We are just doing some last minute route planning for a major trip pulling our signature rig and truck. We will be departing Monterey, CA and driving North to Redwoods State Park in Myers Flat, Ca and then further north to Crater Lake in Oregon.
We intend to take the 101 from Monterey all the way to the 199 (near the Oregon border).
Are there any clearance issues (along HWY 101) or tight turns I need to be aware of?
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There are a few slow sections on 101 when you reach the redwoods of northern California....all are easy driving if you slow down. Log trucks, semis, and RVs travel this road all the time with no problems.
I remember the 101 from the '40's and '50's then it was challenging but even then the big logging and lumber trucks drove it OK. NOW it is a four lane and no problems. I looked again at it on Google Earth and Meyers Flat is right on the new four lane. The old 101 is available in the area as the Ave of Giants and be sure you drive that in you TV.. not your three axle fifth. If there on Sunday.. go to the little Evangelical Free Church in Meyers Flat.. I preached my first sermon there as a youth in 1951..Memories PTL I just tried my GPS and route from San Jose to Eureka and it plotted through Oakland 880 and San Rafel bridge... told it to avoid 880/580 and it used the 101 and BayShore freeway.. not good. told it to avoid 101 in SFO and it finally plotted 280 and joins 101 just before the GoldenGate bridge.. that's the route I like through west area of SanFransisco. Copilot9GPS. Then I replotted it from 101 Salinia,Ca and it took me around San Jose and joined the 280 YES avoid through San Jose doing the 85 bypass.
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No problems at all on 101, maybe some heavy traffic in the Santa Rosa area, but nothing to tight to navigate.
You mentioned 199, are you taking that route East? That has some narrow spots, especially on the Western section, but still doable.
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Do you want to pull your rig through downtown San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge, or would you prefer to take the freeways up the east side of the bay...head east at San Jose or earlier and get back to 101 either over the Richmond-San Rafael bridge or through Vallejo? If through the city, I'd suggest very early morning hours.
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Kenneth wrote: Do you want to pull your rig through downtown San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge, or would you prefer to take the freeways up the east side of the bay...head east at San Jose or earlier and get back to 101 either over the Richmond-San Rafael bridge or through Vallejo? If through the city, I'd suggest very early morning hours.
There is absolutely no reason to go through downtown SF when driving through. Take 19th Ave, which is Hwy 1, you can take 380 to 280 near SF Airport and follow the signs to the GGB. Downtown would be a nightmare, 19th is very doable without having to go so far out of your way with the detour at San Jose to the Richmond Bridge.
Kenneth wrote: Do you want to pull your rig through downtown San Francisco and across the Golden Gate Bridge, or would you prefer to take the freeways up the east side of the bay...head east at San Jose or earlier and get back to 101 either over the Richmond-San Rafael bridge or through Vallejo? If through the city, I'd suggest very early morning hours.
There is absolutely no reason to go through downtown SF when driving through. Take 19th Ave, which is Hwy 1, you can take 380 to 280 near SF Airport and follow the signs to the GGB. Downtown would be a nightmare, 19th is very doable without having to go so far out of your way with the detour at San Jose to the Richmond Bridge.
NO
101 to 85 around San Jose to 280N.
When you hit the city, first you will come across 380, start moving towards the center lane. A couple miles up the road the left 3 lanes split off to 19th Ave/highway/Golden Gate Bridge.
Follow 19th avenue, center lane (no parked cars and right turners to worry about) to the Golden Gate.
When you get to the GGB (free direction), stay in the wide right lane only.
From there, you are good to go.
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199 might seem a bit skinny, as it is two lanes all the way with a few passing lanes - say 8-10 passing areas in the 70 miles between Crescent City and the outskirt of Grants Pass where it is 4 lanes.
199 goes through some great forests, and has a couple of short grades, but otherwise is a great road. Rememmber that when there are more than 5 vehicles behind you, then using a turnout to allow passing is required. And for goodness sakes, don't speed up in the passing lanes, let the crowd go by. (This happened to me many times, where a slow moving truck will suddenly speed up while 10-12 vehicles are behind it - in a passing lane). I have taken my 30' Bounder towing a car on this road a couple of times.
Just outside Grants Pass is Wilderville, and there is a weigh station. While you don't have to stop there, if you do, you can check the weight on your truck. The scale is left on all the time, just pull through slowly, stop when only the front axle is on the scale, then truck, then check the weight of the whole thing. It will be in the right hand lane. If they ask any questions, tell them insently enough "I was letting the cars pass me" as you write down the weights! I stopped at the scale last year, and asked the person manning the scale (usually nobody is there, they must have neen checking the weight of logging trucks coming off the mountains to know their value) and was given the OK to use it, but not delay on the scale. I was pretty quick.
I used to live in Grants Pass. I really enjoyed camping at Schroder Park the last couple of times I visited there. I also took the jet boat ride on the Rouge River. It is a lot of fun!
I took a day drive from Schroder Park to Crater Lake. Those roads are a little steeper, and twist a lot. I guess your return plans are going south on I5? That road is un-eventful. Just that fuel is less expensive in Oregon than in California. It could have something to do with the 8% tax in California that is not in Oregon. I filled up at a Cheveron today at $3.59. Diesel was 4.19.
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