It may sound strange but I am somewhat repulsed by most touristy things, along with big cities. Please tell me more though about the joy of riding between LA and SF.
The pictures I referenced aren't enough? Describing something and experiencing it, is just not the same.
If you chose Highway 5 or 99, it's just another freeway. In the big valley most of the roads are tract style, have been evolved from rectangular farm land borders. If you enjoy watching farm tractors, tomatoe bin haulers, produce and farm animal movers, and irrigation sprinklers, it will be a hoot!
If you travel along the mountains inland, there is far more visual interest, some ghost towns, and old, mostly abandoned, mining sites (Columbia pretty fun). I don't think it is better than the coastline route, just different.
If you don't want to be a tourist, why is it you are traveling? The popular things are usually that for a reason. Are you bypassing the famously touristy grand canyon and Hover dam? You may just be deliriously happy with route 50 in Nevada.
The PCH is just a very nice ride with wonderful scenery. You'll get the most tourists there on weekends. But, anywhere on the pacific coast will be like that. The mountains have the weekend tourists and vacation campers, too. If that repulses you, head for Nevada route 50! California has 38 million people in it roaming about. Anywhere but home is popular whenever time allows. One of the allures of CAL. is that there is so much to see and do, much of which you will find nowhere else. Heck, I've got twisty foothill roads starting three blocks from my house. Not too far is a telescope observatory (They put those as close to the stars as possible.) Yup, fun winding road up to that.
Perhaps you should list what DOES interest you, or at least a flavor of that? Just you and the road? A shanty town roadside beer? You don't have to come to Cal. to find that. But, it's here if you want it. Not many places can you find the diverse places and activity. Such as mountain snowboarding/ stream trout fishing in the morning and coastal surfing/deep sea fishing in the afternoon evening, or vice versa. (And just about everything in between). Like white water rafting? We got it. Lazy houseboat float down the rivers, we got that, too.
If you allot 1 day for CA travel, you'll miss a lot, and most likely the best it has to offer. Less so, if you take a week. But, you'll still miss a lot. CA is pretty big and diverse. Like volcanic aftermath? Want to walk in a lava tube? Caving?
What we don't have is a flat horizon in every direction you look. (And good politicians,
So, unless you want a pretty good train museum, avoid Sacramento. But, they do have a nice fast freeway around it, to get past it quickly.
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