Aside from U.S. 95, which to me is a desert highway that really deserves honors, U.S. 101 is probably tied for greatness, but in a different way.
While 95 is king of the deserts (for most of its length), U.S. 101 is king (or queen) of the Pacific Coast.
As I lived in northern California, in Sonoma County specifically, for 8 years, I got to know the 101 pretty well for most of its length, minus the majority of Washington after the Astoria Bridge.
Oh, sorry about the 'the 101' bit, it's something I learned from living in San Diego for 2 years: every freeway starts with 'the', they were into their definite articles, I guess.
Now, 101 should be considered as one hundred one, and not an auxilliary of U.S. 1 which is 3,000 miles from 101.
First, the deleted bits. Prior to 1964, 101 began at the Mexican border in San Ysidro. It went into downtown San Diego and then proceeded north through several coastal towns, and then after Oceanside, enjoyed an almost 20 mile stretch of unadulterated ocean views before hitting San Clemente in Orange County. 101 then cut through many Orange County towns, taking many turns along the way before it entered Los Angeles County, where it again took several turns before reaching downtown L.A.
In 1964, 101 was truncated to end at Interstate 5. Historically for me, this was often a decision point. As I often traveled between Santa Rosa and San Diego, coming back after a visit would bring me to this point often. I had to decide if I wanted to take a nice leisurely drive and get some ocean views here and there, or take the faster but more boring Interstate 5. If I got an early enough start, it would be 101.
Starting at its split from I 5, 101 weaves northwesterly through East L.A. as the Hollywood Freeway a bit before offering a fantastic view of the Los Angeles downtown skyline, which is not as impressive as other downtowns in America...surprising considering the size of Los Angeles in square miles and square people. 101 is a depressed freeway (it refuses to take Prozac) through the downtown area, then proceeds into Hollywood, providing access to Universal Studios before it exits the Hollywood Freeway and takes over the Ventura Freeway from CA 134. The Hollywood Freeway turns traitor as CA 170 to return to I 5 like the snitch it is! Cutting a swath through the San Fernando Valley and Agoura Hills, 101 exits Los Angeles County and enters Ventura County where, after some hills and towns like Thousand Oaks (sure, go ahead and count them!), 101 gets its first ocean views as it passes through Ventura, and it keeps a steady access to ocean views all the way through Santa Barbara and its adjoining small towns.
This is truly one of 101's gem sections. After Gaviota, however, 101 goes from a westbound to a northbound freeway, entering California's Central Coast region and coursing through the hills of Santa Barbara County. After Santa Maria, 101 enters San Luis Obispo County, going through the county's namesake as well as Paso Robles, Atascadero, and Pismo Beach (where one can catch a short glimpse of the Ocean again). Before long, 101 enters Monterey County's farming region, passing by several farms and small farming communities. This, to me, was always the most boring stretch of 101. After many many boring miles, 101 enters Salinas, the biggest town since Paso Robles. There was an IHOP I used to stop to eat at when I was going south.
After Salinas, 101 winds through the rest of Monterey County, a small slice of San Benito County, and then enters Santa Clara County, which indicates that the Bay Area is rapidly approaching.
In southern Santa Clara County, one can almost constantly smell garlic, which is because the town of Gilroy is known as THE garlic capital. Before long, 101 enters San Jose, which is actually bigger than San Francisco but less impressive-looking. From San Jose, 101 passes through several towns along the western shores of San Francisco Bay before passing SFO Airport and then entering the City and COunty of San Francisco itself. After providing access to the start of I 80, 101 continues as a freeway for a short bit before becoming a set of city streets, eventually coming to the northern section with access to the Presidio and them crossing the beautiful and famous Golden Gate Bridge. Having walked on that bridge several times, I can attest to its awesomeness.
Over the bridge, 101 enters Marin County, one of America's most expensive areas to live. As one travels along, they can see that the surrounding natural scenery has changed much from southern California, and if the window is open, the aromas are different as well. After passing through San Rafael and Novato, 101 becomes a bit rural for the first time since before San Jose. After coming into Sonoma County, 101 is a bit more civilized again as it goes thorugh Petaluma, Cotati, Rohnert Park, and then Santa Rosa, the biggest town it will engage for some time. Of my time in Sonoma County, 5 of those years were in Santa Rosa, a pleasant town to reside in.
