Highway 1 via Monterey and San Luis Obispo back to the Pacific

Wednesday, September 11th, 2023, day 11

We slept very well the first night in the motorhome, even though it was a bit cold. We started the day with tea and coffee and set off relatively quickly without breakfast. After filling up ⛽️ (90 l for $125 in just two days) we headed towards Monterrey on Highway 1 and passed through a strawberry plantation area, where there were always stalls along the way that sold regionally and seasonally directly from the producer. We bought strawberries, ripe avocados and Brussels sprouts that were still on the plant.

We couldn't miss the sign behind Carmel that Highway 1 is closed for another 50 miles and there is no detour. So we went to the beach in Carmel for breakfast, which meant the stopover Big Sur was done. But we had a lovely time on the beach, watched pelicans again and enjoyed our yoghurt breakfast. Then we continued south on the alternate Highway 101.

We made good progress, the 101 is dead straight and we drove at 65 miles per hour with cruise control. It's extremely relaxed, you never have to brake, the highway is empty, there are hardly any overtaking maneuvers, it's so boring that I had to fight against taking a nap. Shortly before San Luis we went out to our favorite supermarket to buy a wine that we wanted to drink tonight: a Sauvignon blanc from Bordeaux, a French white wine that we have come to really appreciate over the last week. Get it at Trader Joes for $7 a bottle. At around 5:00 p.m. we left Highway 101 just before Santa Barbara because we discovered a campground where we could possibly stay with our motorhome overnight. It's a state park, also patrolled by a park ranger, $45, and we parked our RV safely and took a walk first. Then said Sauvignon Blanc from Bordeaux, shower, cook (Brussels sprouts with steak and salad), eat and end the day on the beach at sunset.