight left onto US-191 N/N Grayson Pkwy
Continue to follow US-191 N 79.0 mi
7. Turn right onto Arches Entrance Rd
Destination will be on the right 0.6 mi
155 mi / 2 h 42 min
Arches National Park
Moab, UT

8. Head east on Arches Entrance Rd 0.6 mi
9. Turn right onto US-191 N 21.7 mi
10. Turn left toward Ruby Ranch Rd 8.2 mi
11. Turn right onto Ruby Ranch Rd 0.4 mi
12. Continue onto Old Hwy 6 & 50 11.7 mi
13. Turn right onto E Main St 1.8 mi
14. Turn left onto S Long St 0.3 mi
15. Slight left onto Green River Ave 0.1 mi
17. Take the 1st right onto Airport Rd 0.4 mi
18. Continue onto County Rd 3.9 mi
19. Turn right onto Old Hwy Hanksville 3.0 mi
20. Continue onto Old State Rte 24 8.1 mi
21. Turn left onto UT-24 W 40.1 mi
22. Turn right to stay on UT-24 W 81.7 mi
23. Turn left at Hogback Rd 1.5 mi
24. Continue straight onto Browns Ln 1.3 mi
25. Turn left onto UT-62 S 26.3 mi
26. Turn left onto UT-22 S 7.4 mi
27. Continue onto Johns Valley Rd 34.4 mi
28. Continue onto UT-63 S
Destination will be on the right 2.6 mi


255 mi / 5 h 58 min
Bryce Canyon National Park
Hwy 63, Bryce Canyon, UT 84764

29. Head north on UT-63 N toward FR1173 2.6 mi
30. Turn left onto UT-12 W 13.6 mi
31. Turn left onto US-89 S 43.2 mi
32. Turn right onto UT-9 W
Partial toll road
Destination will be on the left 25.4 mi
84.8 mi / 1 h 45 min
Zion Park Motel
865 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale, UT 84767

Day Seven!  Head for HOME!

1. Head west on Zion Park Blvd toward S Paradise Rd 2.3 mi
2. Continue onto UT-9 W/E Main St
Continue to follow UT-9 W 16.9 mi
3. Turn left onto N State St 11.3 mi
4. Turn left at Champs RC Raceway onto 6300 W/Telegraph St
Continue to follow Telegraph St 5.7 mi
5. Continue onto W Red Cliffs Dr 2.2 mi
6. Continue onto S River Rd 1.0 mi
7. Turn right onto E 700 S 0.6 mi
8. Turn right onto S 700 E 92 ft
40.1 mi / 56 min
St George, UT

9. Head South on the I-15 to LA.
It’s under about 400 miles to LA down the I-15. Try and not waste your time and money in Lost Wages!

The road Uncorked Wrap Up

Road Trippin’
with Steve McCarthy

Well, the dust has settled, the brakes have cooled, the radiators have stopped steaming and another successful Drive has ended. And what a drive it was. To close it all out, I thought a few random observations would be in order.
First, the food. Oh. My, God. Did we eat. And eat. And EAT! First stop was in Buellton at (of course) Pea Soup Anderson’s. Never a bad idea. Their soup is hearty, the salads are fresh and are perfect for a mid-day nosh when you know full well that the dinner will be huge.

And huge it was. We ate at the 10th Street Cafe in San Miguel for some of the best Basque food any of us have ever had. This place is fabulous! Dallas, the owner, is a wonderful host, and a Car Guy. He’s owned TRs, Healeys, and other assorted iron mongery and even had the good sense to rag on the few Porsche drivers we allowed to tag along. What we got was some TEN (count ‘em TEN) courses. Everything from salad to a variety of tapas, to stew, to glazed carrots, to Basque Potatoes, to Pallella, and finished off with a caramel glazed bread pudding. We were SO glad that the place was within staggering distance of the motel. It ain’t cheap, but OH BABY!
The next day, we hit a Mexican bakery in Soledad called La Plaza. Excellent shrimp tacos and pan dulce. Nice light fare again, because we were having a BBQ that night at a local winery. If it was possible to top the Basque place, this ran close. Local San Miguel fireman Scott was the grill master, serving up tender tri-tip, beans, salad and garlic bread. Michelle, the owner’s daughter played hostess with the mostest, and in good old Car Night fashion, her dad’s “barn” was open and OH MAN, what a sweet little collection of cars! A Type 35B Bugatti, a Fronty engined Indy Car and the Lancia Jan ran in the Peking to Paris Race in 2007. AMAZING!

