Posted: 7/17/2025 1:32:16 AM EDT
[Last Edit: TheYellowThing][Edited]
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I will be driving from San Jose to Phoenix. I am too old to do the Pachecho Pass, Central Valley grind to the Grapevine. 210 to 10 route, anymore. That drive sucks. We have two or three days. What is a better route? Where to stay and eat? I am so tired of that drive that I really want to slow down and enjoy the trip. For once. Please help.  |
License to slouch.
Mitchell!
Mitchell!
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Those big ole mountains do get in the way. But I have spend some time in that area. Get a map and look at the 99 south to either the 80 or the 50 east. Drop off the east side of the mountain and hit the 395 south. You could cut south on the 89 off of the 50 and hit 395 a bit further south. That's a heck of a pass though. Go east on the 58 to Barstow and then take the 40 to Needles. There take the 95 south to the 10 east into Phoenix. 395 has places like Lee Vining, Mono Lake and Mammoth. |
"Go low, go slow and preferrably in the dark", the old Sarge.
"Every man needs at least one good rifle and know how to use it," Dad.
"Every man needs at least one good rifle and know how to use it," Dad.
| When's the last time you drove Pacheco Pass? I live in San Jose and commute out to Los Banos weekly during duck season. It's not that bad anymore. |
Watching the kids shoot Pieeater's 1919 was great. Nothing warms the heart more than seeing a little kid kneeling in a pile of brass and links.-Pthfndr after the Nov 13th NorCal shoot
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Originally Posted By TheYellowThing: I will be driving from San Jose to Phoenix. I am too old to do the Pachecho Pass, Central Valley grind to the Grapevine. 210 to 10 route, anymore. That drive sucks. We have two or three days. What is a better route? Where to stay and eat? I am so tired of that drive that I really want to slow down and enjoy the trip. For once. Please help. Yep, 101 south to Ventura. That's not a bad one day from San Jose. Although Ventura has little going for it besides Andria's (very good, popular mostly fried seafood)or Brophy's (typical not to expensive seafood) at the harbor. At that point you're stuck. Per Google, it's a tad over 8 hours to Phoenix. We live just into San Bernadino County and if going up the coast, we essentially never take the 5, sometimes take the 210 (instead of 10 or 60) to 118 or 126 instead of the 101 to the Ventura area. They are more rural, some freeway/divided highway at each end. Usually, less traffic than the 101. A quick glance at a map will show how they connect up compared to 5 coming south into San Fernando. From San Fernandoish, the 210 all the way east to the 10 is usually the least awful. Then 10 to Phoenix is what it is. To relax one could split up the trip from San Jose to Ventura or Santa Barbara. Highway 1 is still closed through Big Sur, so while Cambria is nice, it's backtracking. Morro Bay from San Luis Obispo is a bit less off route and we like Tognazzini's Dockside Too for casual, open air waterfront dining. Last trip we picked a nice piece of fresh local halibut for grilling and then some sides. I had some grilled oysters, too. "The Galley" is down in the main waterfront area and is very good for nice seafood dining, it overlooks the bay across to the Rock. Lots of places in SLO but we'll hit the bay when in the area. Solvang/Buellton (including Los Olivos and Santa Ynez) is not a bad drive from San Jose. Various reasonable dining and lodging options. Solvang is pricier for lodging, dining can be reasonable or pricey - it's a getaway area for the Santa Barbara and L.A. areas and weekends are popular and crowded. Industrial Eats in Buellton is quirky. I like it, wife doesn't. Figueroa Mountain Brewery is redoing it's kitchen so food trucking it now, for a while. Firestone Walker has a dining area and lots of beer related drink type stuff. In Solvang, the Solvang Brewing company isn't too expensive, Copenhagen Sausage Factory is a more limited menu. mostly sausage and beers of various sorts. Maybe take two days to get down the coast, dinner in Santa Barbara or Ventura the second day and stretch to the Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley or Inland Empire area some place to cut off some of that third day to Phoenix. |
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We made it home. The Central Coast is much more enjoyable to travel than the Central Valley. No offense, to Central Valley members. Less traffic, trucks, and dead-straight roads. We stayed in Paso Robles overnight. Not even a dent in our trip. It would have better had we spent another day or two traveling. Central Coast is cool. I am exhausted. The Phoenix traffic sucked worse than Glendale/ Pasadena traffic. We went 101-134-210 to 10. Pretty easy. |
License to slouch.
Mitchell!
Mitchell!