Headed back to I-40 and traveled west to California.

Eww, Barstow.

Checked into a Motel 6

Got inspected for agricultural stuff. The guy at the California checkpoint glanced at the contents of my trunk.

I’m supposed to keep this on hand.

Got stuck in a traffic jam IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT.

The town of Boron CA looks like a rail hub. It smells bad and its filthy.

We did get to watch some trains:

Fast Tube by Casper

The intersection of highway 58 and US-395 was a clogged four-way stop.

That’s the Mojave airplane graveyard. We saw it back in April.

Hyundai/Kia’s proving grounds are nearby.

Windmills

We came across a truck stop off highway 58. It was PACKED. There was even a line for the men’s room.

The innards of a cheddar dog thing.

Our goal was to get to I-5 and head north.

That’s either fog or pollution…

Descending the valley to Arvin CA

It was like landing in an aircraft.

We pulled over to take in the scenery.

This was like a little Mexican town. All the signage was in Spanish.

Welcome to Arvin, a small agricultural town.

And just a couple minutes later, a sign saying goodbye.

Attractive agricultural scenery as we headed toward I-5.

Getting on I-5 was a mistake. According to Google there was an hour or so of gridlock, possibly more as we headed north.

I had enough of that and headed east to SR-99 in Bakersfield, an inland state highway promising 70mph speeds.
I-5 at night is usually sparse and full of insects, like driving through Illinois.

SR-99 is California’s best-kept secret. The entire route is lined with trees and along the way are several towns and services.
The speed limit is 70mph though frequent exits and entrances keep actual speeds down.
The pavement is old and a bit narrow but in no worse condition than I-5, and there’s fewer trucks to deal with.
Rolling hills and several curves helped maintain alertness. There was a bit of after-Thanksgiving traffic density, but the slightly fluctuating speeds made the drive more interesting; I didn’t use my cruise control for the entire stretch.
There were no actual traffic jams like there were on I-5, no accidents, and only a few police.
It was a joy to drive and I was deeply disappointed when I had to reconnect with I-5 to Redding. Aptly described, it’s “Main Street California.”
If you aren’t heading up the coast, I strongly suggest taking 99.

Divided into sections:

PART 1: Overview, Expenses, Map – 2011 Western American Road Trip – 6,500 Miles, 30 Days

PART 2: Joplin MO Tornado Damage, Terry’s Subaru STI in Oklahoma, Route 66, U Drop Inn, Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo TX, Leaning Water Tower

PART 3: Wigwam Motel, Meteor Crater

PART 4: Nissan Sentra Spec V, 1951 Chevy truck, Thanksgiving dinner

PART 5: Arizona International Auto Show

PART 6: In N Out Burger, NICOClub Headquarters in Surprise AZ

PART 7: Driving 1931 Ford Model A, first-generation Honda Insight, and 1967 Datsun 411 wagon

PART 8: The Grand Canyon

PART 9: Barstow CA, Arvin CA, cruising SR-99 to Lemoore CA

PART 10: Aaron in Lemoore CA – Mexican food, Autozone, and Naval base

PART 11: In N Out Burger, Northern California, Gary’s house in Independence OR

PART 12: The Pacific coast in Newport OR, Lighthouse

PART 13: Grilling at Gary’s, shopping, Brandon’s house in Ellensburg WA and 2000 Sebring convertible

PART 14: Arrival in Spokane WA, drinking, karaoke

PART 15: Drinking, eating

PART 16: Bar hopping downtown

PART 17: Eating, drinking, farewell dinner

PART 18: Heading home through Montana, Newton visits the vet

PART 19: Boulder CO, Denver CO, show at Cervantes, heading home