BajaNomad

alternative routes down

volcano - 11-11-2016 at 02:30 PM

starting to plan our winter treck to cabin out on East Cape.
Opinions on Tecate to Mex 3 to Ensenada then Mex 3 to toward San Felipe? or Tecate to Mex 2D to Mex 5 to San Felipe?

love beauty, hate traffic, not towing. Know about the rough patch to Chapala

Have been going in via Tecate and down Mex 1...not in love with 1 till catavina.

Riom - 11-11-2016 at 03:04 PM

Quote: Originally posted by volcano  
starting to plan our winter treck to cabin out on East Cape.
Opinions on Tecate to Mex 3 to Ensenada then Mex 3 to toward San Felipe? or Tecate to Mex 2D to Mex 5 to San Felipe?

love beauty, hate traffic, not towing. Know about the rough patch to Chapala.

Have been going in via Tecate and down Mex 1...not in love with 1 till catavina.


Consider avoiding California traffic altogether by making your way to Reno, then 95, Pahrump, Laughlin, then down the Colorado in Arizona to Yuma. Cross at Andrade/Algodones (a quiet crossing just west of Yuma), south on BC 2 towards San Luis, west on Mex 2 to the Mexicali bypass, south on Mex 5 to San Felipe. It's 2.5-3.5 hours to San Felipe from the border.

bajaguy - 11-11-2016 at 03:35 PM

Uh, 95 does not go through Pahrump.
Quote: Originally posted by Riom  
Quote: Originally posted by volcano  
starting to plan our winter treck to cabin out on East Cape.
Opinions on Tecate to Mex 3 to Ensenada then Mex 3 to toward San Felipe? or Tecate to Mex 2D to Mex 5 to San Felipe?

love beauty, hate traffic, not towing. Know about the rough patch to Chapala.

Have been going in via Tecate and down Mex 1...not in love with 1 till catavina.


Consider avoiding California traffic altogether by making your way to Reno, then 95, Pahrump, Laughlin, then down the Colorado in Arizona to Yuma. Cross at Andrade/Algodones (a quiet crossing just west of Yuma), south on BC 2 towards San Luis, west on Mex 2 to the Mexicali bypass, south on Mex 5 to San Felipe. It's 2.5-3.5 hours to San Felipe from the border.

BajaUtah - 11-11-2016 at 03:50 PM

After a few round trips on 1 from TJ I tried the 5 from Mexicali and I'll never do the 1 again (if I can help it). Easy trip down the 95 from Las Vegas to Calexico, cross at Mexicali west and a wide, flat, open run to San Felipe. For me it's an easy 8hours from border crossing to GNegro. Next day is a long run to La Ribera and home. The stress level from not having to drive LA and San Diego traffic and TJ/Ensenada/SQ Valley/Catavinia pot holes is night and day difference.

Riom - 11-11-2016 at 04:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Uh, 95 does not go through Pahrump.


Yes, that's why it's mentioned after 95 (in other words, if it needs to be spelled out, turn off the 95 towards Pahrump). Taking the 95 all the way through Las Vegas an option also, although coming in at Blue Diamond Road (160) does make for less LV traffic (especially if you go the longer but prettier route to Searchlight and Laughlin through Nipton).

But the main point is, to cross at Tecate, coming from Oregon, involves a lot of southern California traffic. Going southeast initially then south through Nevada and the west coast :-) of Arizona to cross at Algodones has much quieter roads with nicer views (if you like deserts), plus an easy drive after the border to San Felipe.

AKgringo - 11-11-2016 at 06:02 PM

I am in Northern CA right now,just over the hill from Reno. I will probably take the route that Rion described, because I love the wide open spaces as opposed to a drive thorugn Southern CA!

I plan on leaving on the 14th, and although I dislike driving at night, there will be a 'super moon' that night which should make driving though the dessert a piece of cake!

Another option is heading down through Carson City and into CA on 395, but only if there is no recent or forecast snow. Two of the passes on that route are over 8000 feet. It' a beautiful drive most of the way, but gets a bit Californicated through San Bernadino to Palm Springs, then mellow again down past Salton Sea to Mexicali.

I am going to take a look at the suggestion to head through Pahrump, I have not been that way.

kiterkip - 11-12-2016 at 10:24 AM

This interests me. I am in Seattle WA and Google tells me it's 3 hours longer to take this Las Vegas/Mexicali/San Felipe option over my usual hellish Los Angeles/San Diego, but it's a good trade-off.
I much prefer the quiet wide open spaces of Nevada & Arizona.

Question: Is the road from Calexico to Guerrero Negro all nicely paved? And to confirm.... It's an 8 hour run? Would like to sleep in GN then push on to La Paz early the next morning. Thanks


[Edited on 11-12-2016 by kiterkip]

volcano - 11-12-2016 at 10:40 AM

Thanks for the great responses. Driving time, say, from Algodones to Gonzaga? comfortably do-able in a day?

