Road Trippin’-Another Donkey Hottie Tour!
with Steve McCarthy
Ah, Fall. For most of you out there, the last chance for a nice road trip. Most people’s schedules, being what they are, also means a lot of time commitments for so many other things. Especially if you have kids. School’s started and that tends to overwhelm all other considerations. Along with this is the desperate need to escape! Here’s a nice little one day jaunt along familiar roads that should ease the wanderlust in all of us.
Several years ago, I organized a drive I called the Donkey Hottie for a day’s jaunt. This one is a variation on that. There’s some long straight stuff, but then the area around Mojave has little else. One of the highlights, especially if you leave REALLY early is sunrise in Red Rock Canyon. It’s worth the inconvenience! It’ll take you close to two hours to get there, so get your timing right. Bring along a camera, some coffee or hot chocolate and some muffins and enjoy a spectacular light show!
From there, it’s up and over the Walker Grade to Lake Isabella, then down the twisty Caliente-Bodfish Road. This is a great road for those who like the really tight and twisties! From there, you’ll take the back way to the Tehachapi Loop. Hang out there as see the trains chase themselves. It’s pretty spectacular. Lunch can be in Tehachapi. There’s lots of good places in town. Pick one, any one!
Out of town on the road to Rosamond and through the windmills that gave the drive it’s name (a student wrote on a test once, about Cervantes’ hero, Donkey Hottie and his adventures fighting windmills.-FACEPALM!), back down the 14 and back over Angeles Crest to home.
The crisp morning fall air is great, but be wary of the dreaded Santa Ana winds. They can make the desert miserable! Above all, have fun and stay safe!
306 mi, 6 hours 30 mins
United Artists La Canada 8 Movie Theater
1919 Verdugo Blvd
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
1. Head east on Verdugo Blvd toward La Tour Way 0.7 mi
2. Turn right onto Foothill Blvd 0.3 mi
3. Turn left onto Angeles Crest Hwy 4.5 mi
4. Turn right onto CA-2 E 5.0 mi
5. Turn left onto Angeles Forest Hwy 24.6 mi
6. Slight right onto Sierra Hwy 0.3 mi
7. Turn left to merge onto CA-14 N toward Palmdale 39.6 mi
8. Turn right onto CA-14 N/Midland Trail 25.5 mi
100 mi – about 1 hour 51 mins
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Hwy 14
Cantil, CA
9. Head northwest on CA-14 N 16.1 mi
10. Turn left onto CA-178 W 30.3 mi
46.4 mi – about 46 mins
Weldon, CA
11. Head west on CA-178 W 14.3 mi
12. Take the exit toward Bodfish Havilah 0.3 mi
13. Continue onto Elizabeth Norris Rd 0.6 mi
14. Turn right onto Lake Isabella Blvd 1.5 mi
15. Continue onto Caliente Bodfish Rd 30.2 mi
16. Turn right 249 ft
17. Continue straight 20 ft
46.9 mi – about 1 hour 24 mins
Caliente, CA
18. Head south toward J St 272 ft
19. Turn right onto Caliente Bodfish Rd 0.2 mi
20. Continue onto Bealville Rd 2.0 mi
21. Turn left onto CA-58 E 4.8 mi
22. Take the exit toward Keene 0.2 mi
23. Turn left toward Woodford-Tehachapi Rd 430 ft
24. Turn right onto Woodford-Tehachapi Rd 8.8 mi
25. Turn left onto Westwood Blvd 1.4 mi
26. Turn left onto Red Apple Ave 0.8 mi
27. Continue onto W Tehachapi Blvd 1.1 mi
19.4 mi – about 38 mins
Tehachapi, CA
28. Head east on W Tehachapi Blvd toward S Green St 3.0 mi
29. Turn right onto Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd 14.8 mi
30. Turn left onto Backus Rd 7.3 mi
31. Turn right to merge onto CA-14 S toward Rosamond 31.7 mi
32. Take the exit toward Angeles Forest Hwy 0.4 mi
33. Sharp right onto Sierra Hwy (signs for Angeles Forest Hwy) 0.2 mi
34. Keep left to continue on Co Hwy N3/Angeles Forest Hwy
Continue to follow Angeles Forest Hwy 20.8 mi
35. Continue straight to stay on Angeles Forest Hwy 3.8 mi
36. Turn right onto CA-2 W 5.0 mi
37. Turn left onto CA-2 W/Angeles Crest Hwy
Continue to follow Angeles Crest Hwy 4.4 mi
38. Turn right onto Foothill Blvd 0.3 mi
39. Take the 3rd left onto Verdugo Blvd
Destination will be on the right 0.7 mi
92.5 mi – about 1 hour 51 mins
United Artists La Canada 8 Movie Theater
1919 Verdugo Blvd
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
with Steve McCarthy
Ah, Fall. For most of you out there, the last chance for a nice road trip. Most people’s schedules, being what they are, also means a lot of time commitments for so many other things. Especially if you have kids. School’s started and that tends to overwhelm all other considerations. Along with this is the desperate need to escape! Here’s a nice little one day jaunt along familiar roads that should ease the wanderlust in all of us.
