52
Lover's Lane
Because of the heavy motoring which occurs
on its surface, Highway 101 sometimes serves as
a drag strip. Start/finish lines can still be seen on
the asphalt in towns like Salinas and Ventura. It's
the biggest car lot and hot rod show in the whole
world. James Dean drove his Porsche speedster
to meet his maker just off of 101 east of Paso
Robles and the beloved Hells Angels have terror-
ized the entire length of road for over twenty years.
This royal route also has a romantic significance
as kind of a 500-mile-long lovers' lane with enough
truck stops, roadside inns and seedy motor lodges
to accommodate everyone along the way. One of
the classic roadside attractions along 101 is the
majestic Madonna Inn at San Luis Obispo. The
Madonna is a garish pink and white motel complex
just off the freeway. It's a famous honeymoon
retreat and each of it's hundred rooms has its own
decorative theme. The surrounding rock gardens
and spiral staircases leading to the rooms give
the place kind of a wild west whorehouse look.
Ventura
COUNTY LINE
It was also our rendezvous point
for a meeting with another skate
posse that included Jim Thiebaud,
Natas Kaupas, Christian Hosoi, Ed
Reategui and Ray Rodriguez.
As we pulled up to the Inn, a
storm was brewing (Cont on page 108)
Ventura County Line. Warning:
Hardcore locals stop anywhere
for surf and skate sessions.
Spread: Mark Partain flies an
acid ollie outside Ventura high.
Above: No-handed frontside
wall smack by Abel Taylor. Left:
Piss stop. Ken McGuire takes a
break from the gruel of the
drive to negotiate a serene
one-lane stretch of asphalt
above Gaviota beach looking
south toward Santa Barbara.