Normally in this part of August, the Big Guy would be camping in the mountains with his buddies and I would be spending a few days in San Francisco, exploring the city streets and enjoying the cool sea breezes. But this summer, between the current pandemic, the triple-digit heat, and now the poor air quality from numerous wildfires, we’ve both been spending way too much time tucked away inside the house. We’re looking forward to cooler temperatures; and for the first time in years, I’m actually tempted by the thought of a camping trip in the middle of nowhere.

So I thought this week we all might enjoy seeing this one-hour episode of Road Trip as Huell explores the San Marcos Pass and ventures into the small towns of Santa Ynez and Los Olivos. I’ve never visited this area around Santa Barbara; but the pass is very popular with cyclists, and it featured in Stage 5 of the 2014 Amgen Tour of California (American Taylor Phinney flew down the hill at 75 miles per hour and won the race that day. You can see a short clip of his ride here).

State Highway 154 is one of the most beautiful stretches of highway in California. The locals know it as the San Marcos Pass Road, and it’s a 32-mile section of highway from Santa Barbara to Highway 101 north of Los Olivos, that winds through the Los Padres National Forest, the Santa Ynez Valley and past Lake Cachuma. It’s a historic road as well, part of it following an original stagecoach route.

(Click on the linked image below to see the video.)