Customer Reviews

Highway 17: The Road to Santa Cruz

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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When I was growing up, Highway 17 was called the "bloody highway". As I grew up and drove through HWY 17 to get to Santa Cruz, I understood the nick name. After reading this book, I was energized to drive through HWY 17 with the book at hand and found myself reliving the history of this wonderful road as I stopped at every historical location referenced in the book. I highly recommend this book and suggest taking the trip with the book to appreciate its beauty.

I have driven on highway 17 thousands of times, after reading Highway 17 by Richard Beal, I felt like I had just taken that road for the first time. The book is fascinating recounting of history, key locations, and local relevant events. The wonderful old pictures captured the history of the road brilliantly. This book is a must read for locals, old Highway 17 drivers, and the new drivers that will travel this road.

This book is a complete listing of everything that has something to do with highway 17. From dry statistical data, to listings of roadside markers, to a complete history of the communities that once existed in the Santa Cruz Mountains before the highway bypassed it all. Nice reading for local historians. Anyone who has traveled this dangerous highway will enjoy this book

After I moved from San Francisco into an apartment that was only a block away from Highway 17, I became interested in local history and happen to find this book. It was a wonderful decision.

My favorite part was how it used to be just a trail used by deer and the local Native Americans. You could only go so far and then had to abandon your horses and carry on by foot to transverse the Santa Cruz Mountains to reach the Pacific Ocean shores. Now it is a state highway that turns into an Interstate Highway on its northern end. In between these two time periods are the tales of mountain men (Mountain Charlie), the roaming grizzly bears, the route of the original road whose deep stagecoach tracks are still visible (I've SEEN it!) when the now site of the Lexington Reservoir is really low on water so the bed can be seen. And many more. Filled with numerous photos. Well worth buying.

This is a wonderful book on an area so many people just drive through at 50 mile per hour, plus. That was far from possible in the era this book revisits. I have lived in the Santa Cruz mountains for 25 years, driving Highway 17 daily, and reading this book gave me a real appreciation for the changes it has undergone. A fun read for the daily commuter or the weekend visitor. Go exploring.

When I moved to the bay area I kept hearing about the dangerous highway 17 road to Santa Cruz/Scotts Valley. I became so interested I began researching the road and found this book here on Amazon. It is a great book, full of stories and imagery. I enjoyed reading about local history and then getting the chance to drive it. I have a new respect for pioneers that paved this road as well as the Cal Trans workers that have to maintain it now.
May I strongly suggest checking the website ...before you go. It has up to the minute traffic conditions and driving tips. The highway is dangerous and unforgiving.

First comprehensive history of the famous Santa Cruz, California road and surrounding area. Lots of interesting stories about early pioneers, ghost towns, road construction that started in the mid-1800s. Then onto the current political dilemna about increasing road capacity