Can Driving Still Be Fun? All Signs On This Splendid Ojai Route Point To 'absolutely'

5 jam yang lalu

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Everyone knows nan stars of Southern California’s driving landscape: Pacific Coast Highway, nan cinematic connector of formation cities; Angeles Crest Highway, a stunning and winding upland route; and “The Snake,” Mulholland Highway’s infamous roadway that reopened precocious past year.

A motion on California 33 adjacent Ojai.

But there’s a less-traveled way that feels conscionable arsenic quintessentially SoCal: California 33 to Hudson Ranch Road, passing done Ojai, Maricopa, New Cuyama and Frazier Park.

Parts of this roadworthy curl successful connected themselves into tight, method twisties — catnip to car enthusiasts and motorcyclists. But this two-lane motorway besides showcases nan splendor and diverseness of nan rugged region, from nan forested mountains and canyons successful Ventura to nan jagged rocks and chaparral of nan godforsaken vistas, making it appealing to thrill seekers and sightseers alike. While roadways for illustration nan 5 service to get you from 1 constituent to different quickly and efficiently, this 1 begs you to relish nan journey.

“A roadworthy for illustration this forces your mind to attraction connected nan contiguous needs of car control, while rewarding it pinch nan beauty of nan earthy world,” says Dave Coleman, a Mazda R&D technologist from Long Beach who incorporates Hudson Ranch Road into his drives to and from nan Bay Area. “While driving, location conscionable isn’t capable intelligence bandwidth near to interest astir nan stressful things successful life.”

This way brings group together, including maine and my car enthusiast friends, who regularly spell connected these driving excursions — state prices beryllium damned. “We thrust these roads for nan excitement and euphoria, conscionable for illustration group spell to Disneyland,” says Matt Kometer, a SkyLink supervisor from San Pedro who drives a 2026 Mazda MX-5 Miata. And, dissimilar Disneyland aliases nan accepted getaways that impact a edifice enactment aliases a flight, these outings tin beryllium put together successful a mode of hours.

I was a rider connected a caller Sunday pleasance cruise pinch a caravan of 9 cars, which started successful Ojai and ended astatine nan guidelines of Mount Pinos successful nan Los Padres National Forest. That’s 28 miles arsenic nan crow flies, but our route, pinch a detour for luncheon successful Cuyama, swelled nan travel to much than 100 miles.

An 2026 Audi RS 3 heading to nan luncheon extremity successful Cuyama.

If you’re readying a travel of your own, a fewer things to statement earlier you deed nan road: Always cheque nan roadworthy conditions, apical up nan vessel because there’s only 1 state position successful Cuyama, download maps because compartment work is spotty, and, if you’re caravanning pinch friends, it’s bully to bring walkie-talkies to enactment successful contact. The passageway conception of 33 successful Wheeler Springs will beryllium closed Aug. 28-31. Check nan Caltrans website for updates.

Here’s a play-by-play of our time connected nan road.

10 a.m.: Breakfast astatine Pinyon connected Ojai Avenue

Arriving from each corners of nan L.A. Basin, nan drivers meet up and substance up astatine Pinyon Ojai, a pizza edifice connected Ojai Avenue. The shop serves single-origin java from Ventura’s Beacon Coffee and meal sandwiches featuring house-made bagels. Street-side seating affords premier car spotting, which coming includes a right-hand-drive Toyota Land Cruiser Prado SUV and an immaculate brown-on-tan Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda two-seater. Those who clip their travel for nan 2nd Sunday greeting of each period tin cheque retired nan cars and java arena a fewer blocks distant astatine Westridge Midtown Market.

In nan restaurant, nan friends drawback up, chatting astir nan cars they drove here, nan advancement of their existent car projects and nan way for nan day. There is an aerial of anticipation. For galore successful nan group, it’s their first clip driving this route. Miatas characteristic heavy successful this crowd, but location are besides high-performance rides, for illustration a Porsche 911, a first-generation Audi R8 and an Audi RS 3.

Traveling nan canyon connected nan two-lane road done Wheeler Springs and Wheeler Gorge is beautiful but slow going, past houses and campgrounds arsenic good arsenic precocious stone walls that frighten to rainfall down scree. Three narrow, acheronian tunnels on nan measurement throttle speeds because of nan abrupt contrasts from wide daylight. Highway 33, astatine a humble 3.5% grade, meanders complete and on creeks that are invisible from nan roadworthy but marked by riparian vegetation.

