California Road Trip

[AsphaltPlanet]

I am planning a California Road trip that starts next Wednesday.  I have tentatively come up with a trip itinerary as follows:

Day 1 - Wednesday: Land at LAX around Lunch time, get rental car, and then drive down to San Diego where I will stay the night

Day 2 - Thursday: Cruise some San Diego Freeways in the morning, and then back up towards the Owens Valley using I-15 and US-395 to stay the night somewhere around Bishop.

Day 3 - Friday: Wake up in Bishop, continue northerly along 395 and then into Yosemite following the Tioga Road (120).  Do a hike in Yosemite.  Stay in El Portal

Day 4 - Saturday: Wake up in El Portal, go to Sequoia National Park, and the back over to Modesto (or closer to San Francisco)

Day 5 - Sunday: San Francisco. (Bridges and potentially Alcatraz)

Day 6 - Monday: San Francisco to Oxnard via Pacific Coast Highway

Day 7 - Tuesday: Oxnard and Los Angeles Area freeways

Day 8 - Wednesday: LAX - DTW and then drive back to Toronto

Any suggestions, or thoughts about the route?  My drives are never set in stone, and are highly dependent upon good weather.  I would very much welcome some insight from anyone who knows the areas well.

Thanks.

[briantroutman]

Day 6 - Monday: San Francisco to Oxnard via Pacific Coast Highway

This was brought up in another post on this forum, but I feel the need to mention it anytime someone mentions a long drive on PCH.

Are you sure you want to do that? Don't get me wrong–the Pacific Coast Highway is one of the most beautiful drives on the planet. However, it's very repetitive and fatiguing in large doses. Picture it: hairpin turn, cliff, hairpin turn, beach town, cliff, hairpin turn...and on for eight hours. If anyone in your party gets carsick, they'll be hurling all over the beige velour in your rented Corolla. Then they'll be begging you to slow down, but you're creeping along at 25 as it is.

I'd recommend taking a smaller bite of 1. Maybe take the 1 freeway from 280 to Pacifica, follow PCH down past Watsonville, then get back on the 101 and press on.

[AsphaltPlanet]

I'll keep that in mind, and I appreciate the suggestion.  From looking at it, I don't think the PCH will bother me too much, I do have some experience with mountain roads in Utah and Arizona and tend to driving them.  I would like to spend a little bit of time on 101, which I don't think I'll get given my current routing.

[DTComposer]

I'd recommend taking a smaller bite of 1. Maybe take the 1 freeway from 280 to Pacifica, follow PCH down past Watsonville, then get back on the 101 and press on.

I'd actually reverse this: From San Francisco, take I-280 to CA-85 to CA-17 to Santa Cruz, then CA-1 to San Luis Obispo (the section of CA-1 between Monterey and San Luis Obispo is the "iconic" section). Then take US-101, and stay in Santa Barbara instead of Oxnard.

Google maps says 6 1/2 hours, and that sounds about right (it's about 5:15 from SF to SB if you take US-101 the whole way).

For L.A., have you been before? Do you want freeways only?

[AsphaltPlanet]

^ I have been to LA and the inland empire before.  I think I am primarily interested in the freeways, but I am open to suggestions.

[oscar]

I'd recommend taking a smaller bite of 1. Maybe take the 1 freeway from 280 to Pacifica, follow PCH down past Watsonville, then get back on the 101 and press on.

I'd actually reverse this: From San Francisco, take I-280 to CA-85 to CA-17 to Santa Cruz, then CA-1 to San Luis Obispo (the section of CA-1 between Monterey and San Luis Obispo is the "iconic" section). Then take US-101, and stay in Santa Barbara instead of Oxnard.

One disadvantage of going south on CA 1 between Monterey and San Luis Obispo is that you're driving right next to the edge of the cliff.  Driving northbound somewhat degrades the view, but also puts you one lane farther away from the guardrail.

If you can make an advance reservation, try the iconic Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, or at least stop by and check out the waterfall urinal in the basement men's room.  If not, despite its rich-bitch reputation, Santa Barbara has a surprising abundance of Motel 6s along the freeway. 

