Route 1 from LA to SF

It's a tricky thing to arrange time on each stop in a short daytime season. So I added my average time we spent on this map. 4 days and 3 nights during the trip, 2 days on route 1 and another 2 in SF. San Simeon and Burlingame are the recommend places to stay if you have small budget.

There are plenty places waiting to discover on Route 1 and Big Sur. Besides the beautiful view along the freeway, the purple sand on Pfeiffer beach and birds on China Cove gave us the most amazing impression.

It's my second time to visit SF , as crowd as always. Classic China town seems like a birth place for Americanized Chinese food. Right? Haight-Ashbury is like Allston of Boston, Fairfax of LA, Little Five Points of Atlanta, where the alternatives gathers. Fun and dirty.

One reason I love this land is surprises everywhere. Like William Baker, the former prisoner of Alcatraz we encountered on the Alcatraz island. He is a lovely and funny guy with beautiful writing. The mystery spot, I learned it even when I was a kid. But it turns out not a scientific tour but a funny one.

China Cove

Alcatraz Island

From the inside of the prison

McWay Falls

Tunnel to the McWay Falls

Elephant seal vista point

Stanford University

Unknown name bridge

Gibson beach

Death Valley Trip

Death Valley is a must visit for heavy metal fan. I really like the way how they named those places like bad water （恶水）, Dante's view, Devils golf course, Coffin peak and funeral mountain etc, make death valley vividly. Like their newspaper said, Dante's view is breathtaking, not only the view, but the sound, DEAD silence. By looking at bald, magnificent mountains, you literally stand&drive in the movie and you know why the scene in The force awaken is made like that.

Along the highway we passed few perfect-shooting places like factories, abandon vehicle yard etc, but the most interesting part is a ghost town called Ballarat. Should have say hi to the mayor. What a legend! Story reads in here: https://www.desertusa.com/desert-california/ballarat.html

We had a 2-day trip. On November, it's neither too hot or cold, perfect weather BUT, the daytime is short. Sunset goes to 4:30-ish because of the mountain covers part of the sunset. We set out from LA and took us five hours to reach the furnace creek visitor center. We didn't do too much trails on the first time visit except golden canyon. Other than that, popular places like bad water, dante's view, zabriskie point are easy to visit by driving.

20 Mule team is a surprising place highly recommend. Suggested driving visit route please see top picture.

Next time notice: 1, prepare enough food and water.

2, best to drive with 4x4 wheel vehicle

3, best to do camping, you have stars to observe and it's too far to drive out of the valley but the pho in Ridgecrest is heart warming.

address is: https://www.yelp.com/biz/saigon-flavor-ridgecrest-2

Thousand years old Sea salt

Dante's view

Devil's golf course

Zabriskie point

Artist's drive

Zabriskie point

Just a can

Golden Canyon

A man with shades