Best route Sacramento to Pismo Beach

1. I-5 south to Hwy. 41 at Kettleman, take the Avenal exit. There is 1 rest stop just past Stockton, where I-5 connects with 580. If you need fuel, there is a good station just after you get off I-5, plenty of room for RV's.
2. West on Avenal to Hwy 33, then south to Hwy 41. Stay on 41 to Hwy. 101. Go south to Pismo Beach.
There is 1 small small but short hill to go over. All the roads are good 2 lane roads. Make sure your radar is on as the "bears" tend to partol Hwy. 41. Where are you staying in Pismo?
I make the trip at least twice a year and don't know of any "terrible roads". There was construction improvment about 1/2 way to Hwy. 101 but you just had to slow down, no long periods of stopping.

Crossing on SR 41 is fine and we have driven it many, many times. Now we prefer southbound on I-5 to Santa Nella, west on SR 33 to SR 152, or 156, can't recall which, and over to the 101. Casa de Fruita is a great place to stop for lunch. Have a great trip.

Crossing on SR 41 is fine and we have driven it many, many times. Now we prefer southbound on I-5 to Santa Nella, west on SR 33 to SR 152, or 156, can't recall which, and over to the 101. Casa de Fruita is a great place to stop for lunch. Have a great trip.

I have also used Hwy. 156 out of Santa Nella to Hollester to 101. Its a good route as well, you just have to check the winds on 156 before you get there, they can get pretty strong. Casa de Fruita is a great place to veg out on fruits and nuts. San Juan Baustia is a neat little town to stop and visit the mission. There is a great bakery there:)

Thanks to both of you for your most helpful information. I will be driving a 36 ft. motorhome, so I will have to decide which of the two routes might be better for me. Below is the quote from an RV'er who commented on the bad roads in May of this year, which caused me to ask the best route question:

Quote:

RE: I-5 or CA99?

3 months ago...We just came back from Pismo Beach area. Going and coming using I-5 from Tracy - Manteca (120) down around a 130 miles to Kettleman city turnoff highway 41 out to Paso Robles. Our motorhome took a beating where the concrete bridges or short concrete strips adjoin the asphalt on I-5. I slowed even to 35-45 with no traffic behind me and we still bottomed suspension out. I counted at least 10 different spots on that leg of the trip. So, just a warning, be prepared to loosen some teeth. Next trip, I may try 99 part way starting at Merced north. We have used 99 north from Stockton to Sacramento and then cross over to I-5. It's fairly smooth. I-5 around Stockton is all torn up. road glide 05/13/13 07:36pm

Thanks to both of you for your most helpful information. I will be driving a 36 ft. motorhome, so I will have to decide which of the two routes might be better for me. Below is the quote from an RV'er who commented on the bad roads in May of this year, which caused me to ask the best route question:

I-5 has always had sections that you have to keep your eye on when driving. But once you get off I-5 the road is much smoother. I-5 going over the Grape Vine into Los Angeles has been really torn up the last couple of years, going north I just moved over to the truck lane and keep my speed around 35mph. IMHO, check the wind via an Application on the internet, if the wind is calm on Hwy. 156 out of Kettlemen, you really have two good choices. You might have a little more traffic on 101 out of Hollester but nothing real major. Have fun in Pismo.

RE: I-5 or CA99?

3 months ago...We just came back from Pismo Beach area. Going and coming using I-5 from Tracy - Manteca (120) down around a 130 miles to Kettleman city turnoff highway 41 out to Paso Robles. Our motorhome took a beating where the concrete bridges or short concrete strips adjoin the asphalt on I-5.

One item I didn't see mentioned is 41 merges with 46 east of Paso Robles. If your rely on your GPS it may tell you to turn left off of 46 to get back on 41. DO NOT TURN. That section of 41 is narrow with many sharp turns that may be OK in your rig but a better more relaxed drive in a Miata or on a motorcycle. Stay on 46 to 101 in Paso then south to Pismo.

JohnG3. I actually had wondered about that piece of road. In looking at a map, it looked a bit more curvy than road 46. In Map Source, I found it was only 5 additional miles to travel 46, so now your input is very timely and I will avoid that part of 41 as you suggest. Thanks very much.