Several years ago, I organized a drive I called the Donkey Hottie for a day’s jaunt. This one is a variation on that. There’s some long straight stuff, but then the area around Mojave has little else. One of the highlights, especially if you leave REALLY early is sunrise in Red Rock Canyon. It’s worth the inconvenience! It’ll take you close to two hours to get there, so get your timing right. Bring along a camera, some coffee or hot chocolate and some muffins and enjoy a spectacular light show!
From there, it’s up and over the Walker Grade to Lake Isabella, then down the twisty Caliente-Bodfish Road. This is a great road for those who like the really tight and twisties! From there, you’ll take the back way to the Tehachapi Loop. Hang out there as see the trains chase themselves. It’s pretty spectacular. Lunch can be in Tehachapi. There’s lots of good places in town. Pick one, any one!
Out of town on the road to Rosamond and through the windmills that gave the drive it’s name (a student wrote on a test once, about Cervantes’ hero, Donkey Hottie and his adventures fighting windmills.-FACEPALM!), back down the 14 and back over Angeles Crest to home.
The crisp morning fall air is great, but be wary of the dreaded Santa Ana winds. They can make the desert miserable! Above all, have fun and stay safe!
306 mi, 6 hours 30 mins
United Artists La Canada 8 Movie Theater
1919 Verdugo Blvd
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
1. Head east on Verdugo Blvd toward La Tour Way 0.7 mi
2. Turn right onto Foothill Blvd 0.3 mi
3. Turn left onto Angeles Crest Hwy 4.5 mi
4. Turn right onto CA-2 E 5.0 mi
5. Turn left onto Angeles Forest Hwy 24.6 mi
6. Slight right onto Sierra Hwy 0.3 mi
7. Turn left to merge onto CA-14 N toward Palmdale 39.6 mi
8. Turn right onto CA-14 N/Midland Trail 25.5 mi
100 mi – about 1 hour 51 mins
Red Rock Canyon State Park
Hwy 14
Cantil, CA
9. Head northwest on CA-14 N 16.1 mi
10. Turn left onto CA-178 W 30.3 mi
46.4 mi – about 46 mins
Weldon, CA
11. Head west on CA-178 W 14.3 mi
12. Take the exit toward Bodfish Havilah 0.3 mi
13. Continue onto Elizabeth Norris Rd 0.6 mi
14. Turn right onto Lake Isabella Blvd 1.5 mi
15. Continue onto Caliente Bodfish Rd 30.2 mi
16. Turn right 249 ft
17. Continue straight 20 ft
46.9 mi – about 1 hour 24 mins
Caliente, CA
18. Head south toward J St 272 ft
19. Turn right onto Caliente Bodfish Rd 0.2 mi
20. Continue onto Bealville Rd 2.0 mi
21. Turn left onto CA-58 E 4.8 mi
22. Take the exit toward Keene 0.2 mi
23. Turn left toward Woodford-Tehachapi Rd 430 ft
24. Turn right onto Woodford-Tehachapi Rd 8.8 mi
25. Turn left onto Westwood Blvd 1.4 mi
26. Turn left onto Red Apple Ave 0.8 mi
27. Continue onto W Tehachapi Blvd 1.1 mi
19.4 mi – about 38 mins
Tehachapi, CA
28. Head east on W Tehachapi Blvd toward S Green St 3.0 mi
29. Turn right onto Tehachapi Willow Springs Rd 14.8 mi
30. Turn left onto Backus Rd 7.3 mi
31. Turn right to merge onto CA-14 S toward Rosamond 31.7 mi
32. Take the exit toward Angeles Forest Hwy 0.4 mi
33. Sharp right onto Sierra Hwy (signs for Angeles Forest Hwy) 0.2 mi
34. Keep left to continue on Co Hwy N3/Angeles Forest Hwy
Continue to follow Angeles Forest Hwy 20.8 mi
35. Continue straight to stay on Angeles Forest Hwy 3.8 mi
36. Turn right onto CA-2 W 5.0 mi
37. Turn left onto CA-2 W/Angeles Crest Hwy
Continue to follow Angeles Crest Hwy 4.4 mi
38. Turn right onto Foothill Blvd 0.3 mi
39. Take the 3rd left onto Verdugo Blvd
Destination will be on the right 0.7 mi
92.5 mi – about 1 hour 51 mins
United Artists La Canada 8 Movie Theater
1919 Verdugo Blvd
La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011
This is a GREAT drive ! I've been doing it on two and four wheels since the 1970's , I usually stop for lunch in Bodfish .
ReplyDelete-Nate
Thanks. Where do you stop in Bodfish?
ReplyDelete