Taking our RV to the sunshine, we yesterday drove down US 101 from Paso Robles to just north of Santa Barbara. At this time of year it is a beautiful drive, the rolling hillsides of the Coast Range are green and the cattle and sheep are busily grazing.
An easy drive, so I was musing about the central role this highway has had in my life. I was being carried back and forth on it in a laundry basket when I was tiny, grew up watching my dad drive a '41 Chevy, followed by a '50 Dodge on the stretches from Ventura north to Santa Barbara and south to LA.
This highway is older than our nation, and began with the name El Camino Real, the King's Highway when this land was owned by Spain. After Spain, it was part of Mexico, then briefly an autonomous California - the so-called Bear Flag Republic - and since 1848 part of the U.S.
The original 'highway' - a dirt track fit for pack trains and pedestrians - linked a string of missions established by Spanish friars to Christianize the Indians who lived here. The missions were a day's walk apart. Today it's four lane divided highway from north of SF to the Mexican border.
One of the fun facts about US 101 is that there are "mission bells" hung on poles along the roadside every few miles. Imagine a greenish pole with a top like a question mark (?) and a brownish bell hanging from the tip of the hook. A few have a sign below the bell saying:
People steal the bells but somehow they get replaced, probably by the Auto Club. I remember my parents pointing them out to me when I was small, longer ago than I like to admit. I'm happy to report they are still there as of yesterday, at least on the stretch we drove.HistoricEl Camino Real
The stretch of 101 from Gaviota (seagull) Pass to Ventura is legendary among surfers, Their cars are often parked along the edges. My memory says 101 is mentioned in Beach Boys lyrics somewhere, but I'm too lazy to go looking for the citation.
