What's a Few Hours, Anyway?

Road Trippin’
with Steve McCarthy

What’s two hours worth? Lot’s of answers to that. Time with a newborn? Priceless. At the higher minimum wage that people are screaming for? About $30. Before taxes. On a Road Trip? It’s the difference between a mind stultifying endless slog up the I-5 and the FAR more pleasant cruise up the 101. Two whole freakin’ hours longer. That’s it. It’s the difference between eating McKing Jr. and a Bison Burger in Atascadero. It’s the difference between a Denny’s pancake and waffles at the Worker Bee in Carpinteria. It’s the difference between rolling hills, dotted with oak trees, a road that gently sweeps through vineyards and rich farmland and the cattle pens in Kettleman City. It’s the difference between a parade of semis, limited to 55 mph trying to pass each other at 57 mph, while some sanctimonious asshat in a Prius hogs the fast lane at 65, “Saving the Planet.” So, what brought all this on?
One of our dearest friends, Pam is about to become one of our Oldest Friends. She’s hitting 60. As in years, not MPH. Sixty is a rough one. It's the age when you know you are all of a sudden, "Old." There's a tendency to look backwards. A lot. To need to reconnect with people from one's past. A tendency to reflect on what you've done with your life. It marks the point when you're starting the last of your Biblically allotted "Four Score Years." The crappy part is, it's like hitting 20, when you're not a teen, can vote, but can't drink. At 60, you're not old enough for Social Security or Medicare, but old enough for the Senior Menu and Discounts.
        Marianne and Pam had babies together, shared baby sitting duties, breast feeding advice, and swapped lies about their husbands. Bill, Pam’s husband at the time is perhaps my dearest and oldest friend. Pam is coming south from Washington to Clearlake, where Bill lives, to celebrate with their kids and friends. We are going. Instead of doing the Southwest Tour I talked about, we’re heading for the wine country, then to the NoCal Coast. Not a bad trade off. Naturally, that means making a choice of route.

Good Ol’ Google Maps naturally defaults to the I-5 north, then cutting west above Sacramento to Clearlake. Some 494 miles. Seven hours, eighteen minutes of driving time. The alternate Central Valley Route of Hwy. 99 is 498 miles and about a half-hour longer. At least along the 99 there are places to stop to eat that don’t involve crappy fast food (WOW, there’s a redundancy if ever there was one!). But mostly, each is an unending panorama of flat farmland, offering little in variety. At least on the 99 you might spot a train or two, and get to tick off the towns as they roll by. Bakersfield, Delano, Pixley, Tulare, Kingsburg, Fresno, and on and one. This was the route we’d take to see the Grand Folks in Sacramento. Then at least, each small town was a separate, distinct entity. Now, they are rapidly growing together.
Then, there’s that two hour difference. US Highway 101. The El Camino Real. The King’s Highway. The ORIGINAL California Road Trip Route. An investment of two hours is all it takes to see the quintessential California landscape. Rolling hills, oak trees, Pacific Ocean, missions, and great food. Now, because there’s more to see, you might windup spending more time poking about. Is that a bad thing? So you add another hour or two? Look at what you gain!
Time, therefore, is not merely money. Time is experiences. The more time you take poking about, the richer your life is. Richer in far more permanent ways than mere money.

1,267 miles, 22 h 40 min
Monrovia, CA

1. Merge onto I-210 W 8.3 mi
2. Continue onto CA-134 14.1 mi
3. Merge onto US-101 N 72.1 mi
4. Take the Casitas Pass Road exit 0.2 mi
5. Turn left onto Casitas Pass Rd 0.2 mi
6. Turn right onto Carpinteria Ave 0.3 mi
7. Turn left onto Linden Ave
Breakfast Destination will be on the right 131 ft
96.1 mi / 1 h 36 min
The Worker Bee Café
973 Linden Ave, Carpinteria, CA 93013

8. Head northeast on Linden Ave toward Carpinteria Ave 0.3 mi
9. Sharp right to merge onto US-101 N 0.1 mi
10. Merge onto US-101 N 152 mi
11. Take the Leavesley Rd/CA-152 W exit 0.4 mi
12. Merge onto San Ysidro Ave
13. Destination will be on the right 0.3 mi

Garlic Shoppe
8650 San Ysidro Ave, Gilroy, CA 95020


14. Head southeast on San Ysidro Ave 0.3 mi
15. Turn right onto Leavesley Rd 210 ft
16. Merge onto US-101 N via the ramp to San Jose 30.7 mi
17. Take the exit onto I-880 N toward Oakland 40.3 mi
18. Merge onto I-80 E 3.5 mi
Keep right to continue on I-580 W,
follow signs for San Rafael/Point Richmond
Partial toll road 13.2 mi
20. Take the exit onto US-101 N 11.9 mi
21. Take the Atherton Ave exit toward San Marin Dr 0.2 mi
22. Turn left onto Atherton Ave 0.2 mi
23. Continue onto San Marin Dr 2.7 mi
24. Turn right onto Novato Blvd 6.3 mi
25. Turn left onto Point Reyes Petaluma Rd 0.4 mi
26. Turn right
Destination will be on the right 230 ft