[citrus]

One disadvantage of going south on CA 1 between Monterey and San Luis Obispo is that you're driving right next to the edge of the cliff.  Driving northbound somewhat degrades the view, but also puts you one lane farther away from the guardrail.

I've always found this to be an advantage to the southbound drive! Also, most of the pull-offs for views and photo ops are on the coastal side, so it's easier to pull in and out of them heading southbound.

As far as CA-1 goes, the most scenic part is between Monterey and San Luis Obispo as others have recommended. But the portion between Pacifica and Santa Cruz is mostly fast (55mph speed limit and not full of curves - the slow bits are mostly in Santa Cruz itself), and you'd also get to see the new Devil's Slide tunnel. If you're used to long drives, and it sounds like you are, it's totally doable to head down CA-1 from SF to San Luis Obispo and pick up US-101 the rest of the way to your next stop.

A fair warning - CA-120 (Tioga Pass) has already closed once this fall for snow for a day or two, so keep an eye on the weather and chain control requirements. If it's closed, you're going to be headed at least as far north as CA-88 (which is generally kept open year-round) on day 3 before heading back west.

If you want to go to Alcatraz (it's totally worth it), get your ferry ride reservation ASAP.

[myosh_tino]

A fair warning - CA-120 (Tioga Pass) has already closed once this fall for snow for a day or two, so keep an eye on the weather and chain control requirements. If it's closed, you're going to be headed at least as far north as CA-88 (which is generally kept open year-round) on day 3 before heading back west.

If there is inclement weather over Tioga Pass this time of year, expect the National Park Service to close CA-120 for the winter.  If that happens, CA-120 won't reopen until the spring.  Caltrans will post the status of all mountain passes south of US 50 (CA-120, CA-108 and CA-89) on VMSes along US 395.  The first such sign is located just north of Indian Wells.  An additional word of warning, if CA-120 is closed for the winter, you can expect the other passes accessible from US 395 to be closed as well.

The good news is there are no storms in the forecast for the next week or so.

[DTComposer]

Santa Barbara has a surprising abundance of Motel 6s along the freeway. 

Trivia: including the very first Motel 6, opened in 1962. But to echo the above, there are plenty of decent yet affordable lodgings in the area, either on upper State Street or in Goleta.

For L.A.: if you're doing an all-day drive thing, here's a suggestion:

-From Santa Barbara, US-101 south to CA-1 at Oxnard (detour on PCH/old Rincon Highway for historical interest)

-CA-1 south to I-10 (Ventura Coast, Malibu, California Incline, detours to Santa Monica, Venice)

-I-10 east to I-405 north to US-101 south/east (Getty Center, Sepulveda Pass)

-US-101 south/east to CA-134 east to Pasadena (detours to Studio City, Universal City, Griffith Park, Burbank, Glendale)

-From Pasadena, CA-110 south to US-101 south to I-5 (Arroyo Seco Parkway, Civic Center, detours to Dodger Stadium, Union Station, Olivera Street)

-I-5 south to I-710 south to CA-47 to I-110 (Commerce railyards, Ports of Los Angeles/Long Beach, Vincent Thomas Bridge, detours to downtown Long Beach, Queen Mary, Aquarium)

-I-110 north to US-101 (Financial district, detours to USC, Coliseum)

-US-101 north to CA-2/Santa Monica Boulevard to I-405 (Four-level Interchange, historic US-66, Beverly Hills, Century City, Westwood, detours to Hollywood/Sunset Strip, UCLA)

-I-405 south to LAX (detours to Hermosa/Manhattan/Redondo Beaches)

With a couple of detours and lunch, I'd put this at around 6 to 7 hours, depending on traffic.

[apjung]

After visiting Yosemite on September 21 and it rained off and on that day, I tried to go over Tioga Pass CA-120 after dark on my way to Lake Tahoe and it was just closed so I drove all the way to US 50 on CA 49. There was a light dusting of snow on US 50 on the higher elevations and the temperature gauge on my rental car barely hovered over 32 degrees.