The third day was another food fest, Jocko’s for lunch. Only the best steak on the planet! Whooooboy. Not eating for the rest of the week!
As far as the roads, I don’t think it’s possible to find better driving roads than the Central Coast of California in the spring. Tight twisties? Got ‘em. High Speed Sweepers? Got ‘em. Rolling hills covered with green velvety grass and wild flowers and dotted with oak trees? Got ‘em. Long, lonely roads with no traffic? Got ‘em! Add neat cars and a great bunch of people and you can’t go wrong. We even survived the climb to the top of what one guy called “The World’s Longest Driveway” to the top of the mountains behind Santa Barbara. And the view was worth it!

I’d really like a chance to show off these roads to those prats on Top Gear. I’m issuing a challenge. Buy three British sports cars, pre-1970 or so and drive with us. Who needs a Veyron or a 911 GT3 when you can actually have FAR more fun in a TR3? I’d further have them reenact some of the challenges that Brit cars have inflicted on us over the years. Start with a “simple” tyre change, then, re-gap the points, then deal with a balky control box or (gasp) and SU Fuel Pump. Toss in some random Lucas glitches and Hey Presto, a great show.

I had a reader ask about why I don’t do the Go Pro route on these drives. He tried to follow on the ground view of Goggle Maps and got tired of a marathon mouse-click-a-thon. I can’t blame him. However, Go Pros cost a fair amount and I can get stuff like tyres or gas instead. Plus, why collect evidence that can be used against you?

The best part was of course the people. From our friends Graham and Fay from Australia, to the usual suspects, to the first timers, this group of about 25 were great to have along. Part of that is the fact that it was only 25 or so people. One of the problems with the old Iron Bottom was that it got too damn big. The last one had some 120 cars! What happens is that cliques form. You get to talk with fewer people. On the last one, a group of snobs rented a LIMO to go to dinner on their own, not wanting to join the rest of us. Most eateries can handle 20-25 people as a group. Eating together, staying at the same cheap-ass motel, bullshitting the night away, THAT’S what makes this truly enjoyable. So, my advice to any of you who want to organized this kind of motorized folly is to 1) keep the group in the range of 20-30 people. 2) pick great places to eat together, 3)stay at the same cheap motel, 4) let everyone go at what ever pace they want. It’s the camaraderie that matters, everyone’s car is Cool, everyone has fun. 

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

1. 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

Road Trippin’-San Miguel, Day 2
with Steve McCarthy

Well, it’s March. Already. That means we have to get serious about Road Trips. Last month, we detailed Day One of a return to the Central Coast of California, Let’s look at Day Two this month.
I purposely made Day Two a shorter one. This will give you a chance to make plenty of stops along the way. Stops you say? For what?
Well, WINERIES for one! The Central Coast has begun to seriously rival the Napa Valley as a serious wine growing region. The wineries produce the usual suspects (Cabernets, Sirahs, even Zinfandels, and yes, Merlot if you have to) and many are Top Shelf vintages. This tour will take you past several and if you are curious, there are plenty of others to choose from. You can make up your own wine tour to add in to this one.
The usual note of caution needs to be sounded. Even “tasting” wines can impair your driving! Even if you spit it out, the residual in your mouth will get absorbed and eventually, you’ll have a buzz. Add to that that using wine as a mouthwash in this manner WILL affect the Breathalyzer! These roads ARE twisty and require your fullest concentration, so, someone gets to be the Designated Driver and someone gets to be the Taster. Pick up how ever many cases you can fit in your Auld Crate, but save the “tasting” for back at the motel!
For breakfast, the same Basque restaurant we recommended for dinner last month doubles as a great place to eat in the morning. “Never Cook Bacon Naked!” How could you go wrong? For lunch, we’ll be in Soledad. This is one of several small towns in the area that cater mostly to farm workers, so Mexican food is THE meal of choice. Soledad has several, so take your pick. One of the good ones is a small chain of Mexican Bakeries, called “La Plaza Bakery.” Great fresh pan dulce and a small selection of food make this a good choice. If you aren’t that adventurous (shame on you!) there is the Windmill, a basic diner that serves good, “normal” fare. For dinner, try the BBQ place in San Miguel, “The Ranch” if you ate Basque the night before.
The other neat attractions are some of the lesser known California Missions. Soledad is the saddest. It was always the poorest mission, lacked water, and the priest who over saw it died of starvation. Although they’ve built a replica, what’s left of the original walls can still be seen. It’s one of the most touching stories of the whole mission saga. The other Mission is in San Miguel. It was recently restored after the major Paso Robles quake nearly ruined it. Well worth the look. The third is Mission San Antonio. That’s a bit more difficult as it’s in the middle of Hunter-Ligget Army Base. To get in, you have to have photo ID AND current insurance papers and registration. You probably also want to make sure you didn’t forget to pay any tickets and have an unknown bench warrant out for you, and DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING CLOSE TO A WEAPON in your car. They DO NOT FOOL AROUND about this! A friend learned the hard way and was unceremoniously escorted off the base! Still this place is a great place to see AND you get the bonus of seeing William Randolf Hearst’s hunting lodge!
So, for Day Two, take your time for a change, have an easy day of it, and stop and smell the vino!


