California or Bust !

[lizzyhermit]

I want to end up north of Ventura but don't want to pull the 30' TT through LA. Any suggestions on good travel routes from Phoenix and of course, places to stay? This is a very relaxed road trip spending 3 or 4 days going and 2 or 3 coming home.

 

[Gunny]

This is for sure the long scenic route but if you simply dont want to drive through about 350 miles of city in the LA area it would sure avoid that. I have been known to take this type of detour myself in places other than LA and will do any thing to avoid LA period. So here we go. From Phoenix take Interstate 17 north towards Flag, at Flag take I-40 west this will take you almost all down hill to Barstow CA there you can take Highway 58 to Bakersfield. Once in Bakersfield you can plan a easy way over to the coast. This is as I said the long way but to some of us it sure would be better no matter how far out of the way it is. Good Luck!!



Gunny

 

[Ram4Sam]

This is a little shorter.....

LZ, try this. Take the 10 west to the 15 north (Ontario), then the 210 west through Pasadena. Stay on the 210 which will take you through the San Gabriel Valley. Traffic is not too bad if you hit it midday. The 210 dumps you onto the 5 north well above Los Angeles. Just past Magic Mountain, take the 126 west which will hit the 101 in Ventura. The 126 is a nice drive through a farming valley. We take this route going up to Pismo Beach and beats the heck out of going through Los Angeles.

 

[MFranz]

Ventura Bound

Lizzy,

Dido to what Ram4Sam said. The 126 west to Ventura is a beautiful drive.

Just be aware as you approach Pasadena while on the 210 West stay in the far right hand lanes or you will miss the turn off for the 210 West. The 210 goes off to the right and if your not already in the right hand lane its hard to get over at the last minute. Also as you approach the 5 North from the 210 West you will want to take the 5 north truck route and once on the truck route stay in the Number 1 lane, the far left lane until you get to the main 5 north freeway. Which is about 2 miles. Have a good safe trip



Mike

 

[sarj]

Personally, what these guys suggest isn't a bad route, but you are going to go through " freeway land" LA. I'd suck it up and go that way and run through there 10AM-1:30PM, and you shouldn't have a problem. It's all wide-freeway driving, and you'd be through it in 2 hours.



If you want an alternate route, you can go the backside of the SO CAL mountains through Phelan, and the high desert. You'd be adding some serious time, and it's a 2 lane road following the back of the mountains through high desert, but you won't be counting volkswagens on a freeway. It would add 1/2 day plus... if you are interested, PM me and I can get more detailed... here as a link with the general idea

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/...ress&2s=CA&2v=CITY&did=1099012286&2y=US&ovi=1



sarj

 

[bnbrown]

I use the 15 north to 210 west to the 5 north, to the 126 which will dump you out in ventura (through santa paula) it is by far the best way I have done, with or without a trailer, also when you come into filmore (on the 126) there is a Vons with a burger king that i always stop at (has a big enough parking lot to get into out of with a trailer) and it has a traffic light to get back out with. you do have to be paying attention when you are on the 210, it becomes the 134 at one point (around pasadena i think), and you have to take an exit to remain on the 210 (unless you do it at 2am there will be traffic slowing for this exit) definately take the truck route to enter the 5 north, otherwise you will have to merge across 4 lanes of traffic in order to not exit on the 14.

 

[cwsoules]

If you take Gunny's suggestions I would take 99 South to I-5 to go over the mountains and then take 126 into Ventura. When we go East we take 99 South to I 5 and then 210 East. It is not bad and as long as some fool has not screwed up in front of you you can get thru with ease.

 

[AKAMAC]

I 4th the 126 route, via 15 and 210. If I can't time my drive to Escondido to hit LA at night I use the 210 / 15. The 405 / 5 through LA is just too much for me. My journeys to Pt. Mugu are by the 5 / 126.

 

[bnbrown]

I wont go through at rush hour, I am usually coming from north of santa barbara to escondido, and if i can't leave to get through there before 4pm i just wait... would rather go through at 10pm and be driving until the wee hours of the morning than sit in that parking lot... especially hauling horses, they sometimes take offence to some of those folks we would be "parked" next to

 

[catoiler]

Why not go the 40 to the 15 south to 138 or 58 west to 14 south to 5 north to 126 west. No traffic and plenty of places to stop. I would not go near the 210 through Pasadena! to many years driving a truck through there and trying to cope with the morons around there. If you miss the 210 at that point you will end up on the 134 and that is a mess!

 

[JBlock]

Barstow CA there you can take Highway 58 to Bakersfield. It a long down hill manageable but you want your brakes in good order with 30TT on the back.



JB

 

[lizzyhermit]

a great big thank you for the suggestions. do any of you have knowledge of hwy 62 from Parker, Az. around Joshua Tree and south to I 10 ?

 

[Ram4Sam]

Hwy 62?...Don't!

Lizzy, that road won't be much fun pulling your trailer. It is a narrow two lane desert road with shoulders made of soft sand. There is little to see other than the sand and rocks. Once you leave Vidal Junction, there are no services until you get to 29 Palms/Yucca Valley area. It wouldn't be an issue this time of year, but during the Colorado River party season, that route is used by knuckleads who have drank too much and slept too little.



Sam

 

[Tcolesanti]

If you end up taking the 126 west to the 101 make sure you watch your speed, the limit drops from 55 to 45 then to 35 in filmore and drops again in santa paula. That whole stretch is crawling with cops and they love to write people up.