[AsphaltPlanet]

I am currently in Fresno, CA, heading to Yosemite today.  The Tioga pass closed a couple of days ago, and seems to be closed for the season.  I went up to Lake Isabella yesterday, and Hwy 155 which seems to climb to just over 5000 feet (elevation signs are sporadic on that road) had a fair amount of snow at the summit.

As an aside, CA-178 through the Kern River Gorge was quite the exhilarating drive.  I was shocked when it opened up to a freeway around Lake Isabella, given the cramped quarters it has through the gorge

[myosh_tino]

I am currently in Fresno, CA, heading to Yosemite today.  The Tioga pass closed a couple of days ago, and seems to be closed for the season.

According to the Caltrans website, Tioga Pass is open once again and with no rain in the forcast for the next week or so, Hwy 120 should remain open for the next few days.

[Brandon]

I am currently in Fresno, CA, heading to Yosemite today.  The Tioga pass closed a couple of days ago, and seems to be closed for the season.

According to the Caltrans website, Tioga Pass is open once again and with no rain in the forcast for the next week or so, Hwy 120 should remain open for the next few days.

Why should rain close a road?  Heavy snow coming down at a rapid pace (an inch per hour or greater) I can see, but rain?

[kkt]

Rain in Fresno = snow at Tioga Pass.

[Brandon]

Rain in Fresno = snow at Tioga Pass.

Have they heard of these new-fangled things called snowplows and road salt?  If there's only a foot or less of snow, they're most useful.

[oscar]

Rain in Fresno = snow at Tioga Pass.

Have they heard of these new-fangled things called snowplows and road salt?  If there's only a foot or less of snow, they're most useful.

Road salt is probably a no-no within a national park. 

The first snowfall in the trans-Sierra passes is often followed by a lot more snow, so plowing is often futile and for a non-critical crossing like Tioga Pass (as opposed to I-80 and US 50) it's easier to just close the road until spring.  Tioga Pass is one of several mountain passes routinely closed for the winter (and well into the spring, sometimes as late as June), though Caltrans and the Park Service usually don't throw in the towel on keeping the pass open in the fall until December.

[AsphaltPlanet]

There was a fair amount of snow on the Glacier Point Road in Yosemite yesterday, and that only has an elevation in the 5000 ft range.  I could see the high Sierra's within the park, and they already had a lot of snow on them.  Mountain roads in the southwest often lack safety features, such as shoulders and guiderails, that would be typical on the east coast.  I haven't driven it, but the Tioga Road seems to be a harrowing drive on the best of days, I can see why it would be closed if there was any snow or ice on it at all.

[kkt]

Rain in Fresno = snow at Tioga Pass.

Have they heard of these new-fangled things called snowplows and road salt?  If there's only a foot or less of snow, they're most useful.

If you want to cross the Sierra in winter, use Donner Pass or Echo Summit.  Tioga Pass elevation 9900 feet, Donner Pass elevation 7000 feet.  Tioga Pass has a steep, narrow, 2-lane, mostly shoulderless approach route.  Donner Pass has a freeway.  Tioga Pass has never been kept open past the first major snowfall.  It's a summer-fall tourist route, not a major through route.  By spring there's 8 feet of snow on the ground plus.

[oscar]

If you want to cross the Sierra in winter, use Donner Pass or Echo Summit.

Which are I-80 and US 50 respectively.  CA 88 (Carson Pass) is not routinely closed for the winter, but its higher elevation and lower priority in the road network means more snow closures.

As for Alt US 50, forget it.  A key part of that route is the Mormon Emigrant Trail, a paved Forest Service road.  The Forest Service doesn't plow its roads at all, relying on "solar snow removal", though if there's a prolonged closure of US 50 -- like the landslide that spurred creation of the alternate route in the first place -- CalTrans will send in plows to help gamblers get to the casinos on Lake Tahoe.  In one year, the eastern end of the Trail was closed at first snowfall in October, and remained closed until the snow melted in mid-July. 

[myosh_tino]

CalTrans will send in plows to help gamblers get to the casinos on Lake Tahoe.

*OR*

Help skiers get to the ski resorts in and around South Lake Tahoe (Sierra-at-Tahoe, Kirkwood, Heavenly Valley).