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Well, we're closing in rapidly on September and it looks like I'll be roadtripping down to SoCal the second half of that month. I haven't been down to see my family in 12 years, and the occasion of the marriage of my youngest cousin is a good reason.

This is my tentative route down and back, and I'd be happy to meet up with anyone along the way for an adult beverage. I'm planning on taking about 4 days down and 3 back, about 400 miles per day. I'll have 2.5 weeks total for the trip. I'll be staying with family in the Inland Empire (Corona/Riverside) and taking a side trip down to San Diego. And since the wedding is in Henderson, NV, I'll be taking in the sights in Vegas on the 27-29th.

I will also accept suggestions/feedback on my route. I'm not going to make a beeline for SoCal but I don't want to take forever to get there either; this is still a vacation so I'm trying to strike a balance. I'm really looking for suggestions on the leg from Porterville/Bakersfield to Riverside. At that point I AM basically in beeline mode.

Day 1-2, Helena-Boise-Reno, tentatively 9/15-16

Day 3-4, Reno-Yosemite-Inland Empire tentatively 9/17-18 updated

On the way home from Henderson, NV, avoiding the interstate. First stop in Salina, UT, second stop in Northern Utah.

Say FJ, Oakhurst is just 50 miles from the house. If you're coming that close we'll try and make a connection for a drink or meal. I'll check back later as you get closer to your trip.
Bob and AmyLee

Cool! I'm not sure how far I'm going to get on day 3, but I'll definitely factor that in.

John,

If you're going to try to miss most of the L.A. traffic conditions, may I suggest that instead of taking "The Grapevine" on I-5 and going through much of this traffic mess on the Foothill Freeway(I-210), that as you're going south on Hwy 99, and as you come into Bakersfield, that you take Hwy-58 southeast towards Barstow, and when you come to Hwy-395 take that south to Victorville, where it then connects to the I-15 south, and then when that splits off to the I-215 south at the Cajone Pass, take the I-215 south right into Riverside.

This might be quicker in the long run for ya. Traffic through Pasadena and points east towards Riverside from there can often be a bear, whereas the route I've suggested should pretty much steer you parallel and a bit north and away from this megalopolis's worse west/east traffic.

That's exactly the kind of "insider" info I'm looking for. Thanks!

Is that route any better or worse than going through Lancaster and Palmdale and cutting over east on the 138?

Lancaster/Palmdale used to be a good route years ago, but it's just one traffic light after another now. I've done the Bakersfield and 395 way many times in the past visiting relatives in California, and it's a great way to bypass a portion of LA.

Since you're heading up 89 in Utah, if you have time a detour on hwy 12 is highly recommended. Was just up that way last month and the scenery and road is worth it. There's also an all you can eat pancake breakfast for $2.99 in Tropic, Utah...which is just a few miles past Bryce Canyon. Hwy 12 near Bryce is where I took this pic.

That's a good idea too. At Mojave you could get off Hwy-58 and then go south on I-14 until you get to Palmdale, and then take Hwy-138 to Cajon Junction, where you'd then get on the I-5 and then the I-215 once again.

Nice pic, Derek.

Might have to check that out. One of the reasons I'm planning on going through Salina is the "World Famous" Ma's Diner. I'm a sucker for comfort food (and I have the body to show for it).

Isnt 138/18 between Palmdale and Victorville the road with all the head on collisions? From what I remeber there isnt much to see along that road and its dangerous.

I've been bumming a bit because I was hoping to find some bike and/or hotrod event that coincides with my trip. I mean, southern California is the Mecca of those things, isn't it? I found a big car show in Reno the weekend after I pass through, but I'll have to miss that.

Well, I finally found something, and it fits perfect within my schedule: http://www.lasvegasbikefest.com/

Granted, it will be mostly Harleys, but the custom bike show should be cool. I'm not so narrow minded that I can't appreciate custom Harleys.

John,

I'll be back in town on Monday Sept 17th after riding up to Laguna Seca for the AMA Superbike races, and so if you can make it over from Riverside to the SoBay of L.A. on Friday Sept 21st sometime in the early afternnon, there is a weekly Cruise-In on very Friday of about 50 or so classic cars and Hot Rods in Redondo Beach at the pier.

