Thanks!

Mini friends!  Mini rides!

Restored/modified Mini 1000 with 1380cc power unit, 2.95:1 FD, adj. suspension, S discs/drums, 10x5 Minilites, 165x70 A008s, custom trim and matching custom trailer.

I used to commute from San diego to LA every day.  I finally wised up and stopped.

The commute down to SD is not bad assuming its not on Saturday before noon. That could take hours.

On sunday coming south would be about an hour and 15-30 if you all the way to down town SD. 

Heading north you would want to leave really early to get through LA before 630 or leave from SD around 8 am to get into LA around 1030. 

The 10 to 2 was for someone coming in from out of town so they miss the bulk of the rush hour traffic. I can't make it for the 1st day of MMW so I'm driving down Friday morning @ 5am to miss all the B*** S****! It gets a lot worse @ 5:30 so it's early out for me.  dan

"I don't know much, but what I do know I know little of "

Don't know about 10-2 on the LA freeways...in 2002, I woke early 4ish and thought "hang around until 10 or get out of dodge now"...opted for "get out of Dodge now".

At 5 a.m. the traffic wasn't so bad but it seemed to ramp up every 5 minutes or so as I pedalled the little 998 north and then west onto 101 heading for Santa Barbara.  Hardly any traffic on State Street, sun just cresting the eastern skyline.

On the Santa Barbara pier...

 

A little later in the morning on getting to Pismo Beach...

What's the traffic like if we were to head south to San Diego before tuning north this year?

All advice welcome...

Mini friends!  Mini rides!

Restored/modified Mini 1000 with 1380cc power unit, 2.95:1 FD, adj. suspension, S discs/drums, 10x5 Minilites, 165x70 A008s, custom trim and matching custom trailer.

You could avoid the 405 through LA and just take the 1 through mailbu and into Santa Monica.

It gets kinda tricky after that while going through Venice, Playa del Rey, past LAX, through the south bay and then down into San Pedro and through long beach, then seal beach, huntington, Newport, laguna and then east to MMW.  The drive would be great.  Right along the coast for lots of it but a lot longer than just taking the 405, even if the traffic is bad.  I agree however, if you do take the freeways in LA, any of them, do it between 10 and 2.

 

 Thanks for the hotel info..we are booked into the Dow Villa Motel and Historic Hotel in Lone Pine..should be an interesting place to stay.

Hot weather in a Moke, or cold weather in a Moke..we will hit both extremes on this trip..last time for MMW to San Ramon, we started the day off in cold fog along the coast, wearing heavy jackets, hats, scarfs and gloves..and by 1:00 in the afternoon were baking along the road in t-shirts. We ran into fog, rain, hail and scorching hot days..it's not just in the destination..it's in the journey! We have got to be a little crazy, but it's a lot of fun!

Mini Mike.  ..... - MOKE being Driven! 

minimikebc.tripod.com        www.victoriaminis.com

If you're just popping into Death Valley then you shouldn't have too many problems. You can expect 110-115+ in the valley. Lone pine and hwy 395 should be around the 100's so travel early or bake in the heat like an old cattle skull in the desert.

If you're thinking of staying in Lone Pine there's a nice Best Western as you enter town and if camping I'd recommend Boulder Creek Campground. It's mostly RV's but has shaded tent sites, a pool, showers, store and a nice breeze (or should I say one hell of a breeze!).  There's also camping at Diaz Lake but I've never stayed there. No hookups for the trailer, yeah I know, it's hot and I'm a wus.   dan

"I don't know much, but what I do know I know little of "

Furnace Creek in the summer in a Moke is not my idea of fun...

Steve

Life is driving Minis.  Everything else is just waiting.

 

Stay on the coast highway all the way down. excellent road for Minis & the views are great. Make sure to stop in Pismo Beach, look for "old Juan's" mexican resturant. Might be the best in the state.

good luck

The eastern side of the Sierra is very beautiful. My son and I did the reverse direction to MMW the last time it was in southern California. From Markleeville and Grover Hot Springs over Monitor Pass. I also like it because all the old westerns were filmed at various locations in the foothills. Lone Pine even has a western film festival.

If you have a chance you may want to stop by the Hot Springs. It is fully developed, but if you like soaking in hot water...

Grover Hot Springs http://www.ca.gov/

Monitor Pass

Yea, we are expected to be a little warm..but planning on going up the west side along 395, then a short excursion into the park and back out again to Lone Pine..will bring lots of water for me and the moke! Moke was fine last year for100+ temps in hood river for the photo shoots..driver was baked! (or half baked!?)

Mini Mike.  ..... - MOKE being Driven! 

minimikebc.tripod.com        www.victoriaminis.com

Brings back memories of crossing Death Valley in the soft top MGB 25 years ago - BOY WAS IT HOT in September!  A 6 pack of COLD beer and pepperoni sticks saw me through.

