Heading down to I-8 from Lake Havasu and Parker we have always liked the drive down 95 to Yuma. Just something about it. Probably all the low hills nearby. South of Quartzsite about 30 miles (near where you are about to cross into Yuma Proving Ground land) there are some nice wide hard packed pull off locations to have lunch or just a rest break. It is by far the most relaxing route to drive down to I-8.
But a lot of RVers run over through Blythe to pick up route 78 down to I-8 in the El Centro area. Route 78 will keep you busy though. About 25 miles south of Blythe it cuts across a lot of erosion related to the Colorado River being just to the east. It becomes narrow in places and without much of a shoulder for miles. Lots of rolling little mounds of hills too. And most of the dips have deeply eroded gullies at the bottom just beyond those narrow shoulders. Not a place to blow a tire or lose your concentration.
But 78 will take you through the Glamis sand dunes about 25 miles east of Brawley. They are pretty impressive if you've never driven through mountains of sand. In fact they are pretty impressive even if you have been across 78 dozens of times. (I should mention that 18 wheelers and RVers use 78 all the time.)
When getting near Brawley don't be tempted to take route 115 south down to Holtville for access to I-8. We tried it a few years ago and it was a terrible wash board road. Go on up to route 111 nearer to Brawley. And there is a Shell truck fuel stop at the intersection with a CAT scale if that's of any interest to you. Maybe 10 bucks to get weighed.
About 25 miles west of El Centro on I-8 you will pass by Ocotillo and soon begin a 9 mile climb up into that forbidding range of mountains you have been seeing off in the distance. For some reason it always has been a tough climb even though it never exceeds the interstate highway 6 percent maximum grade limit. Maybe that's because it's 6 percent without let up the whole way . You will see radiator water tanks every so often - maybe left over from the days before efficient cooling systems came into vogue. Or maybe those tanks are there because you may be driving through 110 degree temps at the bottom of the grade.
Once up on top of the mountains you will have occasional up and down grades of maybe 5 or 6 percent all the way over to Pine Valley when you begin a 20 mile descent down into the San Diego area. This final grade is mostly 6 percent and the signs will constantly remind you of that - but there are stretches where it levels out a bit. This long descent is really of no great concern. Just watch your downhill speed on the steep parts.
Once you are up on top the mountains west of Ocotillo there is a fuel stop a few miles up the road near Jacumba and then beyond that maybe 15 miles is the Golden Acre Casino and Truck Stop. It's an Indian Casino, of course. They have a huge parking lot there and overnight parking is allowed.
So for a nice easy drive take 95 south to Yuma and then east to San Diego. 275 miles.
Or perhaps for a more interesting drive head over through Blythe to route 78 and then down to I-8 and San Diego: 265 miles.
To get into San Diego without that big mountain climb on I-8 you'd have to take I-10 out of Blythe over to route 60 just past Beaumont and then head south on I-215 to a merge with I-15 in the Temecula area. That puts you into San Diego a bit south of there. But at the expense of a lot of driving in traffic. And about 300 miles to the San Diego area.
Good traveling.