I've been taking the Spyder over there lately to that shindig, and if you'd like to stay the night with Judie and I here, we'd be happy to have you stay for the night so you wouldn't have to ride back to the Inland Empire later that evening. It would be about a 90-120 minute ride each way, BTW.

Thanks for the offer. We'll see what we can figure out once I get down there. I probably haven't been on the Redondo Pier in 35 years.

John, Dwight...count me in on this one.

Doug

Speakin' o' the SoBay!

Hello STRANGER!!!

Torrance? El Camino Village? It's like old home week. Anybody else in SW LA?

What I wouldn't give to be there!!!

I guess I should mention I lived in Hawthorne from about 1971-1976. "Old Home Week" makes a little more sense then...

Quick question. I'm aware that it's legal to split lanes in California. I seem to recall something about motorcycles being allowed to use the carpool lane. Is that also the case?

Yes. You may ride in the carpool lane. And when traffic gets really bad you may split the lane between the carpool and fastlane...there are 2 double yellow lines than you can ride on and it gives you about 3 to 5 feet between cars. Just beware of folks jumping in and out of the carpool lane.
Its illegal but people don't seem to care.

Doug

Just one more thing on the splitting lanes and carpool lanes, John......

Doug is right about the use of the carpool lane being open to riders, but I would like to add a few caveats to his input here, which you may or may not already know.

Whenever you're riding in the diamond lane and the traffic in that lane is moving at a much faster clip than the lane to your immediate right is moving, stay as far to the left as you possibly can as keep you eyes peeled for, as Doug mentioned, the cagers who will cross over that double-double line, exactly where they're NOT suppose to enter the diamond lane, but do it all the time anyway. I can't emphasize this point enough.

Secondly, If all the lanes of traffic are moving very slowly, including the diamond lane, then I would suggest that instead of going between the diamond lane and the lane next to it(usually is lane#4, I would split between lanes# 3 and 4, due in large part to those very same cagers who will try to jump into the diamond lane at a momments notice where they shouldn't.

Oh...and one more thing. If anyone cuts you off...LET IT GO!!! This is L.A. remember, and though it IS surprising how with all these drivers fighting for space on the streets and freeways around here that most cagers are reasonably polite and courteous, BUT...there are a very very VERY small few who might like to show you the business end of their S&W if you would decide to take exception to their boneheadedness in some manner. A whole lot less than the Media and the Movies would have you believe, but still, like any major city in this country, more people equals more possible loonies!

Now, I'm almost sure that you know this already, but ya might have forgotten it after looking at all those MOOSE and BEAR instead o' PEOPLE up there in Big Sky Country these past few years!

(in other words....That "Laid-back" Los Angeles, and that Hawthorne California of Beach Boys fame that you may remember?...Well, it "ain't so much like that anymore", Dude!!!)

That's exactly the kind of "insider" info I'm looking for and it makes perfect sense. Most of them aren't malicious, they're just clueless and unaware that you're there (some things are the same all over, it's just taken to the nth level in a major metro area like LA).

So you're saying that I shouldn't keep practicing to fire my Para-Ordinance P-12.45 with my left hand while riding?

There was a time when I was looking up states with concealed weapon reciprocity with Montana. I doubt very much that California is on that list. Shame though, I think I can still get a CC permit with $50 and brief chat with the sheriff.

I guess the next question is what's the best route from Riverside to Redondo Beach? And what's the best time of day for traffic? I wonder if I can get a tour of the large Northrop Grumman office in Hawthorne while I'm down there. Naw, I fully intend to leave my employee badge at home, although it would sure be nice to find out who's responsible for some of our network policies (Websense) and smack them upside the head.

The most direct route from Riverside to the SoBay is the 91 Freeway, John. It's a mess right in the vicinity of Riverside due to a rebuilding and enlargeing of the interchange of the 91 and I-5(typical SoCal "pro-activism", with all the new housing developments out that way the last 20 years, CalTrans has only just halfway completed that new interchange, where I got badly stuck in traffic coming back from Prescott last month...but that's another story)...but once you get west of Riverside, it's not too bad before 2pm. After that...oh geez!

