I've never been a beach person - nor much of a water person for that matter - there are only lakes and rivers in the land-locked Prairies scoured out of the ground by the glacial action of the last ice age and the meltwaters of the Rocky Mountains .
But, I think I could be... Place name links like Carolina Beach, NC go to Wikipedia. Place name links like Carolina Beach use the local tourism or government website.
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Santa Monica Pier at Night |
| 2013.04.10 |
Tuna Canyon Road, Las Flores Canyon Road |
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The Santa Monica Mountains have a lot of canyon roads, some of which are used only by locals and a few recreational drivers, if at all. I scanned Google Maps for roads I haven't driven yet and today I'll try a couple.
Tuna Canyon Road is known as a world-class bicycle course. The last 2/3 of the road down to the PCH is one-way - there's no access off the PCH .
Las Flores Canyon Road winds through one of the first residential settlements in Malibu. |
Being my first time on these roads, I didn't take any pics while driving. And they look about the same as other canyon-road pics anyway. Segment A-B is Topanga Canyon Road that I've driven already a few times. With the uphill lane of Tuna Canyon Road closed at C the best access for me is at B - Fernwood Pacific Drive, a road used mostly by locals. And for good reason: it's narrow, winding, and elevates - sometimes all three at once. I don't know if there's a name for an ascending right-turn hairpin but it has to be the busiest turn to make - brake, downshift, crank the wheel, gas it, feel the compression from driving into a rising road. Oh, and people live along these roads; someone might be around the corner so be prepared to brake. When Fernwood turns into Tuna the driving relaxes.
| From just off Fernwood Pacific Drive -->
From this spot you can see Topanga Canyon, part of downtown, and the ocean.
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Tuna Canyon Road is a pretty relaxed drive because it's mostly one-way and not populated from about half-way down. However, it's mostly one-way because the uphill lane has washed out in spots, and there are large signs warning of possible impassability because of rock slides. So maybe not so relaxed. :) But a route I quite liked and will take again.
Along the PCH and then off it onto Las Flores Canyon Road which eventually leads up to a scenic vista at E which straddles this portion of the Santa Monica Mountains . I took the long route here - it's possible to get here from B and I almost did but I turned back to continue along Tuna Canyon Road to complete it first.
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The Backbone Trail
Along the Spine of the Santa Monica Mountains
One side looks into the valley, the other at the ocean. | | |
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From here I headed down Stunt Road, just to the left of the marker, back to the Mulholland Highway . Maybe I'll get some pictures of Stunt Road another time. |
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The Getty Center |
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Santa Monica Pier at Night |
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