USA 2004

Route 1: Santa Cruz & Hollister

In Santa Cruz, the weather is still very bad in the morning – it's overcast and also very cold. We put on long pants and go to breakfast at the hotel. Afterwards, we consider what to do given the bad weather, because going to the beach isn't worth it. We decide to drive along the coastal road, see the Natural Bridges, and then drive to Hollister to pick up a seat for a colleague's motorcycle from Corbin. We expected more from Santa Cruz, both from the beach and in general. The beach wasn't particularly great… and what we saw of the town wasn't impressive either.

The drive to Hollister turns out to be longer than originally planned. We somehow get lost, then find a route again, which unfortunately then leads to a road closure that prevents us from continuing. A friendly local describes the way to us, and we eventually find Hollister and then Corbin. The seat should be bigger than described… The drive to Hollister wasn't entirely in vain, however, as the drive inland revealed very beautiful apple orchards and vineyards.

Monterey is the next stop on the route. The harbor, as well as the city, are not particularly worth seeing, so we simply buy some food and drive to a nearby beach, hoping that the water there isn't as brown as at the pier. We find a great beach with white sand, great waves, and a very, very cold Pacific Ocean. We eat, play Frisbee, and after an hour and a half, continue on Route 1 to San Simoen, where we spend the night again in a Motel 6.