DESTINATIONS: Pacific Coast Highway, Old Coast Road from Bixby Bridge to Big Sur

When arriving at a fork in the road there are two options, the easy way and the road less traveled. It’s a simple choice really.

Returning from The Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel Valley, California, I wanted to ride Pacific Coast Highway home. Knowing it would likely be cluttered with slow-moving drivers was not a deterrent. It had been years since my last trip down PCH, and I was traveling with a passenger who had never been down Highway 1. I knew we’d have a decision to make when we reached Bixby Bridge: stay on the paved PCH or peel off on the dirt option. For me it was a simple choice. If you too decide to choose this route, give yourself plenty of time. It is not particularly challenging, but you will likely stop often for photos. As I did.

The road gradually climbs away from the blue of the Pacific, and then plunges down into the shadows of a coastal redwood grove, then climbs again onto rolling hills dotted with grazing cattle. It is just like I imagine heaven would look, if I was riding through it on a motorcycle.