CA assistance requested

As boring and flat as most of I-5 is between the Nor Cal and So Cal it is a much quicker drive than taking US-101. From Gilroy you can travel east on Hwy 152 to I-5 and south to Los Angeles.

Or if you want something faster than 101 but not as boring as the 5, hop on the 166 W just after the Grapevine and take 33 up to Coalinga, 198 W past Priest Valley and then 25 North to Hollister. Very little traffic, Almond orchards, Oil wells (interesting if anything...also one of the largest single oilfields in the world), oak studded hills, Pinacles, gorgeous, stunning, fun, off the beaten path. Just be sure to fuel up in Taft or Coalinga.

The winery my brother works at is along the way too so if any of you folks ever decide to go, be sure to look up DeRose winery. Excellent wine and the San Andreas fault runs right through the building. In fact, the building is slowly tearing apart. They actually built it to accommodate the slip. I even went there for a geology field trip before my brother started working there. Anyway, let me know and I'll tell Ralphie boy to expect you.

rablat5,

KBF really is a hit and miss. I've had good Mondays there and REALLY BAD Mondays there, but if you have pretty much the day to be there you wouldn't have a problem. Consider the proximity to Disney and families spending the weekend at Disney. As a kid this is always what we did- Disney Saturday and Sunday, Knott's on Monday. Lot's of friends did the same. I know it is a common plan for the families visiting. Not many families venture up to SFMM. KBF is seen as more family friendly, despite the great coasters and SFMM is quite a jaunt for those unfamiliar with the area. Farther from the weekend is usually the best bet for KBF.

SFMM is not bad on Monday or Tuesday. It's a toss-up.

You're gonna have a blast! *** Edited 6/7/2006 4:13:20 PM UTC by Nate Banta***

BTW-

Don't let the distance and what others are saying get you down. You're doing this to be crazy, cram in a ton of world-class credits, and come away with a way-cool story. Heed no advice to slow it down and just do the local LA stuff. How many lives do you have to experience CAL Coasters? LegoLand and Disney parks are awesome with my kids, but when I'm looking to punch out some memorable credits on a crazy good time, I'm not lookin' to the Imagineers or Lego builders to suffice my hunger, I'm lookin' for mover and shaker coasters.

Drive safe, have a ton of fun, and write a trip report! You make me long to do another crazy Cal trip!