Drivers stitchery astir their cars while stopping on State Route 33.

After nan roadworthy opens up, nan drivers make short activity of nan curves while maintaining a respectful region from 1 another. Occasionally, a leisure driver bunches up nan group until they propulsion complete astatine nan adjacent turnout to fto nan faster drivers pass. The bid of switchbacks pinch hairpin turns connection a satisfying tally up to Pine Mountain Summit. “That’s immoderate world-class sports car nosy there,” says Alex Vendler, a cinematographer from Glendale who drove up successful a 2003 Miata. The 5,160-foot-high acme allows america to drawback our activity and return successful nan views of nan San Rafael Mountains successful nan west.

Chris Floren of Torrance poses successful beforehand of his "Viccup," a 1960s motortruck draped complete a Ford Crown Victoria.

1 p.m.: A break and much car talk astatine roadside motel Cuyama Buckhorn

The Buckhorn Restaurant astatine Cuyama Buckhorn, a midcentury roadside edifice refurbished successful 2018, serves arsenic nan cleanable respite. It’s astir 10 miles disconnected our way but is an air-conditioned oasis of burgers, pastry a la mode and endless crystal water.

If there’s a downside to stopping successful nan “hidden vale of enchantment,” it’s nan chopped deficiency of shaded parking. But astatine slightest location are plentifulness of spots successful beforehand of nan hotel. Through nan diner’s ample front-facing windows, we watched a cowboy mosey past connected his horse, checking retired nan assortment of vehicles.

A group of friends has luncheon astatine nan Buckhorn Restaurant astatine Cuyama Buckhorn.

Even though location are 12 of america walk-ins, nan hostess instantly pushes respective tables together to accommodate nan group. The dynamics of this agelong array induce respective different conversations to break retired — each astir cars. “I person a Miata, and I want a Miata,” says Vendler. Apparently, his tablemate William Benedict, a package technologist from West Hollywood who drove nan R8, was skeptical astir each nan emotion for nan Mazda roadster. Elsewhere, motorsports head Chris Floren of Torrance is getting props for nan astonishing prowess of his sleeper “Viccup” — a Ford Crown Victoria constabulary car pinch a ’60s-era pickup assemblage draped complete it. Another group discusses really “One Battle After Another” features nan astir Nissan Sentra SE-R contented of immoderate movie.

After last-minute gulps of water, everyone filters backmost into nan power of nan godforsaken and hurries to aerial retired nan cars’ ovenlike cabins. There is simply a mini photograph sprout pinch Floren’s motortruck successful beforehand of nan vintage edifice sign, and past we jump successful nan cars and backtrack up nan 33/166 toward Hudson Ranch Road.

The Hudson Ranch Road is much nosy successful a Mitsubishi Evo IX.

3:30 p.m.: A ‘roller coaster’ of a roadworthy and a reunion successful Pine Mountain Club

Unlike Maricopa Highway 33, Hudson Ranch Road features coarser asphalt, nary guardrails and much passing zones than turnouts. Kometer said it should beryllium a tarmac rally shape while master stunt driver and Long Beach section Sarah Fairfield, who piloted nan 2nd ’26 MX-5 connected this trip, equated it to a roller coaster. The roadworthy was primitively built successful nan ’30s to accommodate postulation heading to nan skis resort, which closed successful nan ’70s. Now, nan group deems it nan item of nan day. “It fto maine bask nan enactment of driving without having to spell excessively fast,” says Karl Buchka, an aerospace technologist from El Segundo who drove up successful nan 911.

Although nan friends were separated connected this leg, having each taken nan way astatine their ain pace, they reunite astatine Pine Mountain General Store successful Pine Mountain Club. The Village Center convenience shop beckons pinch shaded parking and a freezer afloat of stiff treats. Between bites of a cocoa crystal pick bar, Coleman proposes continuing connected toward Santa Clarita, via nan twisties connected Bouquet Canyon and Spunky Canyon roads. With competing commitments, however, astir of nan drivers reluctantly front out.

A look backmost astatine nan caravan connected nan 166/33, heading toward Hudson Ranch Road.

In immoderate case, nan daylong cruise served its intent of resetting nan week and reconnecting nan friends. “A batch of what this hobby aliases manner aliases immoderate is astir is yet an excuse to walk clip pinch friends, and to make caller ones,” says Jason Kavanagh, a turbopump technologist from Mid-City who brought a Mitsubishi Evo IX to nan outing. “So, yeah, nan roadworthy is simply a intends to that end.”