Coastal Cali Escape On Highway 1
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
ByDavid Weiss,
Contributor.
David is a lifestyle writer focusing on luxury
A scenic drive some three hours north of LA delivers a sea-swept oasis bursting with small-town ambience and charm
We often hear allusions to "flyover country," a somewhat disparaging reference to America’s heartland, as if the hustle-bustle of New York and Los Angeles are where all the significant cultural action resides. As a longtime resident of La-La Land, I’ve noticed a similar trend when it comes to the “drive-thru” regions – aka the Central Coast – north of this traffic-choked metropolis, and well-south of the Monterey Peninsula and San Francisco.
Much as I love those destinations, escaping L.A. via the justly-celebrated State Route 1 — aka Highway 1 – offers an 85-mile stretch of charming beach towns that seem to have stopped in time some 75 years ago, when gasoline went for around a quarter per gallon and a roadside burger was a dime cheaper than that. Anybody seen the keys to my time machine?
Oceanpoint Ranch on Moonstone Beach is the place to stay
Downtown Cambria is an unpretentious place to eat, shop and spend the night, but nearby Moonstone Beach is where cognoscenti stay for a restive week or weekend, hard by the restless Pacific surf. The rocky/sandy beach is home to tidepools rife with crabs and sea anemones, as well as leaping white-sided dolphins and lumbering whales. There are a dozen or so cozy places to weave dreams after the 3.5-hour drive from LA, but our go-to is Oceanpoint Ranch, a one-minute walk across Highway 1 to the seaside boardwalk and close to the Fiscalini Ranch Preserve. Hikers will find pine and oak forests there, wetlands and equestrian trails, and leashed dogs are more than welcome to tag along.
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