My Global Bucket List: A Travel Series - January 2026 - Highway One
- Food Blogger Journey
- Jan 18
- 4 min read
Highway One — Ocean, Cliffs, and the Kind of Travel That Doesn’t Rush You
By Dirk Ebener - January 18, 2026
About This Series
My Global Bucket List: A Travel Series offers monthly reflections on destinations that show travel is not about ticking boxes, but about moving with intention, curiosity, and the time to notice what truly matters.
Personal Introduction
Before I set foot in California, Highway One was already mapped in my mind. As a child in Germany, I watched The Sandpiper movie and imagined an America that was vast, cinematic, and brimming with possibility—a country where every road promised discovery.
While studying, I scribbled a U.S. travel bucket list, and Highway One climbed to the top. Years later, a business trip brought me west, not for adventure but for meetings. When a few free days appeared, I seized the chance, rented a car, and headed for the coast. Enjoy reading "My Global Bucket List: A Travel Series - January 2026 - Highway One."
Why Highway One Still Matters
Opened in 1937 at the end of the Great Depression, Highway One was never just a scenic route. It was a statement of persistence, carved into cliffs when the country needed progress more than beauty. The road winds through the Santa Lucia Mountains, where the landscape feels less engineered than negotiated, shaped by weather, fire, and time.
In Big Sur, places like the Henry Miller Memorial Library, tucked into a redwood grove, and the restaurant Nepenthe, perched above the Pacific, remind you that culture and creativity have long followed this road. Today, Highway One feels more fragile. Climate change has intensified wildfires and winter storms, causing sections of roadway to collapse into the sea. More than $230 million has been committed to repairs, not because the road is convenient, but because it matters.
The Drive Itself
Driving Highway One is an exercise in presence, not mileage. The road keeps you alert, not out of challenge, but because it insists you notice. To the west, the Pacific sprawls endlessly, its colors changing with every shift of sunlight. To the east, the Santa Lucia Mountains surge upward, marking the slender boundary between movement and calm. Each curve appears unexpectedly, quietly urging you to slow down.
Sometimes, the road seems to cling to the cliffs by sheer will. The guardrails offer comfort but never certainty. Pullouts appear unexpectedly, inviting you to pause on a whim. I drove in silence, windows open, letting the wind and surf become the soundtrack. The farther south I traveled, the quieter the world grew—not deserted, but at peace.
Reflection — What Highway One Teaches You About Travel
Highway One reminded me that the most meaningful travel decisions are often quiet. Adding unscheduled days to a work trip didn’t feel bold; it felt practical. Yet that small choice changed the journey, turning meetings into a lasting memory. The road didn’t require preparation or performance—only attention.
Today, travel often chases efficiency, packing in sights and experiences at breakneck speed. Highway One refuses to play along. It urges you to slow down, not for old times’ sake, but because the road itself demands it. You cannot hurry the bends, the shifting weather, or the changing light. By easing your pace, you rediscover what is usually overlooked: the quiet between destinations, the hush of the landscape, and the rare gift of being truly present.
Practical Takeaway — How to Experience Highway One Without Rushing
To really feel Highway One, embrace one essential lesson: move slowly and with purpose. Choose a single stretch over the entire route, and give yourself more time than you expect to need. Two unplanned nights reveal more than five hurried stops ever could. Travel by daylight, keep your distance short, and welcome the unpredictable weather. Fog, wind, and shifting sunlight all become part of the story.
Most importantly, Highway One is more than a road; it is a journey that rewards patience. Slow travel lets you see and appreciate more. If you move gently and stay open to the moments between destinations, the experience will stay with you, echoing long after you return home.
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Dirk Ebener is the founder and creator behind the Food Blogger Journey website, drawing on over 40 years of international travel across more than 60 countries. His global adventures have deepened his understanding of regional cuisines, local customs, and the powerful connection between food and culture. From bustling street markets in Asia to quiet vineyard dinners in Europe, Dirk captures authentic culinary experiences through immersive storytelling. Through Food Blogger Journey, he invites readers to explore the world one dish and step at a time.
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