Same trip on crossing Idaho, I gassed up in Targhee enroute to Yellowstone.  Bl..dy COLD.  Next morning I had slush in the rad at the West Entrance.

Take lots of water to Death Valley and mind the winds that can come up!

Mini friends!  Mini rides!

Restored/modified Mini 1000 with 1380cc power unit, 2.95:1 FD, adj. suspension, S discs/drums, 10x5 Minilites, 165x70 A008s, custom trim and matching custom trailer.

I would think twice about Death Valley in the summer in a moke. It would be great but challenging. If you are going to do it, then travel at night as much as possible and be at Zabriskie Point for sunrise.

We are headed back an interior route so we can see Death Valley, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, Lake Tahoe, Mount St Helens,  and a bunch of the national forests and parks along the way..so will not be able to stop anywhere along the coast on the way home..but thanks for the tip! 

Mini Mike.  ..... - MOKE being Driven! 

minimikebc.tripod.com        www.victoriaminis.com

I'd stay on the 1 (PCH) down to the 10 fwy or maybe to the Marina fwy which is only a couple of miles south of the 10. Anything south of that will be slow going especially through the beach cities where it makes a bunch of stops, has lots of traffic from all the people going to/from the beach.  There is a lot to see following PCH down to OC, but it will take you hours and hours and hours to do so.

Save a little time to visit Venice Beach on your way home if you haven't done so before. There's no way to explain it or describe it, you just have to see it.  dan

"I don't know much, but what I do know I know little of "

Thanks for all the suggestions. Sounds like a couple of options for San Fran, coastal and lots of lights, or up the middle and a little faster.  Will talk to the rest of the gang.

 As for LA, would it be better to follow Highway 1? or take the 405? I hate freeways in a Moke, as with the open sides I feel like I will get sucked out the side into the semi wheels! We are overnighting in Atascadero, so will probably be into north side of LA around noon or so, depending on how early we leave.  

Anyone headed dwon from up north interested in tagging along is welcome..we are taking 101/highway 1 down the coast for Washinton state..starting on Saturday June 21 with stop overs in Seaside Or, Coos Bay Or, Fortuna Ca, Santa Rosa, Atascadero and finally Irvine.  Daily site seeing events also planned..so should be a great trip. I will have 'Rog the Hat' with me in the Moke. Rog is a mini wirter for several different magazines, and is flying over from the UK to come along. He is also on the exec of the Mini  Cooper Registry and regularly writes for their club magazine.

 

Mini Mike.  ..... - MOKE being Driven! 

minimikebc.tripod.com        www.victoriaminis.com

Hey Mini Mike,

 If you decide to take the Skyline Blvd. route be careful around the Portola Valley turn off near Alice's Restaurant, the CHP like to hang out there!

Steve 

I would normally encourage everyone not to take the 405 south anywhere in the Southbay but unless you want to run the downtown LA interchange gauntlet the 405 is the only choice. Time of day is a big concern, between 10am til 2pm is probably the best to get by the airport and it's a better drive from there.

My vanpool commutes from Palmdale to Torrance (I hop in at Santa Clarita) and we avoid the 405 unless there's no other option. Travelling at 3pm we take the 5 to the hollywood fwy to 110 and down to carson. A longer drive but it only takes us 75-80 minutes to go 50 miles. The 405 is easily 30+minutes more for less miles. 

I still haven't decided on how I was going to go, probably the 405 as I don't want the Mini to traverse the "gauntlet" but I'll be travelling at 5:30 am on Friday morning and hanging out until the rest of you get up in the morning.   Gotta find a good coffee shop around the hotel...    dan

"I don't know much, but what I do know I know little of "

Very kind of you Steve,

We plan to be in Carmaichael by the 24th latest to stay over with friends Kent & Terryl for departure early on the 26th for Irvine.  In '02 we didn't get away until 4:30 p.m. on opening day and got to the meet hotel in Irvine after midnight (helping others get ready to go from Sacto- gas tank install, painting bits, installing doors etc. etc.).  I've vowed never again!! 

Elaine (the 'wifey' and I will be travelling in 'ooh' with Bogdan and Patti in his freshly repowered 1971 1293cc'd Mini.  If you're going to Mini Meet, we can all convoy together!!

If you are not heading to MMW, we might be able to hook up in Carmichael for a 'brew and beef'.  I'd like that!

Rick

Mini friends!  Mini rides!

Restored/modified Mini 1000 with 1380cc power unit, 2.95:1 FD, adj. suspension, S discs/drums, 10x5 Minilites, 165x70 A008s, custom trim and matching custom trailer.

Rick,

Not sure or not yet if I'm going to MMW, but If I do may I caravan down with you all? (I live in Sacto, 1 mile off of 99).  If I don't go, let me know when you are going through town, feel free to use my place as a pit stop, watering hole, etc. 

Steve

Life is driving Minis.  Everything else is just waiting.