YOLO 101 north from Smell A North of SF - 101 to Cloverdale 128 North to 1, and back to 101 254 is the Avenue of the Giants. 101 north (Overnight in Crescent City) to Tillamook Oregon Oregon State Route 6 to Portland -5 north Sea scapes, tree scapes, mountain vistas, and I-5 expedite close to home. YOLO
Can't hit up Summer Lake Hot Springs if you go west at Susanville, though. And beware of Tito's -- the tacos are basically glorified Tac0Bell style tacos. Quite tasty, but a bit of an outlier. Their salsa is more chunky gazpacho ( tomatoes, oregano, salt) than a cruda. Right around the corner from Tito's is another hallmark: Johnnie's pastrami. I guess if you like fast food hamburgers, In-and-Out is ok, but not what anyone other than Jules might call a "Tasty burger, Vincent!"
I thought the objective was to return asap, not a extended trip, hence me saying take the 5. If you have time, I'd take the coastal route and stop at places like the Hearst Castle and Big Sur. The driving would be more enjoyable, but you will need lots more time. INO to me is like CFA to others. Better than average fast food with great customer service. And, of course, not available where I live. For a dining "experience," that is typically beyond my budget. Though there is a place near LAX (Marina Del Rey, IIRC) called Killer Shrimp that is good food but still easy on the wallet.
Given the traffic on the 5 just between our hotel and Buttonwillow I'd agree, might even be a bit quicker with a stop to lose money in casinos
Just came back from 10 days in Washington and all I can say is steer clear of Yakima. For some reason I had it in my head that it was some magical place only to find out that it's the crack whore capital of the US. God what a dump. Maybe I missed something but it made Gary, In look like the French Riviera in comparison.
Hitting Stockton and Sac at wrong time is bonus I used to get from Reno to Fontana in 6hr. You can haul ass on 395, nobody on it. I-5 is full of big trucks slowing flow.
Not too many issues with the trucks but always issues with the Cali peeps in packs running in the left lane. Granted the 55mph for anything with a trailer is idiotic and screws it all up too.
Agreement made to buy the car. Now I'm buying airfare. If the car doesn't work out we are going to rent a car from Enterprise as they do one way to SEA out of LAX. Still leaning Reno, need to consult with my sister to see if she's cool with a detour. Only two hours is easy for me, but need to be sure it's a team decision.
If you're going to Summer Lake, hit up the Cowboy Dinner Tree. http://www.cowboydinnertree.net/ Just make reservations in advance, it's really popular
Two hours assumes you're going the speed limit. 395 and any road off of it, fit the "middle of nowhere" description. 90 plus will get you there faster. Not that I'm encouraging illegal activity Be sure to gas up and plan your gas stops. Some places listed as towns have no services
I'm the slower driver by far. I'll have Katy do the overnight stretches Good point on gas stops. I'll check that out on either route.