Driving SF to DL.

[pharmama]

Ack, I'm with you. Don't stop at Harris ranch. We also turn on the recirculate button on the car a couple miles before there and leave it on for about 10 miles past. The odors are amazingly noxious. We made the mistake of stopping at the In-n-Out there one year. Couldn't get out of there fast enough.

There used to be 2 spots on 5 with the fumes problem, but it seems that Harris Ranch is the only one now--at least it's the only one that bothers us now.

There's no In-N-Out at the Harris Ranch exit. There is some other fast food in addition to the Harris Ranch restaurant though.

Depending on the weather and wind, we find we need to turn on the recirc at the south end of the valley now as well (fairly close to the intersection of the 5 and the 99) as quite a few feed lots have popped up down there.

 

[bcla]

Ack, I'm with you. Don't stop at Harris ranch. We also turn on the recirculate button on the car a couple miles before there and leave it on for about 10 miles past. The odors are amazingly noxious. We made the mistake of stopping at the In-n-Out there one year. Couldn't get out of there fast enough.

There used to be 2 spots on 5 with the fumes problem, but it seems that Harris Ranch is the only one now--at least it's the only one that bothers us now.

I don't know of any other place on the scale of Harris Ranch. I've driven by dairy farms, hiked among cows, and walked by bison turds. There is nothing I've experienced that compares with Harris Ranch. It's not only that, but the Central Valley heat during the summer that can make the stench unbearable.

Your average field with cows munching on the grass is one thing. The absolute concentration of cows with a lack of any vegetation to absorb the smell is what gives the Harris Ranch feedlot its olfactory rating.

Still - I've dined at the Inn, and the steak was spectacular.

 

[DaveNinja]

We just did the drive at the beginning of Feb., and it was ok, though it did really bog down around LA.

There's a great pupusa place about halfway down Rte. 5, in Buttonwillow, think it is called Titas Pupuseria (tried to post link to Yelp, but I don't have enough posts yet).

Doesn't look like much, but don't be scared off by the appearance, it's yummy (and cheap). We liked the pork & cheese pupusa, as well as the squash blossom version. There's a Starbucks right there, too, in case you need a caffeine fix.

I think the Pupusa place is at the HWY58 exit (along with Taste of India). I've never had one but by buddy says they're great

 

[mmmears]

Your average field with cows munching on the grass is one thing. The absolute concentration of cows with a lack of any vegetation to absorb the smell is what gives the Harris Ranch feedlot its olfactory rating.

We've taken photos from the car -- we are always kind of shocked at how we can't even see the ground... just wall-to-wall cattle.

 

[smiles33]

We just did the drive at the beginning of Feb., and it was ok, though it did really bog down around LA.

There's a great pupusa place about halfway down Rte. 5, in Buttonwillow, think it is called Titas Pupuseria (tried to post link to Yelp, but I don't have enough posts yet).

Doesn't look like much, but don't be scared off by the appearance, it's yummy (and cheap). We liked the pork & cheese pupusa, as well as the squash blossom version. There's a Starbucks right there, too, in case you need a caffeine fix.

Yes we stopped by Tita's Pupuseria on the way home. Slow service, a hole in the wall in terms of decor, but cheap and tasty. We has Harris Ranch steaks on the way down and they're even slower! So if time is not of the essence (in-n-out is faster than both!) and you're an adventurous eater, try Tita's!

 

[mysteriouspnai]

For the Stockton to LA route, stop for gas prior to the "Big Stop" before Grapevine. Gas is a little pricier there. Some say they enjoy Anderson's Pea Soup, there's one in Santa Nella. I don't, but that could just be a preference thing. Personally, I don't think there's very many good stops on the 5, but that's just me.

For the 101 route, definitely a stop in San Luis Obispo or Pismo Beach. A previous poster mentioned Firestone's, which has a really awesome tri-tip sandwich. There's also Splash Cafe that's in both SLO and Pismo. And if you need an In n Out, there's one in Atascadero and one in Arroyo Grande. Or, stop by Santa Maria for some authentic Santa Maria style tri-tip.

Lol, I think we went off topic here xD

 

[pjpoppins]

No food is never off topic it's a necessity of a trip.

 

[kangamama]

If going 101, the Madonna Inn in SLO is worth a stop. The food is horrible there, but I guarantee you will never see anything like this place anywhere else in the world. It is definitely worth stopping to use the bathrooms and have a slice of cake in the coffee shop. The sugar on the tables is pink.

