Re: [ba-poker] (OT) SF to LV

[Michael Hunter <mph(deleted the rest)>]

On Wed, 16 Mar 2005 12:43:59 -0500
Stephen J Daniel <sdaniel(deleted the rest)> wrote:

> I have a family function in the Bay Area the weekend of 5/21.  My Pam 
> suggested we drive to Vegas afterwards.
> 
> 1.   What is the best the best route?  Max: Scenic,  Fun.  Min: Time, 
> Traffic. 

Essentially you need to get across the sierras and through the desert to
LV.  There are roughly 6 ways across the Sierras which are not north of
the Bay Area. From north to south. I-80 (Reno), 50 (Tahoe), Sonora,
Monitor, Tioga, and Walker(ok, there are a bunch of others if you have
an off road vehicle and variations on any of these).  80 is boring to
me.  50 is pretty but somewhat overused.  Monitor and Sonora are very
beautiful and less frequented drives through the Sierras.  If you have
some time I highly recommend these drives through some very high and
beautiful places.  Tioga is also a nice drive but Yosemite is crowded in
the summer.  The fastest route from the bay area is to get to
Bakersfield (99, 5, etc. many arguments as to the tradeoffs) and from
there across Tehachapi, etc.  Not a bad drive but not one of my
favorites (I grew up in Bakersfield and am jaded about this drive).

Once you get across the Sierras you want to make it to LV.  From most of
these except for the most southern you would probably make your way over
to 95 and then drive down the middle of NV.  I like this drive.  But
small town NV/dead mining towns/strange military installations are
interesting to me. There are a couple of ways of doing this. The most
obvious will jump off a map at you. One you might miss is to cut off of
395 from just south of Lee Vining to 95. Its a nice rolling drive though
farmland and desert to 95.  If you do this and come from monitor/sonora
then you will go through Bridge Port (set in a beautiful high meadow)
and come across the turn off to Bodi.  If you have an afternoon to spend
Bodi is one of the better preserved mining towns.  If you came from
Tioga its not much of a drive north from Lee Vining (on the east side of
Tioga) to Bodi.

I've been over most of this.  There are not many routes that I didn't
enjoy some part of.

> 
> 2.   How long should this take?

I tend to give myself about 9 hours if I go via Bakersfield.  But its
impossible for me to not stop in Bakersfield for Basque food.  The rest
of the routes are anywhere from a few hours longer to much longer. 
I've done the LV (95 N)->tioga->bay area drive in 10 hours after BARGE +
a few hours sleep.  Monitor/Sonora are probably anywhere from 11 hours
to as much time as you want to spend gawking.

> 
> 3.   Any dos or don't s.

If you drive 95/395 beware that many of the small towns seem to make a
lot of money off their speed traps.  In CA you can beat the rap some of
the time because the speed traps are illegal.  But who wants to have to
travel to small town eastern california to beat a traffic ticket?  I
don't know about beating the NV tickets, but they are pretty aggressive
about giving them out. Essentially its worth it to slow down to whatever
silly speed they have marked and set the cruise control. Then the wife
can get out and do some shopping and meet you on the other side of town.
It'll save you the hassle of getting a ticket.

Also gas is expensive and less frequently available then one might hope
on the 95 drive. When it seems reasonable priced fill the tank.  There
are lots of dead cell spots in NV and eastern CA.

I disagree with the "need two days argument".  I've done it frequently
in 1 day.  But if you want to stop and smell the cactus then I'd suggest
staying somewhere in the middle maybe on the east side of the
sierras (Bridge Port, Lee Vining, Tonapah, Beatty [only poker game
on 95 before Vegas AFAIK], etc.).  You probably won't find beautiful
accomodations so choose based upon location and not hotel.


                   mph

-- 
Michael Hunter | http://public.2idi.com/=mphunter