NorCal Bay Area Drive Destinations
 

Do you want some hot #covfefe or a delicious donut to go with that drive of yours? Help compile a list of your favorite small businesses and local spots when you're out mashing through the gears (or flapping your paddles) on the weekend.

Peninsula:
Hwy 84/Kings Mountain Road - Alices Restaurant (food), Skywood Trading Post (grocery), Applejacks (dive bar).
Pescadero Creek Road/Stage Road - Loma Mar Store (coffee), Downtown Local (coffee), Arcangeli Grocery, Highway 1 Brewing Co. (food), Mercado & Taqueria De Amigos (grocery, taqueria).
Skyline Blvd - The Mountain House (food)

South Bay:
Hwy 9 south, Hwy 236, Bear Creek Road - Jenna Sue's Coffee, Coffee Nine.
Empire Grade, Pine Flat Rd., Bonny Doon Rd., Felton Empire Rd. - Whale City Bakery, Taqueria Santa Cruz (right next to Safeway)
Soquel San Jose Rd - Verve Coffee, Gayle's Bakery, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
Hwy 130 Mt Hamilton Rd. - East SJ Recommendations?
Calaveras Rd - Milpitas Recommendations?
McKean Road, Hwy 152 - Gizdich Ranch (apple pie, slushies, juice) Freedom Meat Lockers (deli)


East Bay:
Mines Road, Del Puerto Canyon Rd. - The Junction (food)
Redwood Road - Canyon Club Brewery (food)

North Bay:
Hwy 128 - Busters BBQ

This is a great thread!

You've already mentioned ones that I already go to, especially Alice's.

Curious to know if there are more around!

Gizdich Ranch over on 152.

Best apple juice and pie :)

Whale City Bakery in Davenport is a good place to stop after coming down Bonny Doon Road.

East Bay:
Redwood Road - Canyon Club Brewery (food)

One great way to do Gizdich is to stop and get a bottle of wine at one of the many good wineries you will pass along the way, then once over the hill, go a few more miles down the road to Hi Grade Ln to Freedom Meat Lockers. It is a meat market/deli. Pick up an awesome hot or cold sammy. Go back and picnic at Gizdich and finish off with some pie a la mode.

There are many many nice places to go in the Santa Cruz/coastal mountains and along the coast. My wife and I love to go for drives and picnic. There are what seems like hundreds of wineries that have nice picnic grounds. You just have to be careful on roads like Mountain Charlie Rd, Black Rd, the South end of Skyline, and a few others that are tiny one lane never maintained roads. Just go and explore.

One great place to eat on Skyline in The Mountain House. The duck is great, and I love the Elk burger in the bar menu.

Redwood Road is a dear friend, it was my favorite road to ride motorcycles on for years.

It's a great road, but I just want to ask everyone to be careful on it. Lots of people like to go fast out there, and a friend of my riding buddies was killed by a civic a few years back when it slid across the road on a downhill right sweeper. If I had gone out riding that day, I would have watched him die like everyone else did. So please respect your fellow humans out there and enjoy responsibly :thumbsup:

Northbay:

Highway 128 to Busters Bbq and continue north for more fun

Also found this:
https://rennlist.com/forums/west-us-...ing-blast.html

Thats a great thread. I like how they included the roads south of Hollister. I''ll have to investigate...

I've been meaning to go check out 198 aka the Motor Trend's Best Drivers Car test route. It's a long drive down to get there, but one of these days...

@PMok - I’d be down to drive 198.

I also really like 33, and have planned road trips to SoCal that go that way because it’s so amazing.

I too am planning a route that hits some roads down there. I'm trying to schedule with some other friends. I'll put up the invite when I figure out our dates. We mayyyy even take a weekday off to do it.