DAY TWO

Western States Inn San Miguel
1099 K St
San Miguel, CA 93451

1. Take K St to N River Rd 0.5 mi
2. Head north on K St toward 12th St 0.3 mi
3. Take the 3rd right onto 14th St 0.2 mi
4. Continue onto N River Rd 1.8 mi
5. Turn left onto Estrella Rd 4.7 mi
6. Turn left to stay on Estrella Rd 0.5 mi
7. Turn right to stay on Estrella Rd 1.0 mi
8. Take the 2nd left to stay on Estrella Rd 6.6 mi
9. Turn left toward CA-46 E 0.3 mi
10. Turn left toward CA-46 E 0.3 mi
11. Continue straight onto CA-46 E 14.5 mi
12. Turn left onto Cholame Valley Rd 5.1 mi
13. Continue onto Cholame Rd 10.4 mi
14. Continue onto Vineyard Canyon Rd 4.4 mi
15. Turn left to stay on Vineyard Canyon Rd 16.7 mi
16. Sharp right onto Indian Valley Rd 23.7 mi
17. Continue onto Peach Tree Rd 13.7 mi
18. Turn right onto CA-25/Peach Tree Rd 9.8 mi
19. Turn left onto Lonoak Rd 13.7 mi
20. Turn right onto S 1st St 0.9 mi
21. Turn left onto Metz Rd 20.0 mi
22. Turn left onto East St 0.3 mi
Turn left onto Front St

LUNCH Destination will be on the left 318 ft

La Plaza Bakery
901 Front St, Soledad, CA 93960
149 mi / 4 h 23 min

1. Head southeast on Front St toward Oak St 0.5 mi
2. Turn right to merge onto US-101 N toward Soledad 331 ft
3.  US-101 N 7.6 mi
4. Take the exit toward Gonzales (Alta St./Old 101) 0.2 mi
5. Continue straight onto S Alta St 1.0 mi
6. Turn left onto Gonzales River Rd 2.5 mi
7. Turn left onto Co Rd G17/River Rd
Continue to follow Co Rd G17 9.7 mi
Keep left to continue on Fort Romie Rd 1.1 mi
Note Mission Soledad on Right!
9. Turn right onto Arroyo Seco Rd 8.1 mi
10. Slight left onto Elm Ave (look for G-16) 0.2 mi
11. Turn left onto Co Rd G16/Elm Ave 3.7 mi
12. Turn right onto Central Ave 7.1 mi
13. Turn left to stay on Central Ave 0.1 mi
14. Take the 1st right onto US-101 S 2.8 mi
15. Exit onto Co Rd G14/Jolon Rd 0.3 mi
16. Merge onto Co Rd G14/Jolon Rd
Continue to follow Jolon Rd 23.7 mi
17. Turn right onto Interlake Rd 20.4 mi
18. Turn right onto Nacimiento Lake Dr 9.3 mi
19. Turn right onto Chimney Rock Rd 5.7 mi
20. Turn left onto Adelaida Rd 2.4 mi
21. Head EAST on Adelaida Rd toward Adara Rd and Paso Robles 9.0 mi
22. Turn right onto  G-14-Nacimiento Lake Dr/Paso Robles Rd 1.4 mi
23. Continue onto 24th St 0.4 mi
24. Turn left onto Spring St 1.2 mi
25. Take the ramp onto US-101 N 6.3 mi
26. Take the 10th St exit 0.2 mi
27. Drive to K St 0.1 mi
28. Turn right onto 10th St 138 ft
Take the 1st left onto K St3
30. Destination will be on the left 476 ft
125.6 mi

