Driving SF to DLR Thursday

[gatorfreud]

Hello! We are driving from SF down to DLR on Thursday (Thanksgiving)... I think we will go 5, seems to be what most people do. We have never driven down before, always flown.

We are likely going to wake the kids about 4am, and have them go back to sleep in the car (I hope!)... worst case, if they don't, they often wake at 5am anyway, so it's only an hour of lost sleep.

Anything I should know about the drive? Any places good to stop? Any stretches where there aren't any places to stop?

I anticipate stopping around 6 or 6:30am for a quick breakfast (like McD's) and potty break... then maybe one more quick bathroom stop? I'm guessing it will take about 6-7 hours?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!!

Kim

 

[Goofy_Dave]

We live in the SF bay area and we always drive. Depending on how heavy your foot is, how many breaks, and LA traffic, you can generally make the drive in about 7 hours. My best time (with breaks) is 6.5 hours. I would definitely take I-5. Not the most scenic of routes, but the fastest.

We're not big "stoppers" on the road. We usually stop for an early lunch at a fast-food type place and then keep right on truckin'. Then maybe one more bathroom break at a rest stop.

One good tip that we started using since our DD turned 2 and doesn't like to sit still in restaurants: Pack a lunch for everyone in a cooler and then just stop at a rest stop for a picnic + bathroom/excercise break. That way you don't have to wait for service, or go very far off the freeway. Plus the kids can run around on the grass and burn some energy. We're all about grinding away those miles as quick as possible on the way down so we can get there!

 

[hulamom]

Without much traffic, it usually takes us between 6-7 hours depending how often we stop. I'm not sure how holiday traffic will affect your drive.

If you're planning on taking 152 to 5, then there is a McD's about 10 miles from when you get onto 5. After that, there is a long stretch where there is really no rest stops or other places until close to Kettleman City.

Near where the Grapevine starts there is an area with lots of places to eat and fill up on gas.

Have fun!

-- Hulamom

 

[Leofoenget]

Hello! We are driving from SF down to DLR on Thursday (Thanksgiving)... I think we will go 5, seems to be what most people do. We have never driven down before, always flown.

We are likely going to wake the kids about 4am, and have them go back to sleep in the car (I hope!)... worst case, if they don't, they often wake at 5am anyway, so it's only an hour of lost sleep.

Anything I should know about the drive? Any places good to stop? Any stretches where there aren't any places to stop?

I anticipate stopping around 6 or 6:30am for a quick breakfast (like McD's) and potty break... then maybe one more quick bathroom stop? I'm guessing it will take about 6-7 hours?

Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!!

Kim

Go to AAA and get the map Coast And Valley. It gives you a chart of all the rest stops and exits along the I-5. It should be an easy drive, hopefully the traffic will have cleared out by the time you hit the grapevine. I have made the drive on Thanksgiving, the night before can be pretty bad.

 

[jenpace]

Have a great time at DL!

We are not far from you...a little south in Santa Cruz. The route we take is 101 to 46 to I-5. Like the PP said, not very scenic but faster than the other options.

 

[LavenderPeach]

We have driven a lot between the bay area and southern california and I guess my tip would be to try to make your last stop before you go over the grapevine. There are some places past there that would be okay for stopping at (Santa Clarita is usually pretty good) but once we hit the LA area we have found that it's harder to find places just right off the freeway. On the way up, we do the same thing. We try to make our last stop before we get into the bay area.

 

[jenpace]

Here's a tip I wish my grown sons had known...On I-5 there's a stretch in Lamont county that is heavily patrolled for speeding. Two of my sons have gotten ticketed there and the fines are steep.

 

[gatorfreud]

Wow! Great tips, thank you so much!

Kim

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I'm in the east bay and can make the drive in 5.5 hours. I have to stop once for gas, maybe food(I usually decide to hold on until I'm in Disneyland) and go around 80-85 once I'm out of the bay area until I hit L.A.

I should add that I travel solo so I don't have to worry about bathroom breaks for others, which is probably why I can make it so quick.

 

[Leofoenget]

With the amount of rest stops along the 5, one could stop and be on his way in less than 5 mins. I made the drive alone in June and I could do that.

 

[CalvaryMike]

Just please be prepared. I know this was released out of Reno for the Sierra Nevadas. But if this storm hits as some models are predicting, you will probably hit snow through the grapevine.

101 PM PST SAT NOV 22 2008

...CHANGE TO AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN FOR NEXT WEEK AND THE THANKSGIVING WEEKEND...

TWO AREAS OF LOW PRESSURE WILL AFFECT THE REGION THIS WEEK. THE FIRST ARRIVES TUESDAY AND THE SECOND BY LATE THANKSGIVING DAY.

RAIN AND SNOW WITH THE FIRST SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO REACH THE CENTRAL SIERRA ON TUESDAY AND SPREAD INTO WESTERN NEVADA ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS THE LOW MOVES ONSHORE. THIS SYSTEM WILL LOWER SNOW LEVELS TO 5500 TO 6000 FEET ACROSS THE REGION FOR TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. COMPUTER MODELS ARE SHOWING ABUNDANT MOISTURE IN THE CENTRAL SIERRA WITH THIS SYSTEM. THIS WILL CREATE THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE SIERRA SOUTH OF LAKE TAHOE TO MAMMOTH LAKES.

THE TRACK OF THE SECOND SYSTEM REMAINS UNCERTAIN AS IT DROPS OUT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA. HOWEVER CONFIDENCE FOR THE STORM TO REACH THE AREA THANKSGIVING DAY IS INCREASING. MODELS HAVE SHOWN THE SYSTEM MAY REMAIN OVER THE AREA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WITH COLD AND MOIST CONDITIONS. SNOW LEVELS MAY DROP AS LOW AS 4500 FEET IF THE STORM PASSES OVERHEAD. THE MOST LIKELY TIME FRAME FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW IN THE SIERRA WITH THIS STORM IS THANKSGIVING DAY INTO FRIDAY. LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR ELEVATIONS BELOW 5500 FEET...INCLUDING PORTIONS OF WESTERN NEVADA.

IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY IN THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NEVADA...BE PREPARED FOR WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS. CHECK OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/RENO FOR UPDATES ON HOW THESE STORMS MAY IMPACT HOLIDAY TRAVEL.

 

[gatorfreud]

Thanks! We are going to Tahoe for Christmas so I was planning to get chains anyway for that and bring them to DLR too, just in case. Thanks for the reminder, I really better do that.

Kim

 

[got2travel]

I'll be just ahead of you leaving Wed afternoon. I usually head down 101 then cut over on 152 out of Gilroy to take the 5 the rest of the way. There are ton of places in Gilroy to pick up something to eat. We then don't stop until Frazier Park which is I think the 2nd stop once you start climbing the Grapevine. The truck stop there usually has the best gas prices.

 

[pixiewings71]

We always do 5, not from SF but close. We stop in Lost Hills, there are a few good restaurants to stretch out there and the gas prices are reasonable. It's our favorite place to stop.

 

[bumbershoot]

I'm so jealous of you guys who do it in 7 hours and under. That's what everyone said it would take from Aptos to Anaheim, and we only stopped for maybe two bathroom breaks plus lunch, and it took us over 12 hours. We are still utterly mystified.