California Highway 1 named the “ultimate road trip” by Sunset Magazine

Our very own Highway 1 has been named the “Ultimate Highway Trip,” by Sunset Magazine this June out of the 72 designated scenic highways in the state. The most famous segment of Highway 1 passes through Big Sur along our Central Coast.

Though many of us drive on Highway 1 every day without thinking twice about it, “Highway 1 has historical significance for California. In 1912, it was the first highway we awarded a contract to build and in 1937 it was the first north-south state route completed,” said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. “It also offers sights you just won’t find anywhere else.”

The two-lane highway Sunset magazine described having the “wind-in-your-hair charisma” no other highway in the country hasruns along the western edge of California right along the ocean.

For over a century, people from around the world have visited Highway 1 to see spectacular sunsets, walk along trails, enjoy beaches and waterfalls, watch whales migrate, and more. These sights have been impactful for tourism in the Central Coast.

The magazine’s editorial board selected California’s Highway 1 for its first 2015 Western Icon Travel Award. The magazine is a guide to living in the West and the first-time awards honor the West’s top destinations. Highway 1 is featured in the June print and online editions of the magazine, reaching more than 6 million viewers.

The Pacific Coast Highway starts at Dana Point in Orange County and runs along the coastline up through Southern California beaches, Central Coast coves, San Francisco and tunnels through the once dangerous Devil’s Slide.

While thousands of drivers partake in the experience, many of Highway 1’s travelers are actually bicyclists riding along a longer route along the Pacific Coast Bike Route from Canada to California’s southernmost beach the magazine reported.