Recommended routes?

[Silverback51]

While on vacation in July we will be heading from South Lake Tahoe to San Luis Obispo.

Not all that concerned about the time as long as we get to San Luis Obispo by nightfall. Just want to take the scenic route.

Anyone have recommendations?

[Jamo]

Track this on a map...

89 south from Tahoe to west on 88 (beautiful) to south on 99 to west on 4 to south on 5 to west on 152 to south on 156 to south on 101 to San Luis Obispo.

You can detour over to Montery-Carmel (late lunch) by going west on 156 at Prunedale to south on Hwy 1 and then back to 101 via 68.

If you try to do Hwy 1 south from Monterey through Big Sur, you'll run out of steam and won't see much (if any) of the famous coastline before nightfall (depending on the time of year). You cannot change your mind once you take Hwy 1 south from Carmel.

You wanna make it quicker...stay on 5 all the way down to the 41 near Kettleman City, and cut across to Paso Robles and the 101, and then south to SLO.

[Silverback51]

Thanks Jamo.

Got one question. What's 101 like between Salinas and SLO?

[Jamo]

Not bad...you're running to the east of Fort Hunter-Liggett, which keeps stuff unspoiled/undeveloped in the coastal range all the way to the Big Sur coast. Pretty drive, especially south of King City. Little towns like Gonzalez and Soledad inbetween Salinas and King City. Blackstone Winery near Gonzalez is a neat rest stop.

Watch for cops between King City and Paso Robles...fairly straight and undeveloped area begs for fast driving, and they know it.

Paso Robles area is home to an important wine growing area, especially along 46 going back east a bit, or west towards Cambria. You can take 41 west from Atascadero to Morro Bay and cut back to SLO on 1...good meals.

By the way, one of my favorite roads is 198 between King City and 5 to the east...a gut wrenching sumb!tch that is best taken alone since passengers invariably pussei out as you gain air over some little hills in the middle of corners. Nice drifting through the canyon as you near Coalinga. Drove this thing regularly over the last five years in the C6...the E550 isn't quite as nimble, but with the Sirrus turned to Symphony, it makes for an exquisit....sorry, I digress.

What's in SLO? Ever been there before? If not...Madonna Inn on the south side of town (ESuites attached to the shopping center nearby), at least for a meal. Auto journalists always stop there. Pismo-Shell-Avila Beaches to the south (less than 10 miles) are full of shops and great meals. There's an eatery at the end of the fisherman's pier in Avila that is just plain amazing...the fishing fleet owns it...assolutely as fresh as it gets, and a local favorite (tourists get lost finding it)...just drive down the pier and park amongst the fishing warehouses...it's REAL.