10 cool things to do on your Highway 1 road trip

Highway 1 along the Central Coast is hands down one of the world’s most captivating road trips. Even if you exited your car only for rest stops and overnights, you’d still have an amazing journey, thanks to the unrivaled views of the California coastline and vistas around every bend. But then you’d be missing out on a lot of cool activities found only on this route.

In particular, the stretch between Nipomo and Cambria in San Luis Obispo County is packed with unusual things to do. Check out these 10 unforgettable experiences, running from south to north along Highway 1.

Most luffas found in stores are imported and go through a fumigation process that can make them rough to the touch; the ones grown in Nipomo are softer and fluffier.

Make like Mad Max and zip around Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, a seaside off-roading destination. From single-driver ATVs to six-seater buggies that can fit entire families, SunBuggy Fun Rentals has a variety of rides to navigate the 3,500 acres of voluminous sand dunes with incredible views of the Pacific Ocean. Rentals start at $91.50, plus fuel and fees.

Keep your eyes peeled for the stark-white shell middens, ancient trash dumps where the Chumash people disposed of clam shells and possibly animal bones. Tip: Ride earlier early in the day when it’s less windy.

Via private appointments, owner Jeff Dobbs and his family allow visitors access to their funky 5-acre sanctuary to meet the 30-plus species of residents, including a mammoth African spurred tortoise named Apollo and an Eastern box turtle with the unique ability to completely retract like a clam. Tours are free; donations are encouraged.

On the outdoor patio at the Sinor-LaVallee tasting room in Avila Beach, you can sample the region’s coastal terroir. Pair your tasting with a tray of shuck-your-own oysters from the Morro Bay Oyster Company. Four to five wine-tasting flight, $25. (For maximum convenience, consider a stay across the street at the charming Avila Lighthouse Suites. Rates start at  $307, plus a $45 daily resort fee; AAA discount available.)

Back on shore, pop over to Mersea’s at the end of the pier for the area’s best seafood.

Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort & Spa, famous for its naturally heated waters, rents access to more than 20 private hillside hot tubs and one dramatic waterfall lagoon (which can fit up to 20 people) by the hour. All overnight rooms are equipped with their own hot tubs. Bring your own towel or rent one from the spa. Hot tub rentals start at $22.50 per hour, per person. Rates start at $290, plus at $35 daily resort fee (not including tax).

Overlooking the majestic Morro Bay, El Moro Elfin Forest is home to miniature California live oak trees that grow between 4 and 20 feet tall, thanks to unique coastal conditions. (Elsewhere, they usually reach 50 feet.)

A sturdy, accessible boardwalk zigzags around the 90-acre area, where bracken ferns, California sagebrush, and fuchsia-flowered gooseberry also flourish. A set of overlooks provide prime views of the estuary and Morro Rock in the distance. Enter the canopied Rose Boker Grove located in the center of the forest and you’ll feel like you’re on the set of The Lord of the Rings.

Kelpful, a sustainable seaweed educational nonprofit company, hosts a rare experience: in-depth foraging classes where visitors can join team members on the shore to learn about the nutrient-dense food source—where to find it, how to safely collect it and prepare it for consumption, and why we should be eating more of it.

During the foraging session, guests tromp through water and across rocks to hunt down and pluck seaweed varieties like nori and the pungent golden rockweed. $65 per adult.

Don’t blink and miss the hamlet of Harmony, tucked between San Luis Obispo and Cambria. A former dairy co-op that boasts a population of just 18, Harmony is a block of bohemianism that’s worth the detour.

The Harmony Valley Creamery ice cream truck, which sits in the center of the town, serves up craft flavors like Cow Town Coffee Bean and Harmony Chapel Chocolate, named in honor of the town’s adorable lone chantry. Enjoy a scoop, then browse the art at the only other businesses in town: Harmony Glassworks and Harmony Pottery Studio and Gallery.

Trek across a 2,000-acre ranch dotted with Monterey pines while riding on the back of a gentle Clydesdale, one of the world’s largest horses. Covell’s Clydesdales has a two-hour trail ride that takes you through pastures of grazing cattle and up to the property’s highest point for eye-popping views of the Pacific.

If you want to keep the equestrian theme going, spend the night at nearby Oceanpoint Ranch resort, where the stylish rooms are decked out with bull-horn wall hangings and horse portraits. Rates start at $341.

Derrik J. Lang is the senior features editor of Westways and AAA Explorer.