Pescadero Rd, California

To be honest, it's tough to tell any of the roads apart in this area - when does Pescadero Road in Loma Mar become Loma Mar Road in Pescadero? Is there really any difference between the Pescadero Road in La Honda with its adjacent neighbor in Loma Mar? All of these streets in the northern Santa Cruz Mountain Range have several things in common - they are filled with redwood trees, are very pretty to drive down, have next to zero cell phone reception, and one will make you more carsick than the next.

Pescadero Road in Loma Mar earns lower points from me for one reason - it is further away from the Valley, which adds three main problems:

1. It takes longer to get to than its eastern neighboring towns, unless you are one of the five people living in Half Moon Bay.

2. The longer distance means more time to get carsick. This is one of two times in this area when I have actually made myself carsick from driving myself around.

3. It is that much further from anything that even remotely resembles cell phone reception.

If none of these things are dealbreakers and you can actually afford to live in Loma Mar, then by all means, enjoy it! Otherwise, stick with more accessible side roads in the redwoods (Highway 17 offers a fairly reasonable drive, for one), and you will be far better off.

I never cease to be amazed by the proximity of redwood forests and beaches in such a small, contained, and otherwise POPULATED area of the country. The driving here is not for the weak, or the faint of heart. Like many of the other winding roads on the coast near San Francisco, you will need dramamine, an iron stomach, or a desire to take the wheel. Memorial County, Pescadero Creek, and Portola Parks offers some great hiking trails.

For some reason, this street seems to have particularly windy sections, even by comparison to some of the neighboring roads. I have also seen more cops here than anywhere else in the redwoods. The good news is that you will have something resembling cell phone reception, unlike some of the other neighboring redwood roads. La Honda also has a small, but vibrant, music scene.