San Fransico to San Diego without going through LA?

autorot8 wrote:
This past summer when when went to San Diego, we took I5, to 138, to I15, to I215. Not a lot of traffic, and some different views.

Catching either 15 or 215 when there's not a lot of traffic requires working around commuter times. But then again, that applies to many urban areas. There's construction on both right now. 15's less of a problem. The other thing for me, is that big overpass where 215 intersects 60 & 91. You wind up driving like a half mile above the ground. It is way up there. I try to avoid things like that in the motorhome.

Also, that grade coming down 138 is pretty steep. The Palmdale road although way to Victorville is notorious for accidents. Try 58 next time. 395 can be a mess when people are heading to the eastern Sierra on Fri afternoon - and therefore Sunday afternoon. Likewise, 58 can be a problem on Fri afternoons. Think those are Central Valley types heading to Vegas.

We live in the Monterey area and our favorite and only route is to go south on Hwy 101 to the Paso Robles area (some of the best wine tasting in the state without the crowds in Napa & Sonoma or the wine snobbery). We then go east on Hwy 58 to Barstow. Great place to stay in Tehachapi is the small RV park beside the glider airport at the east end of the town.

From Barstow you can then head south on Hwy 15 all the way to San Diego. You miss 95% of the LA basin and its traffic.

I-5 is the slowest highway in the state as it is two lanes in each direction and has most of the heavy trucking traffic as the truckers avoid Hwy 101 to save fuel. As a result the right lane is occupied with the truckers and then motorist speed up and pass traffic using the right lane and then dive back into the number one lane and the other drivers have to hit their brakes. Having this happen time after time and mile after mile is tiring and nerve racking and you are going through the ugliest part of the state.

Anything in the LA basin can be a disaster at anytime due to road work or accident.
If you don't have traffic on your GPS etc tune to AM 980 or 1070 for local traffic updates every 10 to 15 minutes. Usual slowing still applies.

This past summer when when went to San Diego, we took I5, to 138, to I15, to I215. Not a lot of traffic, and some different views.

From SF, I vastly prefer 99 over 5. I also take my time. Here's a suggested route, complete with recommended RV parks. Leaving SF, take 120 over to 99. You'll pass a Bass Pro Shops in Manteca. If you've never been to one, and are an outdoor type, plan to stop for a few hours. Castle Air Museum RV Park in Atwater is where I'd stop for the night & check out the planes. (Haven't been, but will next trip!) Down 99 to Bakersfield. Couple of great parks. Use Bakersfield RV Resort and enjoy a great dinner at their on site restaurant. Take 58 to 395. But check weather, especially for wind in the Tehachapi & Mohave areas. 395 to 15 to Temecula. Spend the night at Pechanga RV resort. Time your travels to SD around commuter traffic.

We retired out of Temecula. Did biannual trips to Redding. This is the optimal route.

If you take 395 from 58 southbound, be aware that there are some steep grades, and it is mostly a heavily travelled 2 lane road that is notorious for head on collisions -- too many folks in a big hurry to pass.

But it still might be faster than struggling through urban LA -- from Castaic to Camp Pendleton is 120 miles of solid urban slogging. Fun!!

My son lives in Santa Ana. When I go there I leave I-5 and take the 405. This avoids the lane squeeze around the junction of I-5 and I-10 and several miles after. Got to get through to the junction back to I-5 by 3pm, or else.

I only go Hwy 58 when heading to AZ, but I have at one time or another takes all the routes mentioned, heading to Palm Springs or Yuma. Not to San Diego.

24fb freedom wrote:

msmith1199 wrote:
I've done this route many many times. I always take 58 out of Bakersfield and go over to 395. Don't follow your GPS if it tries to send you through Palmdale and Lancaster. Lots of traffic signals and cross traffic going that way. Take 395 down to 15. You can take 15 all the way into San Diego but I normally cut off on 215 and take it through San Bernardino and Riverside and then it hooks back up with 15. I'm not sure which route is better there.

For mileage, from the intersection of 99 and 58 to downtown San Diego taking I-5 all the way is 228 miles. That same starting and ending point take the above route I described is 274 miles. So you're adding 46 miles to the trip, but you are completely bypassing Los Angeles. To me that 46 miles is 100% worth it.

X2 I live in palmdale and I will say you do want to avoid our "talented" drivers we have,lol

Times 3
But we're in the lake Elsinore area

I've been driving the 210 for years. When it was the new route it was great. There never was any traffic. Not so now. It's another typical LA area freeway. It's certainly far better than I-5 thru downtown. There are good times and bad but I prefer to avoid it. Gonna try 46-99-58-395-15 on our upcoming trip.

lanerd wrote:
Or...I-5 south to Bakersfield (several ways to get from I-5 over to Bakersfield), 58 east to 395, 395 south to I-15.

Getting over to Bakersfield from I-5, I usually take the Panama exit off of I-5 and go over to 99. North on 99 for a couple of miles to 58 east. Or, you can also take 46 over to 99 south.

Another way is to take I-5 to Gorman and then take 138 east over to Hwy 14. South on 14 to Palmdale and then get back on 138 over to I-15.

Personally, I like quidry's way the best. However, smkettner's way is the most scenic.

Ron

X2 on taking the 46 exit off I5 and going east through Wasco. Only a few traffic lights and only adds 3 miles to the trip. Taking Stockdale highway or any of the other routs through Bakersfield will entail surface streets with stop and go traffic.