But still, the 91 is probably best. It ends up right in the SoBay in the city of Gardena, and flows right into Artesia Blvd going west which you'll want to stay on for about 3 miles. Then turn right(north) onto Prarie Ave, and then after a couple miles north, turn right(east) on Manhattan Beach Blvd, and that's my neighborhood, right across from that golf course that'll be on your right.

You are correct John, the Peoples Republic of Kalifornia has no reciprocity with any other state.

Quote:

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So you're saying that I shouldn't keep practicing to fire my Para-Ordinance P-12.45 with my left hand while riding?

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I dunno John. Maybe could get you a starring role in "Outlaw Riders II, Pedro meets the Friar" .

That would be a heck of an audition...

Typically how aggressive do you have to be when you want to return to a lane from lane splitting? When you get to a place where the traffic starts moving again, do they let you in most of the time or try and cut you off?

The cagers around here still exhibit a surprising amount of "laid-backness", John. A very high percentage of 'em would allow you right back in.

Rules of thumb:
Ride just a bit faster than the traffic flow in order to stay out of the cagers' blind spots as much as you can.

At intersections with a red light your way, split lanes and go up between the two lead cars. Check the stoplight and watch for the cross traffic light to turn yellow. Check for any last second traffic going in that direction and then when your light turns green, make another quick check both ways using your peripheral vision for any last, last second cross traffic runners, and this includes cross traffic cagers who will be making a last second right turn coming from your right and who be headed in your direction once you cross the intersection, (they often swing wide and into the left lane)...and then HIT IT, getting to whatever speed limit the street that you're riding on is posted at. In fact, you'll be able to ride at about 5 to sometimes 10 MPH faster than the posted limit without much notice by the police.

This way you'll be away from as much traffic as possible, because you'll be way ahead of 'em for the most part.


(note to the rest of the country.....DO YOU NOW SEE HOW EASY THIS FRIGGIN' PRACTICE IS???...WHY DON'T YOU TRY TO GET YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES' HEAD OUT OF THEIR COLLECTIVE ***** AND HAVE THEM GET WITH THIS VERY RATIONAL AND SMART PROGRAM OF LANE-SPLITTING TOO???!!!....yep, I kind'a feel strongly about this issue...could ya TELL???)

So you can lane split on surface streets as well?

Ya know, we moved to Montana before I even had a learner's permit, but I left California with the impression that California drivers were indeed laid back. Montana went through some serious growing pains in certain cities when they had significant increases in traffic over the past 20 years. Some would say the collective is still going through growing pains when it comes to traffic behavior. Certain cities the traffic behavior can only be called asshattery.

(sorry John...I guess I haven't been keeping up with this thread....)

Yep! You can. And you'd usually do this whenever traffic is stopped for a red light.

Basically, as long as you're not going past stopped or barely crawling cagers any faster than say 10-15 MPH than their speed, the cops don't really mind.

They will cite you though if they think that you're splitting lanes too fast, and that is a subjective opionion on their part that would be pretty hard to fight in court.

BTW, while you're splitting lanes, alway be sure to make a quick check of your mirrors every 30 seconds or so, as every once in a while some rider will sneak up behind you splitting lane in what I would consider too fast, and every once in a while as you may see an opening in the lane to move into, if you don't check your mirror they can "surprise the heck out of you" by trying to pass YOU.

I say...move your way into a lane, and let 'em pass.

Just remember FJ,

Dwight's retired now. On a whim, or a motorcycle, he may decide to follow you back north and end up snowed or smoked in for the w..i..n..t..e..r..

Kidding Dwight.

jh
New Haven, ND
"Home of the World's Largest Holstein"

Okay, just on that possibility alone, the trip is OFF! It's just too big a risk. Thanks for ruining it for me, Halpop.

HEY!!! And here I just thinkin' that I may FINALLY get that friggin' snowmobile ride that thanks to the uncooperative weather back in New Hampshire last January I missed out on at Rob's shindig there!!!

He can stay here if he doesn't mind an air mattress next to the litterbox. Due to my never-ending (never progressing is more like it) remodel that's the only decent chunk of floor in my poor little house.