 

[kangamama]

We've taken photos from the car -- we are always kind of shocked at how we can't even see the ground... just wall-to-wall cattle.

This veers slightly off topic, but this is pretty much how the vast majority of all meat in this country is produced. I can't bring myself to stop at Harris Ranch for any purpose whatsoever. I'm also committed to only purchasing sustainably raised meats, though. /tangent

 

[mysteriouspnai]

If going 101, the Madonna Inn in SLO is worth a stop. The food is horrible there, but I guarantee you will never see anything like this place anywhere else in the world. It is definitely worth stopping to use the bathrooms and have a slice of cake in the coffee shop. The sugar on the tables is pink.

Men and Women alike can go check out the Men's Restroom with the Waterfall urinal!

 

[kangamama]

Men and Women alike can go check out the Men's Restroom with the Waterfall urinal!

A must!

 

[larina]

Men and Women alike can go check out the Men's Restroom with the Waterfall urinal!

Yes. Wh had lunch there for my grandmothers birthday last month and our waitress encouraged us to have a man from our group take the women and girls to see it. It is a must see! Actually, the whole hotel is worth exploring. It is really beautiful.

 

[bcla]

This veers slightly off topic, but this is pretty much how the vast majority of all meat in this country is produced. I can't bring myself to stop at Harris Ranch for any purpose whatsoever. I'm also committed to only purchasing sustainably raised meats, though. /tangent

The thing about Harris Ranch is the scale and that they're located right next to the freeway where many people can see it. I've driven past cattle ranches or feedlots all over California, and no other one I've seen is of that scale.

 

[mysteriouspnai]

This veers slightly off topic, but this is pretty much how the vast majority of all meat in this country is produced. I can't bring myself to stop at Harris Ranch for any purpose whatsoever. I'm also committed to only purchasing sustainably raised meats, though. /tangent

I think the main reason why I'll never stop at Harris Ranch is the smell! Just the smell entering my car will linger for several miles, and all I want to do is get out of the area. On top of that, I do start to feel sorry for the cows, to the point where I consider becoming vegetarian for a brief period while driving (yes, every time I drive through there). But after an hour or two, I'll end up wanting that burger

 

[ManusDei]

If you're taking 101 and looking to fill or top up your gas tank, there's an Arco in Salinas, off the Market Street exit (the one with the In-N-Out, can't miss it). When traveling on 101 South, take Market Street exit, turn left on Market, and left on Kern Street after passing under the freeway, and you'll see it on your left (on 101 North, just take Market Street exit and you'll see it on your right). As far as I've seen, it has consistently cheap gas prices (I use GasBuddy to compare prices across regions). Doesn't have a restroom, but the In N Out within sight of it has a pretty clean one I always use; I walk in, use it, and walk out, I only get food if I'm hungry .

This tip depends on where in the Bay you start, what size your gas tank is, and how gas efficient your car is lol. I come from Sacramento and drive an old Nissan Xterra which has a decent size tank but horrible gas mileage so I always have to stop there or I won't make it to San Luis Obispo.

Oh, if you're gonna get Splash Cafe food in San Luis Obispo as opposed to Pismo (same great food), there's still usually a line, though it's a lot smaller, but the biggest trade off is parking. SLO's Splash has the tiniest parking lot you've ever seen, and it's just luck of the draw trying to get a spot . You'll likely circle a couple times and possibly give up and have to park across the street at Frank's (good food there too btw).

Someone mentioned Santa Maria tri-tip earlier. What's funny is that DGF and I noticed a couple of Disney's restaurants like Ariel's Grotto and Napa Rose serve Santa Maria-style tri-tip as entrees .

 

[spellhex]

There are two places I tend to stop at during the drive between the Bay Area and LA, and they basically bookend the Grapevine. The first is the stop right before the Grapevine; I usually get In-N-Out, but sometimes I do the drive-thru Panda Express because, well, it's a drive-thru Panda Express.

I also like to take the Valencia Blvd exit, which is just past Six Flags going south. If you go towards (and past) College of the Canyons, there's a shopping center with lots of restaurants and places to eat that's a lot nice and cleaner than most on I-5. We have made many a stop at Island's (bottomless fries, yay!).

I never need to get gas on the trip (love my Mazda3), so I can't really recommend any places on the way. I have noticed that LA gas is much more expensive than SJ gas, though (it was $4.09 in SJ, and $4.39 in LA).