After Santa Rosa, 101 is fairly rural again as it passes through Windsor and Healdsburg, then enters the Alexander Valley, known for its many independent winerie along with a few well-known wineries such as Gallo. After Cloverdale, 101 finishes up Sonoma County and enters Mendocino County.
After Ventura and Santa Barbara's long coastline features, Mendocino County is a jewel I'd put in 2nd place, and it's not a distant second. After Hopland and Ukiah in really beautiful countryside, 101 finally becomes a nondivided highway even though it still has 4 lanes, and begins to wind and climb through the countryside. It once again becomes a short freeway as it bypasses Willits...which is a disappointment to me as when I lived in California, 101 ran right through this nice little town. After the bypass ends, 101 is an even narrower road as it heads to Laytonville, then Leggett where CA 1 ends its long journey from Orange County (1 and 101 share road in a few places). After passing through Piercy, 101 enters Humboldt County, offering a vast array of forests and tree-covered hills, rarely on a straightaway at all until it gets to Fortuna where 101 is divided again until it reaches Eureka.
In the heart of Humboldt County, one can take CA route 254, which is old 101 as a very skinny 2-lane road, along the Avenue of the Giants, passing by and under many redwood trees, several of which form a canopy over the road, an experience one should try...I've tried it many times.
In Eureka, 101 is once again a road through town. Eureka is a bit old, but it has its charms. After Eureka, 101 is an expressway through Arcata, a popular university town where many 'herbs' are grown if you catch my drift. After several miles, 101 gets a few coastal viewpoints again before getting quite forested and curvy on its way into Del Norte County and its seat Crescent City.
I love Crescent City! It has that feel of a town big enough to meet one's basic needs while also providing a sense of getting away from it all, at least for a short while. If I could afford to live in California, this would be the town to settle in: trees, mountains, and ocean...plus a good deal of rain. Nah, my arthritis would never let me stay. After several but not many more miles, 101 enters...
Oregon!
Wow, after over 800 miles, 101 enters another state...this is not unlike Texas where the haul is very long...but not quite as scenic as 101.
101 serves the Oregon coast quite well, though it turns inland more than just a few times, but is never more than 20 miles from the coast. Brookings is first, followed by Gold Beach, then Bandon and finally Coos Bay, one of Oregon Coast's jewels. After Coos Bay, 101 wends through coast and forest lands as it passes through more towns like Florence and Newport, plus a long and traffic-light strewn town called Lincoln City. From there is Tillamook, and about an hour away is Astoria, the historic end of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In Astoria, 101 climbs a long ramp to reach a LONG bridge that crosses the Columbia River to enter Washington.
Now, I know that I spent a LOT of words on California but not too many on Oregon. That is not to slight Oregon at all, for 101's trek through Oregon is nothing short of beautiful. It's just that the landscape does not change much: it is forests and towns and ocean views for about 350 miles. It is truly worth spending 2 days or more along 101 in Oregon, for each town has their own charms and each beach is worth getting out of the car and breathing some good salt air.
Even fewer words for Washington!
Once in Washington, 101 cuts through a variety of lush green forests and many waterways before reaching the twin towns of Aberdeen and Hoquiam, then cuts north to enter the Olympic Peninsula, a gorgeous area of the state with lots of forests and mountains. 101 almost seems out of its element as it goes west through Port Angeles and then goes south and east to end at I 5 in Tumwater.. From what I have heard, 101 is also worth more than a day in the Olympic Peninsula alone.
Opposed to California where 101 has seen much freeway upgrades from its old 2-lane self in many areas, Oregon and Washington maintain most of 101's original alignment with very few freeway sections.
And there you have the jewel highway of the West Coast! Some might think that Interstate 5 holds that distinction, but 5 only sees the Ocean in San Diego County, nowhere else.
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