Trip Planning: PCH Loop in my FRS
 

I'm planning a big, fun loop through the California Coast. The loop starts after a fast dash from Utah to Thousand Oaks (to visit my brother and his family), then proceeds up SR-1 and US-101 to northern California.

My question for you fine folks, what would be a good set of roads to enjoy the car's particular skills as I head back toward Utah? I'm thinking of heading into the mountains somewhere around Eureka, but maybe Grants Pass or further into Oregon. I'm also entertaining suggestions for diversions into the mountains along the way.

Of course, I'm happy to return the favor for those of you coming to Utah. :thanks:

Sounds like a fun trip. I'm actually planning a somewhat similar trip, my wife and I are doing a similar loop from Norcal to Yellowstone (not in the BRZ, though, since we'll have tons of camping stuff). If you don't mind going a little bit further north, you can take the return route we were planning, heading north from Cali (101 or 5, either way) towards Grants Pass, crossing the hills through Oregon via 62-230-97 towards Bend (we plan on checking out Crater Lake), then east across Idaho, following the Snake River.

We were just just gonna bare it out across NV, but gonna stop by the Salt Flats. Got any recommendations for UT, around Salt Lake?

Coming down from Yellowstone, SR-89 is about the best you can do. If you have extra half day to blow you can lengthen the roads in the mountains by adding the SR-20, SR-16, SR-39 loop, but it's just a lot more of what you'd see on -89.

Once you are on the interstate in NW Utah, just stay there. The only interesting things in that corner need 4WD and a lot of time.

Just got back from CA. Man, you guys have some great roads! But I came back a day early because you also have tourists. Slow ones.

Here is my assessment of some roads I drove.
A = perfect for sports cars, fun and challenging
B = fun to drive
C = passable
D = freeway
F = dirt road
+ means the road seems to have a culture favoring sports cars (signage to tell slow cars to use turnouts, for example, or very low usage)
- means tourists/farmers are present in torturous numbers

My list (these make a loop, I didn't drive the non-loop portions of the roads):
Grimes Canyon: A-
CA-33: B+
CA-166: C-
PCH: A- (when is it not tourist season on this road???)
Nacimiento-Fergussen road: A
CA-198: B+
CA-41: B-
CA-120 (in Yosemite): C-
CA-120 (east of Mono Lake): B+


But concerning tourists: I also found them near all the national parks in southern Utah on my way down the state...reminded me why I never visit national parks any more. Off-season driving FTW!

Thanks for voting for whomever appointed the folks in charge of the roads.

Glad you had fun, I'm really looking forward to my UT trip coming up at the end of the month. Its a pity that you didn't enjoy 120, its one of my favorite roads, but not for the driving but more for the scenery, (the twistys are a plus) Yosemite is just such a beautiful place. I guess I'm in the same category as those "tourists" that were slowing you down, lol

Well, I'm kinda strange in terms of scenery. Living in Utah, and being a photographer, I've rather lit on the idea that trees block the view. Still, I did enjoy the turnouts where there was a nice vista.

But the ratings above are rated purely for driving.

Man - I don't check this forum enough. I live in Thousand Oaks!

I do a "quick loop" sometimes of Decker Canyon to PCH, cruise (relax) to Mulholland - double back up towards Decker but keep going on Mulholland until you get to The Snake. Turn around at the Rock Store, do The Snake again, then back to Decker to head home. About 90 minutes round trip from my house (about 20 minutes highway cruising total, 70 minutes of canyon carving).

Decker Rd is crazy - really gotta get lucky and hit it at the right time when there's no trucks or bicycles on it. Trucks will do 10 mph (tops!) and make you regret getting in your car at all, and bc the turns are all blind tight 15mph (with the tires screaming!) - when you see a cyclist mid turn, you got no where to go.

Mulholland is "too fast" to really push it. You can push it a bit on some sections, but other sections you'd be doing 80mph if you wanted to push limits - and that's stupid fast for roads that again bicycles are on. Other parts are fun at 30mph, but no guard rail so you overcook a turn and you're dropping a few thousand feet over the edge.

(on a solo canyon run last month, I wondered if I was going to be the first to drive their BRZ off a mountain. I decided to slow down, a little.)

If your already at the mulholland snake you should try to incorporate piuma in your route, I think that's my favorite road now with Latigo 2nd.