A few friends of mine and I will be making a big trip around central and northern California.....stopping along the way near Camp Nelson in Sequoia Natl Forest, near Gold Lake (up in Lakes Basin region, near Graeagle) and hopefully Fort Bragg as well.

Leaving 6:30am 9/24 2004

 

ok

 

Roo and I should be coming south through Ft Bragg about 3:00 Sunday, or thereabouts.

 

Pete,

Maybe we'll see you. We will be likely stopping @ North Coast Brewery on the main drag. Look for blue WRX, silver '01 GTI and blue '97 GTI.

Which way you headed back to Bay Area?

Jim

 

We did that trip last year, and all in one day

 

So what route did you wind up taking?

We bailed on the coast after spending a couple hours in the redwoods Sunday, found ourselves hitting 101 kinda later in the day than we expected and just came home on it.

 

We took mostly all backroads:

Highway 25 south from Hollister to Highway 198 east

198 east to Highway 33 south near lovely Coalinga

33 south to Barker Rd, south of lovlier Avenal

Barker Rd southwest to Kecks Rd southwest to Highway 46

Highway 46 east to Bitterwater Valley Rd to Highway 58 near Carrizo Plain

Highway 58 east up over Temblor Range, down into dusty McKittrick, Buttonwillow, over to Oildale......somehow we got lost around Oildale and ended up on Round Mountain Rd, which turned to gravel (yes!) then somehow ended up on Highway 155 east near Woody

155 east to Lake Isabella, then north on Sierra Way, turns into Western Divide Highway near Johnsondale, followed W. Divide north to Quaking Aspen

Camped at Quaking Aspen and swigged cold beer Friday night (35F out that night)

From Quaking Aspen headed northwest on Highway 190 all the way down from the Sierra to Porterville

Highway 65 north thru Exeter and Visalia, somehow got on 99 north to Highway 41

Highway 41 north to Oakhurst, jumped on 49 north

Followed 49 north all the way thru Angel's Camp, Placerville, Auburn, Downieville, all the way to Lakes Basin area (near Graeagle and Portola)...camped at Sardine Lake

Sunday took highway 70 to my old college town of Quincy, then headed west on Quincy/Oroville highway past Bucks Lake (more gravel) to Oroville and then took the boring way home.....99 and 5.

Much of the trip was filmed by in car camera......the footage is awesome.