112 mi / 1 h 55 min
Marin French Cheese
7510 Point Reyes Petaluma Road, Petaluma, CA 94952

27. Head northeast toward Point Reyes Petaluma Rd 230 ft
28. Turn left onto Point Reyes Petaluma Rd 4.8 mi
29. Continue onto D St/D street Extension
Continue to follow D St 4.4 mi
30. Turn left onto Lakeville St 0.1 mi
31. Take the 1st right onto E Washington St 0.8 mi
32. Take the ramp onto US-101 N 0.2 mi
33. Merge onto US-101 N 19.8 mi
34. Take the River Rd exit toward Guerneville 0.2 mi
35. Turn right onto Mark West Springs Rd 5.3 mi
36. Continue onto Porter Creek Rd 4.7 mi
37. Turn left onto Petrified Forest Rd 4.4 mi
38. Turn left onto CA-128 W/Foothill Blvd 0.8 mi
39. Turn right onto Tubbs Ln 1.3 mi
40. Turn left onto CA-29 N 29.4 mi
41. Continue onto CA-53 N 2.9 mi
42. Turn left onto Lakeshore Dr
43. Destination will be on the left 0.4 mi
79.7 mi / 1 h 46 min
Best Western El Grande Inn
15135 Lakeshore Dr, Clearlake, CA 95422

Day Two
OK, from here on, you’re kinda on your own. I’ve traced out a route that hits some neat stuff. The Skunk Train, Fort Ross, The Roaring Camp and Big Trees RR, all manner of things to see along the way. Somewhere, you’ll need to stop for the night. I’ll let you figger it out, that’s what we’ll be doing. Take a chance! Same is true with places to eat. There are all manner of great places you can find along the way. I also used the Freeways to detour around Frisco. If you WANT to, head across the Golden Gate Bridge and see what the locals like to call The City. For all it’s snobbishness, Frisco DOES have great food! Above all, Relax and Enjoy! After all, what’s a few hours here or there?

1. Head east on Lakeshore Dr toward W 40th St 0.3 mi
2. Take the 1st right onto CA-53 S 3.0 mi
3. Turn right onto CA-29 N 30.8 mi
4. Turn left onto CA-20 W 18.9 mi
5. Take the ramp onto US-101 N 16.1 mi
6. Turn left toward Coast St 236 ft
7. Turn left onto Coast St 302 ft
8. Take the 1st right onto Pine St 135 ft
69.2 mi / 1 h 18 min
Willits, CA

9. Head east on Pine St toward Coast St 135 ft
10. Turn right onto Coast St 0.2 mi
11. Slight right to stay on Coast St 0.3 mi
Take the 3rd right onto CA-20 W/
Fort Bragg Rd/Fort Bragg-Willits Rd
Continue to follow CA-20 W 32.6 mi
14. Turn right onto CA-1 N/S Main St 1.8 mi
15. Turn right onto E Laurel St 197 ft
16. Turn left 85 ft
34.9 mi / 51 min
Fort Bragg, CA

17. Head south toward E Laurel St 0.1 mi
Turn right at the 2nd cross street
onto E Redwood Ave 207 ft
19. Turn right to stay on CA-1 S 24.4 mi
20. Turn right onto CA-1 S/Main St
Continue to follow CA-1 S 72.5 mi
21. Continue onto Valley Ford Rd 3.3 mi
22. Turn left onto Roblar Rd 6.5 mi
23. Turn right onto Stony Point Rd 3.4 mi
Turn left to merge onto US-101 S 0.2 mi
25. Merge onto US-101 S 25.9 mi
26. Take the Interstate 580 exit 0.5 mi
Merge onto I-580 E
(signs for Richmond Bridge/Oakland) 13.1 mi
28. Merge onto I-580 E/I-80 W 3.8 mi
29. Take the exit on the left toward Alameda/San Jose 1.5 mi
30. Merge onto I-880 S 44.3 mi
31. Continue onto CA-17 S 22.9 mi
Take the Mount Hermon Road exit
toward Felton/Big Basin 0.2 mi
33. Turn right onto Mt Hermon Rd 3.5 mi
34. Turn left onto Graham Hill Rd 0.5 mi
35. Slight right
Destination will be on the right 0.5 mi
247 mi / 5 h 20 min
Roaring Camp Railroads
5401 Graham Hill Road, Felton, CA 95018

1. Head northeast 0.3 mi
2. Turn right toward Graham Hill Rd 0.1 mi
3. Turn right onto Graham Hill Rd 5.0 mi
4. Continue onto Ocean St 0.3 mi
5. Turn left onto Plymouth St 0.1 mi
6. Keep left to stay on Plymouth St 135 ft
7. Merge onto CA-1 S via the ramp to Watsonville 476 ft
8. Merge onto CA-1 S 17.8 mi
9. Take the exit toward Salinas Rd 0.3 mi
10. Turn left onto Salinas Rd
11. 1.3 mi
12. Slight right onto Werner Rd 0.2 mi
13. Turn right onto Elkhorn Rd/Hall Rd
Continue to follow Hall Rd 3.6 mi
14. Turn right onto San Miguel Canyon Rd 4.6 mi
15. Merge onto US-101 S via the ramp to Vierra Canyon Rd
 From the 101, I’m sure you can get home!