Western States Inn San Miguel
1099 K St, San Miguel, CA 93451

Road Trippin’
with Steve McCarthy

In California, we are blessed with some of the best backroads driving in the world. The variety is endless. Long tire-shedding desert roads to see just HOW fast she’ll go, tight, twisty mountain roads for the handling freaks, and some of the most gorgeous and varied scenery imaginable. Constant Reader will know that in particular, we have a fondness for the Central Coastal area. The number of drives we’ve chronicled here may seem obsessive, but, there are so many variations on the theme that it will be a long time before we run out. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at yet another variant.

To lessen the amount of boring freeway, let’s start this one in Sunland at the base of Little Tujunga Canyon. There’s a Coco’s restaurant there that provides a decent breakfast and  a good kick off. From there, it’s up and over Little T (think a mini-Angeles Crest), thence through the Sylmar/Santa Clarita area and to an old favorite, Hwy. 126. DO BE CAREFUL on 126. The CHP patrol this like hawks! In Santa Paula, head north to Ojai. If you time things right, check out the California Oil Museum. It’s in the original headquarters for Union Oil and has great displays, often featuring car and motorcycle themes. It’s worth the stop. Ojai is another neat little town with good food and regular art fairs. We like Bocalli’s at the east end of town. Outstanding Italian fare and usually crowded on the weekend.

Instead of heading back to 101 in Ventura, head over Casitas Pass towards Carpinteria and it’s delights. For this jaunt, we skim the north edge along the foothills and go through Montecito. Wave to Oprah and others as you make your way through.
Instead of continuing through Santa Barbara, head for the hills and you’ll find Camino Cielo. Aptly named as it’s a road in the sky. This runs along the ridge in the mountains behind Santa Barbara and is spectacular AND narrow.  Head down Painted Cave Rd. and be sure to stop at the Chumash cave. Honest to God petroglyphs! Cross Hwy 154 and head down another of the narrow twisty side roads and eventually hit 101.
Normally, I don’t send people on major highways, but this stretch of 101 IS beautiful. Right on the coast, the view is quintessential (note I did NOT use “iconic”, you’re welcome) California Coast. There is a rest stop at Gaviota that makes a good pee break. Just past the tunnel, exit on Highway 1 to Lompoc. This is another favorite. Nice long sweepers with a few twisty bits to keep you honest. Again, the CHP DO patrol this regularly! Before Lompoc, you’ll find Santa Rosa Creek Rd. This is another little gem that winds it’s way through lovely farmland, and gets narrow over a couple of ridges of hills. It will empty out in Buelton, and lunch.
And where else but another Classic California Stop, Pea Soup Anderson’s. This is the original. The food is great, the soup superb and loaded, a meal in itself. The menu has the usual stuff, but try some of the Danish dishes. You won’t be disappointed!
From here, head back west on Hwy 246 and hop over the hill via Drum Canyon Rd. Another test of your Armstrong Power Steering. This will take you to Los Alamos and a great antique barn in the old railroad freight shed. After this, you’ll pass Vandenburg, Casmalia Hill and around Pismo Beach, head inland to San Luis Obispo. Up the Cuesta Grade and off the highway again through the ranch lands and eventually to San Miguel.
San Miguel has ONE, as in ONLY one motel, the Western States Inn. It’s nice enough and reasonably priced. Eateries include a Basque place that is quite good, but check feeding times. Like all Basque places, it’s family style and EVERYONE eats together AT dinner time. The same owner has a place for breakfast called “Don’t Cook Bacon Naked” (how can you pass that up?) and there’s a BBQ place called The Ranch. All good choices. Take the time to check the mission. It’s been recently renovated and is a great example of the Original California.
Next month, we’ll explore the surrounding area and hit a few new roads and some old favorites.

