Best way from SF Bay Area to LA?
What's the best route to drive from SF Bay Area to LA and where are the best stops for a family with two young children?
Although 5 is the fastest route, I'm leaning towards taking 101 just because it's more scenic and there are real places to stop, not just fast food and gas stations. It will add roughly an hour to the trip, but is that a good trade-off?
Thoughts? Recommendations? Should we just strap the kids in and try to make it there in 6 hours with minimal bathroom breaks and just deal with the whining and screaming? Or do it leisurely, stopping at parks and restaurants along the way and drag it out to an 9 or even 10 hour trip? Either way, the kids will probably not be terribly happy.
If the latter, please provide specific places that are good stops.
5 Answers
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Ok, I'm back to report on our trip down south. Before anything, we first purchased new toys for the kids. For the 10mo, we got the Tiny Love Wonder Wheel and the 3yo got Buzz Lightyear.
Going down, we decided to take 101 since it is more scenic. Our goal was to leave the house at 7am, so by 9am we were finally packed and buckled into the car. It was actually good that we got a late start because it coincided roughly with our 10mo's first nap, so she slept for a good hour and half. With the novelty of new toys also going for us, we managed to make it all the way to Paso Robles without any stops.
We stopped in downtown Paso Robles where there are a multitude of restaurants (not fast food) to choose from right on the town square. After lunch, we stopped at the playground located in the town square for the kids to play (and tire themselves out).
We hit the road again around 1:30pm and made it just in time for the LA rush hour traffic, which added another hour to drive a mere 20 miles. We got to Redondo Beach around 5pm. So 8 hours including lunch and playground.
Coming back we decided to try 5. We hit the road at 8:30am, made it to Harris Ranch for lunch around noon, and got home around 3pm. This route was BORING, but for a total of 6.5 hours (including lunch, and missing all traffic), 5 is definitely faster.
Not sure which one I prefer or recommend...
I found this blog entry which lists a few parks. Note that nearly all the rest stops along both I-5 and 101 are closed for renovation.
- aknitter, Feb 10, 2010
Thanks! Nice link!
- andrea, Feb 17, 2010
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I don't know that route either, but folks who have taken it have suggested that if you're going to try to power through with minimal breaks, you might consider setting out in the early pre-dawn hours and packing your kids up while still asleep, getting a few hours under your belt while they're still asleep, and then stopping for breakfast. (Or, if you're night people, inverse plan at night.)
That said, one friend said this idea backfired on him when the kids woke up pre-pre-dawn and stayed awake ;)
Yeah, hubby was suggesting the pre-dawn tactic. But seeing as I'm not a morning person, I'm not sure who will be worse company - unhappy children or me.
- aknitter, Dec 16, 2009
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FWIW, we learned on this trip that splitting the trip from South Bay to Joshua Tree (abt a 9 hour drive without traffic) into 2 days is not necessarily better than just leaving at noon, driving through their afternoon naps, stopping twice for meals and play while they're awake, and then powering through into the night when they're again asleep.
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All of you out there with small children who are brave enough to drive 9 hrs with kids deserve a medal. Its a long trip for bigger kids too --- including adults. Everyone needs leg stretches, bathroom breaks and snacks -- just to endure the driving monotony. I frequently drive these long trips alone, and I am exhausted even after 5 hrs on the " 5". So my kudo's to those of you who venture out with children. BTW -- my longest nightmare drive was a marathon 12 hrs over the Thanksgiving Holiday from Northern to Southern California. Never again! Even without children.
Thanks for the update! We're about to take a similar trip. Did you find any good way to identify parks/playgrounds along the route?
- andrea, Feb 10, 2010