The Central Coast of California is a magical place to visit anytime of year, but if the weather cooperates, starting off the New Year in such a beautiful place is hard to beat. Winter can be rainy, but by February the slopes along Hwy-1 start to come alive with orange poppies and deep blue ceanothus shrubs (aka “California Lilacs”), which make a colorful floral frame to panoramic views of towering peaks and Pacific Ocean waves. On a clear day, especially in the morning, you may often spy another wonderful sight: the spouting of migrating gray whales, returning home to Alaska from their annual mating sessions in Mexico. And if that wasn’t enough, January and February are key months for seeing the resurgent colonies of massive Elephant Seals, who come ashore to mate at Ano Nuevo (which means “New Year”), near Santa Cruz and at Piedras Blancas at Hearst Castle, near San Luis Obispo.
Best done north to south, perhaps on an extended trip between san Francisco and Los Angeles, the 200-mile drive along California’s Central Coast is one of the great tours anywhere: through historic Monterey and the artsy village of Carmel, then finally along Hwy-1 through rugged Big Sur, this is a stretch of coastline that is often called the “greatest meeting of land and sea in the world.”
Other roads to drive:
For such a short month, February has an abundance of holidays, including President's Day, Valentine’s Day, and, my personal favorite, Groundhog Day. Punxatawny, PA, is the traditional center of activities for the latter, but since the making of the wonderful Bill Murray film the town of Woodstock, IL, has also had a “Groundhog Day” celebration of its own. Woodstock is west of Chicago, via old US-20, which winds its way through suburban Oak Park west to Galena, and on across the Mississippi River to the Field of Dreams, just in time to start dreaming of Spring Training (see our March drive for more).
Another travel theme for this time of year: February is Black History Month, and the hint of spring in the air can make it a good time to tour the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail along old US-80. Selma, Alabama, which must be one of the most historically-rich small towns in the US, was a key Confederate arsenal during the Civil War and a century later became one of the most significant sites in the ongoing struggle for civil rights. The drive follows the route Dr. Martin Luther King and supporters marched along in 1965 from Selma to Montgomery, demanding voting rights for disenfranchised African-Americans. Montgomery itself was the location of the bus boycott of 1955, inspired by Rosa Parks. Continuing east, US-80 passes through legendary Tuskeegee on its way toward Atlanta, Dr. King’s home town and final resting place.
