Driving to Tahoe
Jan 18th, 2007, 02:57 PM
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Driving to Tahoe
We have rented a house in Zephyr Cove / South Tahoe for mid May 2007. We live in Phoenix. According to mapquest it is 200 more miles and several hours less driving time thru LA/Sacramento to Tahoe instead of via Vegas. Is this the suggested route? If so, should we also try to add a couple of days to visit Yosemite?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Jan 18th, 2007, 03:47 PM
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That sounds bizarre, doesn't it? It looks as if they are taking you to LA on Hwy 10, going through San Bernardino. I wonder how much time they think it will take you to get through all the LA traffic to get to HWY 5....which is fast, but boring, boring.
My way would be to go to Las Vegas, sprint across Death Valley and then pick up 395 at Lone Pine. This is a beautiful drive, on the east side of the Sierras. At Carson City, then you take Hw5 50 the 13 miles over to S.Tahoe.
Did you try a run on Yahoo Maps?
My way would be to go to Las Vegas, sprint across Death Valley and then pick up 395 at Lone Pine. This is a beautiful drive, on the east side of the Sierras. At Carson City, then you take Hw5 50 the 13 miles over to S.Tahoe.
Did you try a run on Yahoo Maps?
Jan 18th, 2007, 04:15 PM
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Yes, even Yahoo maps came back with more driving = less time. 13 hours vs. 17 hours. Is the scenic beauty worth the extra time. We are open to suggested stops on the way too. I will avoid LA rush hour at all costs!
Jan 18th, 2007, 06:41 PM
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We love the drive on 395. You can stop In Lone Pine, Mono Lake, Bridgeport - all interesting little towns. Detour before Bridgeport to see Bodie - a fascinating ghost town. Have a Basque dinner at one of the many great Basque restaurants in Gardnerville.
Jan 19th, 2007, 07:05 AM
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I just plugged Phoenix to So. Lake Tahoe into Google maps and it shows driving time of a little over 11 hours. It takes you from the 10 to the 15, 215 then 395. If this is accurate, then this would definitely be the preferred route.
The 395 is absolutely a more attractive drive. We just drove the 5 from LA to Tahoe this month, and it is indeed dull. (Talk about insult to injury, dealing with LA traffic AND the monotonous 5 freeway?)
In addition to the stops mentioned, there is also Manzanar, site of a former WWII Internment camp that is now a national monument. www.nps.gov/manz/ Also, Eric Schatt's Bakery in Bishop is always worth a stop.
A side trip to Yosemite would also be nice. You would have to see if the Tioga Pass is open by the time of your trip. If not, you would have to cut over from the 395 to the 99 freeway via the 58.
Your experience is a great example of why you should never just take one Map site's directions verbatim.
Good Luck!
The 395 is absolutely a more attractive drive. We just drove the 5 from LA to Tahoe this month, and it is indeed dull. (Talk about insult to injury, dealing with LA traffic AND the monotonous 5 freeway?)
In addition to the stops mentioned, there is also Manzanar, site of a former WWII Internment camp that is now a national monument. www.nps.gov/manz/ Also, Eric Schatt's Bakery in Bishop is always worth a stop.
A side trip to Yosemite would also be nice. You would have to see if the Tioga Pass is open by the time of your trip. If not, you would have to cut over from the 395 to the 99 freeway via the 58.
Your experience is a great example of why you should never just take one Map site's directions verbatim.
Good Luck!
Jan 19th, 2007, 08:24 AM
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Up 395. Tioga Pass will probably not be open by mid-May. After Minden, take either Kinsbury Grade, or go up to Highway 50 and take Spooner Summit to Lake Tahoe. Don't plan on cutting over to Highway 99. No good reason to zig and zag all over the place.
Jan 19th, 2007, 08:50 AM
#7
395!!! Avoid I-5. But saying that - you won't be able to hit Yosemite enroute. Tioga Pass doesn't usually open until the end of May give or take a couple of weeks. Sometimes not until July!
http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm gives you the historic open/closing dates.
There is sooooo much to see along and off 395 DV, Mt Whitney, Mono Lake, Bodie, etc. I would plan on taking a couple of days for the drive and have time to explore. No need to pre-book a place in May just stop in Bishop or Lee Vining.
http://www.monobasinresearch.org/data/tiogapass.htm gives you the historic open/closing dates.
There is sooooo much to see along and off 395 DV, Mt Whitney, Mono Lake, Bodie, etc. I would plan on taking a couple of days for the drive and have time to explore. No need to pre-book a place in May just stop in Bishop or Lee Vining.
Jan 19th, 2007, 04:27 PM
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In Lee Vining, make a stop at the Mono Lake Visitor Center. They have done a wonderful job of getting this lake restored after the LA Water District, way back when, diverted water from the Owens Valley for its own use, drying up Owens Lake for good. The Mono Lake Committee actually filed a lawsuit to return the tributaries to Mono Lake, and it is rising. Worth a look. It has strange mineral formations sticking out, called "tufus", I think.
You won't be sorry if you follow our advice instead of mapquest's. Take a little more time, if you can. Bodie is a great ghost town...you need to drive 13 miles off 395, and back again, but I have never been there when there was a crowd (or even any other people <grin>). Bridgeport is a county seat. Look at the quaint courthouse and have a snack at one of the main street cafes. As someone mentioned Manzanar is worth a stop...where Japanese were interred during WWII, including a friend of my family. Very poignant.
Yes, yes, the scenery is worth the extra time. No way would I make the trip that mapquest has laid out for you.
I don't have a scope on how long it would take you from Phoenix to Lone Pine, but that would be a good stop. Nice little town at the foot of Mt. Whitney.
Have a good trip.
(While in South Lake Tahoe, see if you can find the remains of "Lucky Baldwin's" hotel. We looked and looked. Oh, well <grin>.
You won't be sorry if you follow our advice instead of mapquest's. Take a little more time, if you can. Bodie is a great ghost town...you need to drive 13 miles off 395, and back again, but I have never been there when there was a crowd (or even any other people <grin>). Bridgeport is a county seat. Look at the quaint courthouse and have a snack at one of the main street cafes. As someone mentioned Manzanar is worth a stop...where Japanese were interred during WWII, including a friend of my family. Very poignant.
Yes, yes, the scenery is worth the extra time. No way would I make the trip that mapquest has laid out for you.
I don't have a scope on how long it would take you from Phoenix to Lone Pine, but that would be a good stop. Nice little town at the foot of Mt. Whitney.
Have a good trip.
(While in South Lake Tahoe, see if you can find the remains of "Lucky Baldwin's" hotel. We looked and looked. Oh, well <grin>.
Jan 20th, 2007, 10:07 PM
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Thank you all very much!! I am thrilled about the route on 395 with Ivk's suggestion based on Google maps. We will need to take a few days to get there anyway. I had planned on making Bodie a day trip but stopping on the way there may be better.