Coco's Bakery Restaurant
10521 Sunland Blvd
San Fernando Valley, CA 91040

1. Head west on Sunland Blvd toward Wyngate St 0.3 mi
2. Slight right to merge onto I-210 W 3.1 mi
3. Take the exit toward Osborne Street 0.2 mi
4. Turn right onto Foothill Blvd 0.1 mi
5. Turn left onto Osborne St 0.6 mi
6. Continue onto Little Tujunga Canyon Rd 13.0 mi
7. Continue onto Sand Canyon Rd 0.8 mi
8. Turn left onto Placerita Canyon Rd 5.1 mi
9. Turn right onto Sierra Hwy 1.3 mi
10. Turn left onto Golden Valley Rd 3.0 mi
11. Continue onto Newhall Ranch Rd 6.2 mi
12. Continue onto CA-126 W 5.7 mi
13. Turn left onto CA-126 W/E Telegraph Rd 26 ft
14. Turn right to stay on CA-126 W/E Telegraph Rd
Continue to follow CA-126 W 22.2 mi
15. Take the CA-150/10th St exit toward Santa Paula 0.2 mi
16. Turn right onto CA-150 W/S 10th St
Continue to follow CA-150 W 19.8 mi
17. Turn right onto CA-150 W/Baldwin Rd
Continue to follow CA-150 W 15.1 mi
18. Turn right onto CA-192 W/Casitas Pass Rd
Continue to follow CA-192 W 3.6 mi
19. Turn right onto CA-192 W/Foothill Rd 2.9 mi
20. Turn right onto Foothill Rd CA192 1.5 mi
21. Slight right onto Toro Canyon Rd CA192 0.6 mi
22. Continue onto E Valley Rd CA192 4.5 mi
23. Turn right onto Sycamore Canyon Rd CA192 1.7 mi
24. Turn left to stay on Sycamore Canyon Rd CA192 0.3 mi
25. Turn right onto Foothill Rd/Stanwood Dr
Continue to follow Stanwood Dr   CA192 1.1 mi
26. Turn right onto El Cielito Rd 0.3 mi
27. Turn left to stay on El Cielito Rd 358 ft
28. Turn right to stay on El Cielito Rd 0.2 mi
29. Take the 1st right onto Gibraltar Rd 6.9 mi
30. Continue onto E Camino Cielo 8.4 mi
31. Sharp left onto Painted Cave Rd 3.1 mi
32. Continue onto San Marcos (Cross CA 154) 3.6 mi
33. Turn right onto Cathedral Oaks Rd 0.7 mi
34. Turn left onto N Patterson Ave 0.7 mi
35. Turn right to merge onto US-101 N WATCH FOR CHP!!! 27.1 mi
Take the California 1 exit toward Lompoc/Vandenberg Air Force Base 0.3 mi
37.  Turn left onto CA-1 N 16.4 mi
38. Turn right onto Santa Rosa Rd 16.8 mi
39. Continue onto Avenue of Flags
Destination will be on the right 0.5 mi
198 mi – about 5 hours 23 mins
LUNCH!!!
Pea Soup Andersen's
376 Avenue of Flags
Buellton, CA 93427


40. Head northeast on Avenue of Flags toward 1st St 184 ft
41. Take the 1st left onto 1st St 430 ft
42. Turn left onto Central Ave 495 ft
43. Turn right onto Hwy 246 W 5.8 mi
44. Turn right onto Drum Canyon Rd 9.1 mi
45. Continue onto Centennial St 0.3 mi
46. Turn left onto CA-135 N/Bell St
Continue to follow CA-135 N 14.6 mi
47. Continue onto CA-1 N/Cabrillo Hwy 22.5 mi
48. Turn right onto Valley Rd 1.3 mi
49. Turn right onto Fair Oaks Ave 0.4 mi
50. Turn left onto Traffic Way 0.3 mi
51. Sharp right onto W Branch St 0.8 mi
52. Turn right onto Huasna Rd 1.6 mi
53. Continue onto Lopez Dr 2.7 mi
54. Turn left onto Orcutt Rd 8.0 mi
55. Turn right to stay on Orcutt Rd 1.0 mi
56. Slight right onto Johnson Ave 1.7 mi
57. Slight right onto San Luis Dr 0.3 mi
58. Take the 1st left onto California Blvd 0.2 mi
59. Take the 3rd right onto Monterey St 0.5 mi
60. Keep left at the fork and merge onto US-101 N 7.7 mi
61. Exit onto CA-58 E/El Camino Real toward Santa Margarita 1.7 mi
62. Turn right onto CA-58 E/Estrada Ave 0.3 mi
63. Turn left onto CA-58 E/J St
Continue to follow CA-58 E 1.3 mi
64. Turn left onto CA-58 E
Continue to follow CA-58 E 3.5 mi
65. Turn left onto CA-229 N/Webster Rd 9.0 mi
66. Turn right onto CA-41 N 0.1 mi
67. Take the 1st left onto Creston Rd 3.0 mi
68. Slight right onto Geneseo Rd 2.1 mi
69. Turn right to stay on Geneseo Rd 3.8 mi
70. Turn left onto Union Rd 5.7 mi
Turn right to stay on Union Rd 341 ft
Take the 1st right onto CA-46 E                                                                                 0.3 mi
73. Take the 1st left onto Airport Rd   5.1 mi
74. Turn left onto Estrella Rd 3.3 mi
75. Turn right onto N River Rd 1.8 mi
76. Continue onto 14th St 0.2 mi
77. Turn left onto K St
Destination will be on the right 0.3 mi
121 mi – about 3 hours 1 min

