On the beach in Carlsbad.
So what’s your dream drive?
Cruising the coast in a hot Corvette?
Well, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of this column, GM was nice enough to satisfy my itch to drive a Corvette — in this case the hot new Grand Sport convertible — and so of course I had to take it down the old Coast Highway, the former U.S. 101 along our North County beaches.
So, along with my neighbor, Ed (I guess GM didn’t have a leggy supermodel available), I drove the beach route south from Oceanside.
Our tour began at tidy Oceanside Harbor, where the new Pacific Street bridge connects the harbor to the Oceanside Pier area and makes the trip more predictable, as the old paved-sand road washed out from time to time.
Oceanside’s pier area is a real throwback, with its concrete pillars and vintage amphitheater. After a quick photo stop, it was on to another relic, the 101 Cafe, right on the old highway. It’s a vintage diner lovingly operated by a team headed by Oceanside native John Daley and true to form, John was there on a Saturday morning, chatting with diners and soaking up the ambiance. The food’s classic American to match the setting, while the big mural on the south side of the building is a iconic photo spot.
Passing Vista Way, look left for the Buena Vista Lagoon, the first of four along the coast, estuaries that are where what passes as a Southern California river meets the sea. Up the hill and over the railroad tracks and you’re in Carlsbad, with sites that include the Army-Navy Academy, Alt Karlsbad Spa, the Ocean House (once the Twin Inns chicken restaurant) and lots of buildings reflecting either the Spanish or Tudor styles common to the town. At Pine Avenue, the road meets the beach and one of the most spectacular vistas anywhere; it’s impressed weary drivers for a century. Just south of the Palomar Airport Road turnoff, take a moment to stop at one of the rare spots where drivers can appreciate highway evolution: four versions of the coast road. Closest to the cliff edge is the concrete original 1910-20 highway; you’re driving on the 1930s alignment southbound; the 1952 freeway separated the northbound lanes just east; while in the distance is Interstate 5. It’s rare that original pavement on such a busy route has been preserved, so if you’ve been yearning to drive on Route 66, check out the Coast Highway. With all due respect to those who love the desert, there’s nothing better than the Pacific Coast. More relics are on the road in Leucadia, from the Log Cabin Apartments, old stores and gas stations to the Leucadia Roadside Park, the type of public spot on the highway where folks in their Model Ts would stop to rest both themselves and the car during the long drive south or north. “Are we ever going to take this baby on some curves?” Ed asked in Encinitas, and well, there aren’t too many places to give the ‘Vette exercise on the Coast Highway. So, it was over the hill to Rancho Santa Fe, which has curves and the clientele to make the Grand Sport feel at home. From there, it was on through equally tony Fairbanks Ranch and Carmel Valley. And at home it was. While the roads don’t allow for opening up the 436 horsepower, 6.2 liter LS3 engine, the Corvette corners like a dream. A flick of the wheel and it ziggs flat around the zaggs, giving more than a few drivers in their Land Rovers, Lexus LX 570 and a Bentley something to look at. Even with an MSRP of $77,735, the Corvette is the bargain of the bunch. All too quickly — like 10 years of columns — our cruise was over in the dream Corvette along dream roads. The good thing is that any of us can gas up the car and drive these very same roads any day of the year. Thanks for a decade of letting me take you there. Corvette at the 101 Cafe in Oceanside. Downtown Rancho Santa Fe.
Route and Info
Distance
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, with traffic along the Coast Highway, as well as narrow lanes and traffic in Rancho Santa Fe.Directions
Left to South Harbor Drive.
