Road Trip to Monterey

[DavidRS]

Have scored a room for the week in Carmel and have made the decision to drive through the desert. Leaving 0430 on Sunday morning 10 Aug and rolling from Scottsdale through Wikenburg to Kingman and then on to Tehachapi or Mojave on Sunday night. Then to Carmel Monday. Thinking of taking 146 from the 5 to go by the James Dean site. Anyone interested in coming along? Might be warm, but I am hoping a fun trip

[Chuck Miller]

Dave,

I think you mean HYW 46 not 146, the James Dean monument is in front of the 'Jack Rabbit Cafe' just past where 46 and 41 come together.


That's cool and I guess something to see... once

But I would suggest another route:
5 to the 46, go West for only 10 miles then take 33 North to Coalinga (parallels 5 but no one around), go West on 198 (Great road over two passes with a high valley in between) to 101, go about 20 mile North on 101 (keep to the speed limit for the 20 miles - King City is CA.'s biggest speed trap) to Greenfield, off at first Greenfield exit North to first light, left on the the Arroyo Seco, that turns into G16 Carmel Valley Road (one of the best roads in CA)......and all the way into Carmel......

Been do'n this basic route for over 25 years......... You will thank me for this.....

[DavidRS]

thanks Chuck. will take your advice. Was doing the route numbers from a very shaky memory. A quick question. It looks as though 46 continues west of Paso, but not as 46 but G14 Naciemto Lake Road. Anyone driven that?

[Chuck Miller]

A quick question. It looks as though 46 continues west of Paso, but not as 46 but G14 Naciemto Lake Road. Anyone driven that?

46 west intersects 101 about 3 mile south of where 46 from the east intersects 101.....

G14 is a very scenic HWY that travels kind'a north/northwest and will eventually get you back to King City...

[Flieger]

I got caught out by the 46 east vs. 46 west when I was coming back from Parade. Spent an hour or so on some amazing roads in Paso but wound up at a dead end, went back to a fork in the road, then wound up going back north. Finally called my buddy who had recommended 46 and found the error.

I would not recommend G16 as it is extremely rough/bumpy except for a couple short sections (which are very nice). It is scenic, but very slow due to the bumps. At least in my car (22/31 torsion bars, no sway bars).

On my way to Parade I took 101-33-150-101-154-101-1
On the way back I did G16-101-detour-101-166-33-101

I can say that the 166 was quite scenic but once you get up near the desert- er, I mean Central Valley- it got very hot, very dry, and very desolate. I am very very glad I did not break down or get lost there (the only place I could have gone wrong was missing the turnoff for the 33). 33 was very nice but I got stuck behind slow traffic once I got onto the final grade down towards the ocean (which is the good part).

[DavidRS]

thank you for the suggestion. Figure my bad decision is actually driving from Phoenix/Scottsdale in August. Hoping to get out of the heat by leaving early and driving really fast to keep the air moving. Not sure what to do about the return trip.

Do any of the Arizona folks know the condition of the road from Wikieup, called Chicken Springs Road? From Google Earth it looks to be unimproved, but would provide a great short cut from highway 93 to Yucca. Otherwise it is go all the way north to Kingman and then back south again.

[LongRanger]

. . . the Arroyo Seco, that turns into G16 Carmel Valley Road (one of the best roads in CA)......and all the way into Carmel......

Been do'n this basic route for over 25 years......... You will thank me for this . . . . . .

. . . I would not recommend G16 as it is extremely rough/bumpy except for a couple short sections (which are very nice). It is scenic, but very slow due to the bumps . . .

'. . . scenic . . .' huh?

Kids!




. . . also twisty, off-cambered, blind-apexed, un-striped, un-curbed, w/tons o' trees --- usually crowding the roadsides . . . + only barely policed = awful-awful

If you drive it at night? --- bring extra underwear . . . and a hose. (If you do have an 'off' . . . they'll look for the birds to find ya . . . )


I melted an ABS unit, last time . . .