Like Topanga Cyn., Kanan Dume is more of a cut-through or commuter road than a place to test your skills, but that doesn't mean that the road is boring. It is considerably longer than most other roads in the area, but at 12 miles isn't exactly a long stretch of pavement. Still, when playing in Malibu a relatively long road that can be taken at higher speeds is the exception rather than the rule, so Kanan can be a nice change of pace after the shorter, tighter roads that surrounds it.

At the northern end Kanan intersects Hwy. 101 and can be used as a quick way to get down into the heart of Malibu. With most of the gas stations along PCH closed, the top of Kanan can also be a good place to start the day or take a lunch break.

While far from a straight, boring road Kanan is certainly a much straighter than just about anything else in the area save the freeway. This allows for the possibility of some higher speeds, although there is typically a fair amount of traffic on this stretch of road so getting caught behind a slow moving vehicle is certainly a possibility. However, while there aren't a lot of them, a few passing lanes are available and can be used to great advantage.

Another plus for this road is the fact that it intersects both Mulholland Highway and Latigo Canyon, two of the best roads in the area. Latigo intersects at about the halfway point between PCH and the freeway, with Mulholland crossing just a bit north of that.

For those who choose to stick to Kanan for the entire route, the menu calls for high-speed sweepers mixed with a few short straights and just a few tighter corners. Being heavily used by commuters, this road has had a fair amount of improvements made over the years and is nothing like Westlake Blvd. to the west. Very tight hairpins and extreme technical sections are found all over Malibu, but here at least a novice can have some fun without worrying about making the next 1st gear corner.

Eventually, those headed south will pass through some old (for the west coast at least) tunnels before dropping down a long, wide grade towards the coast. On a clear day the views are amazing, but then if you're reading this review you are probably more interested in the view of the road than the ocean in the distance.

- Back to Malibu

- Back to LA / OC Region