From the north

bajaguy - 11-12-2016 at 11:09 AM

If you are traveling south on I-5 from north of Shasta, this is an easier route, avoids Sacramento and backtracking

I-5 south to hwy 44 (Redding, CA)
East on hwy 44 to the jct of hwy 36
Hwy 36 through Susanville to US 395 (stop at the 3A office in Susanville. They did have the AAA Baja map)
US 395 south to Reno and I-80

If you want the 395 option, stay on 395 south through Carson City

If you want the hwy 95 option
East on I-80 to Fernley
South on hwy 95 in Fernley

Note: It is roughly 4+/- hours from Reno/Fernley to Tonapah. and another 4 hours +/- to Las Vegas. Fill your tank

Another note: If you drive hwy 95 in the dark, watch out for cows and wild horses

KurtG - 11-12-2016 at 11:13 AM

I have always enjoyed the drive east from Ensenada toward San Felipe. Once a few miles out of Ensenada there is usually little traffic and great scenery.

kiterkip - 11-12-2016 at 11:39 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
If you are traveling south on I-5 from north of Shasta, this is an easier route, avoids Sacramento and backtracking

I-5 south to hwy 44 (Redding, CA)
East on hwy 44 to the jct of hwy 36
Hwy 36 through Susanville to US 395 (stop at the 3A office in Susanville. They did have the AAA Baja map)
US 395 south to Reno and I-80

If you want the 395 option, stay on 395 south through Carson City

If you want the hwy 95 option
East on I-80 to Fernley
South on hwy 95 in Fernley

Note: It is roughly 4+/- hours from Reno/Fernley to Tonapah. and another 4 hours +/- to Las Vegas. Fill your tank

Another note: If you drive hwy 95 in the dark, watch out for cows and wild horses


Thank You, This is exactly what I need. I hate my I-5/LA/San Ysidro grind.

David K - 11-12-2016 at 11:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by volcano  
Thanks for the great responses. Driving time, say, from Algodones to Gonzaga? comfortably do-able in a day?

Mexicali to Gonzaga is under 4 hours. My guess from Algodones is under 5 hours, so yes, doable.

AKgringo - 11-12-2016 at 12:26 PM

If you are driving 95 in Nevada, there are potential speed traps where the high speed highway suddenly drops to 35 or so passing through small towns. I have never had a problem, but the potential is there.

On 395, the gas can get pretty expensive between Carson City and Bishop, don't pass up a good posted price and be forced to buy from a high dollar dealer in the middle of a long deserted stretch.

Riom - 11-12-2016 at 01:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by kiterkip  

Question: Is the road from Calexico to Guerrero Negro all nicely paved?]


No, there's still significant rough dirt road south of Gonzaga. So only suitable if you're happy with that (doesn't affect me as I only go to San Felipe).
Quote: Originally posted by kiterkip  
This interests me. I am in Seattle WA and Google tells me it's 3 hours longer to take this Las Vegas/Mexicali/San Felipe option over my usual hellish Los Angeles/San Diego, but it's a good trade-off.
I much prefer the quiet wide open spaces of Nevada & Arizona.


I travel from San Felipe/Yuma to Vancouver Island each year, sometimes direct, sometimes with a long road trip detour. From Seattle, the route to Richland/Yakima, Boise, Twin Falls, Jackpot, Ely, Las Vegas etc is easy and direct, mostly open roads. Check the weather and road reports for the passes in eastern Oregon and south of Jackpot if you're travelling late/early in the year.

Coming from Ely or SLC you can also bypass LV totally via the Lake Mead NRA road south of Moapa (now $20 but free with a National Parks pass).

Last year I took an even quieter route - northbound it was 95 to Tonopah NV, 6 then 376 to Austin, 305/I-80 to Winnemucca, 95/78 to Burns OR, 395 to Pendleton then on to Anacortes for the ferry. Not faster (I take several days and stop and visit things anyway) but very empty roads in NV and eastern Oregon.

Rob

[Edited on 2016-11-12 by Riom]

bajaguy - 11-12-2016 at 07:55 PM

Those "speed traps" are just north of and south of Tonopah through and south of Goldfield in Esmeralda County

On 395 we gas up at Costco in Carson City, in Bishop either the tribal gas station at the casino or at the Von's supermarket gas station on the north end of town and the Pilot truck stop in either Kramer Jct (395/58) or Hesperia (395 and I-15)
Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
If you are driving 95 in Nevada, there are potential speed traps where the high speed highway suddenly drops to 35 or so passing through small towns. I have never had a problem, but the potential is there.

On 395, the gas can get pretty expensive between Carson City and Bishop, don't pass up a good posted price and be forced to buy from a high dollar dealer in the middle of a long deserted stretch.

AKgringo - 11-12-2016 at 08:28 PM

I think I just talked myself into taking 395 again! CA highway 20 to I-80 to Truckee, a drive around the north shore of Lake Tahoe to Carson City, then south on 395!

It is not as fast or fuel efficient as going south on I-5 or 99, but I will be starting my trip driving through some of the best scenery of the journey!

El Jefe - 11-13-2016 at 09:12 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Those "speed traps" are just north of and south of Tonopah through and south of Goldfield in Esmeralda County

You'll want to slow down in Goldfield anyway to stop in for a visit at the International Car Forest of the Last Church. Maybe you can get your vehicle blessed.

bajaguy - 11-13-2016 at 09:42 AM

If you have time and want to take a break from driving, a visit to the Central Nevada Museum in Tonopah is an interesting diversion. After the museum you can take a self guided auto tour of the Old Tonopah Army Airfield about 6 miles east of town on Hwy 6 and see some of the old building locations and the massive wooden hangars used for the B-24's: http://www.tonopahnevada.com/CentralNevadaMuseum/default.htm...
Quote: Originally posted by El Jefe  
Quote: Originally posted by bajaguy  
Those "speed traps" are just north of and south of Tonopah through and south of Goldfield in Esmeralda County

You'll want to slow down in Goldfield anyway to stop in for a visit at the International Car Forest of the Last Church. Maybe you can get your vehicle blessed.

mtgoat666 - 11-13-2016 at 11:06 AM

Tonapah for vacation?

No thanks!

bajaguy - 11-13-2016 at 01:11 PM

Never said anything about a vacation
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Tonapah for vacation?

No thanks!