Road of the Month: Pescadero Creek Rd, NorCal Peninsula

Unfortunately for the folks in Southern California, the good economy and urban sprawl resulted in the hills being filled with houses and restaurants. The more fortunate Northern Californians can rejoice in the fact that this trend has not spread to all of the San Francisco Bay Area yet. On the peninsula between the Pacific Coast Highway (known as Highway 1 in NorCal) and Interstate 280 lies a giant treasure trove of wonderful driving roads. Having personally logged thousands of miles on these roads, it is with great trepidation that these be shared on a blog with the world. But they’re just so amazing, and it’s always nice to share good things with the world!

First though, a few cautionary warnings are necessary. In spots, this route is going to challenge the car and driver alike. There are many wipeouts, wrecks, and deaths on these roads because the pavement is unpredictable. They can switch from dry to wet in mid-corner, some have larger potholes and sometimes they wash out completely in winter – so take care not to bend rims or sheetmetal. Many of the roads are state highways, but a few are merely supersized bike paths, narrowing down to one lane around blind corners. If you don’t know the limits of your vehicle and how to place the tires within inches of a dropoff with no guardrail, you best avoid some of these roads. Finally, the roads are not yours for the taking! Not only are they patrolled moderately (so please, no stupid driving/racing – don’t ruin it for the rest of us), but also the occasional RV’s, school buses, motorcycles, and bikers.

Assuming a start point somewhere near San Francisco proper, a hearty brunch at the Millbrae Pancake House will help fend off hunger during this long drive. From here, mosey on down the 280 until the 92 West exit comes up. Take the heavily traveled 92 westbound until the top of the hill, then turn left onto Skyline Drive. The first few miles will introduce some warm-up exercises in the form of long sweepers, before straightening out. The left turn onto Kings Mountain Drive will mark the beginning of heaven. If vehicle placement isn’t a strong suit, just skip this road and head on down Skyline Drive before making a right on Woodside Rd. Kings Mountain Road becomes incredibly narrow and wooded, with many off-camber u-turns and unguarded dropoffs. Take it easy on weekends here, because the road attracts cyclists. Come here midweek though, and your skills can really be put to the test – don’t get too close to the edge!

When Kings Mountain Road ends, turn right onto Woodside Road. The road will start climbing up into the mountains, heading into some upper-class residential neighborhood. The traffic usually doesn’t clear out until after crossing Skyline Drive again, which is great since there are some great switchbacks here.

After passing the turnoff for Pescadero Creek Road (don’t turn off just yet!), the road will straighten out for a bit and take you through countryside that nobody knew still existed in California. The same can be said of Stage Road, which is another narrow path with scenery straight out of a movie. If Kings Mountain was a bit of a scare, Stage Road can be bypassed by using Highway 1, though the scenery is more traditional sandy beaches.

When Stage Road ends, make a left onto Pescadero Creek Road and take a leisurely cruise through a quaint, seaside neighborhood before scratching your way back up into the mountains. This road is the Road of the Month for a reason: great pavement, light traffic, few patrols, and a variety of turns connected with short straights.

Just as the road starts to straighten out, there will be a full 180 degree turn where you will veer off towards the right, turning onto Alpine Road. This road will take you back up to Skyline Drive. It’s a mostly uneventful drive from here on out, until Highway 9 drops you back into the South Bay. Stop by Orenchi Ramen in Santa Clara for some amazing ramen, then head over to Tea Era in Mountain View for some boba tea to polish off your perfect day.

Famous stops along the way
Alternate start point: Gorilla BBQ – Pacifica, CA – amazing dry rub St. Louis style spare ribs, featured on Diner’s, Drive-In’s and Dives with Guy Fieri

Alice’s Restaurant – northwest corner of the Woodside Road/Skyline Drive intersection – famous for drawing the biker crowd on weekends

Duarte’s Tavern – in Pescadero town proper – specialty soups and olallieberry pies.

Arcangeli Grocery Co. – in Pescadero town proper – famous for their artichoke bread.

San Mateo County Memorial Park – east of Pescadero, CA – hiking, picnicking, camping, BBQ-ing, and scenic Pescadero Creek swimming area.

Hakone Gardens – Saratoga, CA – the Japanese gardens where much of Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed.

Alternate end point: Palace (Korean) BBQ – Sunnyvale, CA – all you can eat Korean BBQ, cooked by you at your table!