moonjogger

Hi, I'll be driving to Vegas from LA on a Sunday morning this December. Can the experts out there recommend any good places to stop and recharge? We'd want to complete the trip before sunset (which is about 4.45pm i think). Any interesting drives involving minor detours would be welcome.

rjw_lgb_ca

This drive only takes about 5 hours (4 if you floor it). The quick route is basically I-10 to I-15, and it's an easy but crushingly dull drive. If you leave LA by 9 AM, you should be in LV by around 2 PM, without stops. You might want to start a bit before 9, then stop out in Ontario for a quick breakfast (at the 10-15 interchange).

I know a lot of people who drive this regularly. I also think they're nuts, especially when you have JetBlue flying LGB-LAS, as well as Southwest's usual LAX-LAS flights. I much prefer flying and using cabs than that long, dull drive. And I avoid all those big rigs!

logandog

I rather enjoy this drive, many find it boring.
You might to want to stop at Calico Ghost town just past Barstow.
Driving into Vegas at night is beautiful, the other "city of lights".

BeachBoi

About an hour before you get to LV,you get to the MountainPass.Once thru the pass,take the H164 exit go about 10 miles and you'll get to Nipton.Its so old world,built as a railroad town in 1904.Not much has changed.There is a Cantina where you can have lunch out on the deck and take in the peace and quiet.Then get back in the saddle.

clarkgriswold

Turn left off the Lenwood exit and get a DAIRY QUEEN BRAZIER BURGER!!!

KE1TH

Be sure to check out the World's Largest Thermometer in Baker....

jason888

Desert. Desert. Desert.

Be sure to bring lots of water! LO!

Jason

lahainaluna

In Barstow there is a weird place called Barstow Station. I can't really describe it. Sort of swap meet meets fast food. There are a couple of fast food places and a bunch of vendors that sort of built their shops out of their merchandise. Weird stuff too. Also in Barstow is a Harvey House and a small railroad museum next door.

Just before Barstow is a big outlet mall if you like shopping.

State line (Primm) has a couple of casinos. Buffalo Bills has a great roller coaster and the casino on the other side of the highway (can't remember the name) has the car that Bonnie and Clyde were killed in if that would interest you.

It is a fairly dull drive but the desert scenery can be beautiful. If you have not been through the desert you may enjoy it just for the views alone.

Enjoy!

ltt

i use to drive up from san diego fairly often. while not the most scenic drive around, it's nice if you haven't seen desert before. it is a very straight road so most people tend to drive pretty fast on it.

Erin74

We always stop in Barstow for fast food. It's not interesting, but it's the biggest city between LA and Vegas. We've also stopped in Baker for food and gas. The world's largest thermometer isn't all that interesting either, but if it's a hot day you can get a photo of yourself standing underneath it (fun when the temperature reads 111 degrees, as it did when I took my photo there). And of course, you can stop at the Nevada state line for gambling and that huge roller coaster.

Really, though... there's nothing all that exciting to do on this drive. Just pack water and snacks and power on to Vegas!

rjw_lgb_ca

Happily the temperatures in the desert in December will probably never get much above 70, so no heatstroke concerns. Are you absolutely sure you wouldn't rather fly...?

dwooddon

Just east of Barstow, in addition to the previously mentioned Calico ghost town, there is Peggy Sue's 1950's Diner (it's a hoot and you can also get some serious comfort food) and just a little further east is the Early Man site. If you are into archealogy (sp?), it is one of the most significant sites in North America.

If you had some extra time, you might also head north from Baker and make the rest of the drive through Death Valley. That adds quite a few miles to the trip but if you have not seen it, it's worth the detour.

Have a great trip.

daph

You can stop for a meal at The Mad Greek in Baker. The Greek food there is pretty good and there are lots of foods at the counter, like baklava, to go. You see several big signs directing you there.

sunshine

I agree with Daph about The Mad Greek. Also, there's a good coffee shop in Victorville called Don's. It's on 7th St.

DazzG

I agree with a lot of the other posts, there isn't much to do at all between LV and LA, at least not without a major detour. I did this drive in August, it took 6 driving hours to get from the Luxor in Vegas to our hotel in Beverley Hills, driving within the posted limits. About 1.5 hours of this was sat in traffic entering LA (the traffic near downtown is especially terrible). It also took an additional 1 hour to check out of the Luxor, find the rental desk and collect the rental car (those hotels are huge!). The drive is fairly dull, however the time seems to fly by. We past the world's largest thermometer, but didn't bother stopping as we could see it from the road. We did stop off at the shopping mall in Barstow, about a 2 hour stop including a Burger at a fast-food joint, which was a welcome break about 4 hours into the trip.

KE1TH

Is it along I15 between LV and Barstow or along I40 between Kingman and Barstow where there is an exit zzyyxx or something like that?

dwooddon

KE1TH: Yep, Zzyzx Road, a marked off-ramp on I-15 near Baker, leading to Zzyzx Springs. There's nothing there now but I understand in the 1930's, there was a "spa" catering to the elderly.

I also have the impression, although I wouldn't swear to it, that Zzyzx is alphabetically the last in the US governments dictionary of place names.