Western States Inn San Miguel
1099 K St
San Miguel, CA 93451

Road Trippin’-Resolutions
with Steve McCarthy

Drat. Hoist on me own petard. Trapped by the Law of Unforeseen Circumstances. Painted meself into a corner. Sigh. Since I did the November column on Thankfulness, and the December one on Christmas Wishes, I suppose you are all expecting this one to be on Resolution for the New Year. Usually, I don’t, that way I can keep one, the resolution to not make resolutions. But here I am, stuck by my own cleverness (?). OK, I’m bowing to the inevitable.

1)Fix all the niggily little things that have been deferred on the TR. It began when the fuel pup crapped out in Barstow and I to get home, I bought an electric one at O’Reilly’s. Now, I look at what’s become a spaghetti explosion on the firewall and began to cleanup the wiring. And reroute the fuel line. And add a back up electrical fuel pump. All this requires that I get back to my original doctrine, WWPD. What Would Phil Do?

2) What WOULD Phil do? Phil “Rags”, “Little Phil”, “Douche”, Deushane was a dear friend and TR mentor who passed away, shit, getting close to twenty (???!!!) years ago. He was THE most meticulous (read anal retentive) mechanic ever. It ALL had to be perfect. Close enough never was. I really promise to get back to that level of quality as best I can.

3)Finish the 914. This is Daughter #3’s car and I really need to get back at it. The engine is in bits and there are other issues, and I promise to always obey #2 when doing this.

4)Get the Yellow Submarine up (literally) and running. The Citroen Safari (wagon) I bought a year ago is still sitting. I need to rewire it and fiddle the hydraulics a bit and still obey #2. Deadline? Yes, Best of France and Italy, Nov. 2014. Now, I’ve committed.

5)Sell Delbert. The ’52 Dodge Pick Up that has graced the back yard for all these years needs to make way. Sorry, but ya gotta go. Anyone with $2000 and a trailer can haul him away.

6)Work on the Model Railroad. Yes, I’m dumb enough to have more than one hobby. The layout needs to be tweaked (and yes, #2 applies here as well). AND I really will host an operating session, something I’ve been wanting to do but never seem to get around to.

7)Write more. That means finishing novel #3 and maybe get a start on #4. Writing has become a great activity, so this won’t be hard.

8)Sell more books. This is the hard part. I need to be more aggressive in marketing what I’ve written. So, help me! Buy me damn books!

I guess eight is enough. These are all doable. I’ve left off the usual crap about taking better care of myself, eating right, exercising more, those just need to evolve without the pressure. Now, if I can be so bold, how about I propose a few for you? Some gentle reminders of what Road Tripper’s need to resolve?

1)Drive more! No excuses, get the Auld Crate out and drive the thing! Sheesh!

2)Drive to TEN new places. Find somewhere you haven’t been (OK, I’ll allow you to revisit a couple of places you haven’t been to in more than 10 years) and drive there, using a route you haven’t tried.

3)Find TEN new roads. Get out the maps and devise a route that will take you to some undiscovered territory. This should help with #2!

4)See my personal Numbers One and Two. Fix the little stuff that should be dealt with, stop the deferred maintenence! And do it right!

5)Share the Road. Especially with cyclists. Be nice out there, let people merge in, wave back when people let you pass. Believe it or not, you represent all of us Car Folk. Show them that we are really nice people.

6)Above all, have fun. Laugh, love, share. What else is there to life.

7)And, ya might at least think about buying one of  my books!