California 1, the succession of US highways that skirt the Pacific Ocean, is one of the world’s great coastal drives. Exploring it is a curvy once-in-a-lifetime adventure that takes you along the very edge of cliffs and past pounding surf and long stretches of beach where elephant seals bask.

The question that concerns me, of course, is where to eat along the way!

There is something cleansing about leaving behind all the air-kissing and pocket-pissing of Los Angeles and pointing the wheels of the Hellcat north towards the promise of salt spray and ocean vistas that unfold curve after endless curve along California’s Pacific coast. Along the way, there’s the prospect of tacos, oysters, good times and the avowed aim of avoiding the touristy (an issue on one of the most touristy drives in the world).

There’s no point starting a road trip with an empty stomach, so fuel up at Venice Beach’s Gjusta (320 Sunset Ave). This super-hip smokehouse and bakehouse is conveniently placed between LAX and the highway – and let’s face it, the drive past Santa Barbara and Ventura is pretty uninspiring unless you’re a huge fan of the second True Detective series; the one with Vince Vaughan that the critics didn’t like and which was set in this slightly eerie landscape of scrub, oil fields and heavily inked blokes working on dented pick-ups.

We do stop in Ventura at Ventura Spirits (3891 N Ventura Ave) to taste their gin, vodka and prickly pear spirit. BTW, that smell isn’t marijuana but some of the native botanicals the distillery uses in its gin, as well as something called ‘bear claw’, a root that has an almost vanilla aroma. (At least that’s what they told us!)

We then push on to the ocean-edged heart of California 1, which starts north of Arroyo Grande. To get there, we drive through the Los Padres National Forest and into the beginnings of what was once cow country and is more famous now as the home of the Santa Barbara wineries that featured in the movie Sideways. State Route 154 takes you through the township of Los Olivos. With its heavy concentration of tasting rooms, this makes a good stop for thirsty passengers. Heading on towards Arroyo Grande, we skip past the tempting barbecue shrines of Hitching Post Restaurant (3325 Point Sal Rd) in Casmalia and Jocko’s Steakhouse (125 N Thompson Ave) in Nipomo because we want to break for lunch at one of the coast’s favourite taco places.

In spite of its auspicious address, there’s nothing grand about Frutiland La Casa Del Sabor (803 E Grand Ave). This brightly painted cinder-block bunker is in a distinctly unglamorous part of Arroyo Grande, but the food is top-notch. An $8 plate of three house-made blue-corn tacos comes with fillings like cheese-stuffed pasilla chillies, or roasted pork, capsicum, queso fresca (a mild and creamy Mexican cheese) and roast chipotle sauce. You’ll also want some of their taquitos – blue-corn tacos rolled into cigars and filled with crushed potato flavoured with either cheese or chorizo. There’s a long list of tortas (basically Mexican sandwiches) filled with cheese, avocado, salsa and then anything from crumbed slices of beef or chicken to Mexican sausage or ‘head cheese’. Drink designated-driver-friendly aguas frescas (long iced fruit juices in flavours such as strawberry or cantaloupe) or licuados. These milkshakes come in everything from walnut to banana flavour. While it’s basically just a hole in the wall in a gravel carpark, the food is magical and you can always entertain yourself with the thought that you might be an extra in a Robert Rodriguez ‘mariachi’ hitman movie.

Don’t worry, not everywhere along the way is going to be ‘pavement’. Next stop is the distinctly ‘penthouse’ Talley Vineyards (3031 Lopez Dr) north of Arroyo Grande. We arrive an hour before they close and enjoy elegant, minerally pinot noirs, including their 2013 Rincon. A well-priced dry riesling and the warm welcome are equal attractions. Actually, I’m lying – it’s their chardonnays for me!

We stay overnight at one of the first European settlements in California, the laid-back university town of San Luis Obispo. There are plenty of options for accommodation, but for me, the choice is between the very comfortable heritage rooms of The Apple Farm (2015 Monterey St) or the Madonna Inn (100 Madonna Rd), with its crazy theme rooms that range from classy to extremely kitsch and which allow you to get in touch with your inner caveman, Maria von Trapp or ’50s matinee idol.

Dinner is at the Old San Luis BBQ (670 Higuera St), where they specialise in a style of barbecue unique to these parts. Rather than the low and slow barbecuing for which the US is better known, here they specialise in fast and hot cooking of tri-tip, a cut from the bottom of the sirloin. Order sliders loaded with slices of tender tri-tip, or tackle the meat feast ‘pit plate’ with a side of Cowboy Corn Pie full of diced jalapenos and cheddar.

Another reason for staying in SLO, as locals call San Luis Obispo, is to have breakfast at Scout Coffee Co. (1130 Garden St). Sara and Jon Peterson’s cute cafe has a great local buzz, good coffee (still not a given in California), seasonal house-made sodas in flavours like strawberry, blackberry and tangerine, and a fantastic selection of baked temptations. Suitably caffeinated and fortified, browse the town’s cool homeware and designer stores before hitting the blacktop again.

First stop, Morro Bay. The attraction of this faded seaside resort town lies in the oysters they pull from the local waters: following rain, they have the distinct flavour of ripe cantaloupe melon. Dawdle for a dozen, dockside at Morro Bay Oyster Company (1287 Embarcadero).

You are now on Highway 1 proper, aka the Cabrillo Highway named after Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo who was the first European to map this part of the coast when he sailed past in 1542. Its original name, Route 56, dates back to when convict road gangs from San Quentin built this highway along the cliffs. It hugs the most spectacular coast of the whole trip. All this eye-aching beauty comes with a side serve of wildlife: the elephant seal rookery at Piedras Blancas and the zebras that inhabit San Simeon’s paddocks. The zebras are descended from those that were part of William Randolph Hearst’s menagerie at his baroque folly, Hearst Castle. If you have time, take a tour of this property where movie moguls, Hollywood starlets and established stars like Cary Grant, Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo weekended with the great newspaper baron. You won’t be disappointed by its collection of antiques, a Roman swimming pool that featured in the movie Spartacus, or the narrow refectory dining table handpicked by Hearst so he could witness the outcome when rivals in love or business were forced to eat nose to nose and cheek by jowl, tongues and tempers loosened by alcohol or drugs.

It’s a winding 140 kilometres or so north along the rugged coast through to picturesque Big Sur. This is a great spot for a couple of days of beachcombing, mountain biking or hiking, as the little communities here are surrounded by stunning state park. The likes of Jack Kerouac, Hunter S Thompson and Henry Miller were all drawn here for the isolation and dramatic natural beauty. Accommodation ranges from the romance of the Post Ranch Inn (47900 CA-1, Big Sur) overlooking the ocean, to numerous campsites and cabins.

There are several good places to eat, but if you are just passing through, check out Big Sur Bakery (47540 CA-1). Next to the dinky little two-bowser petrol station on the southern edge of a national park famed for its redwoods and hiking trails is this relaxed, low-roofed cottage that champions all those things you love about Australia’s best cafes. Break your drive with very good coffee, lovely outdoor dining and local Reef Points cider. This is perfect with their house-baked sourdough sandwiching a filling of chicken salad loaded with celery; or toasted and very generously topped with mashed avocado, tomatillo jam and a side of bacon, crispy just the way Americans like it. Warning: the cider ranges in strength from 7.6 to 8.5ABV, so allocate a designated driver!