SEE THE USA IN YOUR CHEVROLET

	The Mexican/Caifornia border's fence goes on to the horizon and the Pacific Ocean. Click the image above for a double-sized image; Click BACK in your browser to return to this page.
Drop off area for those who walk across the border to Mexico...	and who pass under this notice.

The San Diego Padres National League baseball team just opened PetCo Park in downtown San Diego, across from the Convention Center.  Southbound I-5, you can take the 10th St. Exit south for about a mile and you'll arrive right at the large parking garage for the fans ($17).  When you exit out the back of the garage after the game, you head back north and go directly back to I-5 without a turn.  We saw Barry Bonds, of the San Francisco Giants, trying for the home run that would tie Willie Mays' record, but he didn't get it until the team returned to San Francisco later in the week.

View from the parking garage roof, inside the park.

View from Section 120 of Barry at Bat (see the ball along 3rd base line?).  This section is good for seeing the batters, but not good for seeing the video/scoreboard hidden by the Western Metal Supply Company building.

Downtown Del Mar's Plaza, 15th and US 101.

Seagrove Park (below right), just west of Hwy. 101, at the light in downtown Del Mar, 15th Street, is an excellent place to start a walk north or south along the Pacific Ocean beach.  The northern route passes the old power house/community center, restaurants and homes on the beach, and finally the river and a rise beyond from which you can see the Del Mar Racetrack back inland across the railroad. South from Seagroave Park, you can walk up on the cliff above the water, where the railroad tracks run.  Many people jog, walk and bike along the tracks.  Keep your headsets off and listen for the many north and southbound Amtrak Surfliner and Coaster commuter trains from early morning until late at night.  If you follow the tracks after dark, there is one northbound and one southbound freight on these single tracks between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.

Carlsbad (which I think should have it's name changed to CarlsNotSoBad) is famous for it's ranucula flower fields which bloom each spring.  The flowers are grown for the bulbs more than the flowers.  Both photos were taken from the street that runs above the fields with  plenty of parking, sidewalk, and seats above the fields for excellent views.  Below the fields is an 'Outlet Mall.'  The first traffic light east of I-5 on Palomar Airport Road exit gets you to the lower level and the outlet mall, the second traffic light, turn north/left for the upper viewing area.

We left Morro Bay at 1:40 pm, after receiving trophies in the Cruzin' Morro Bay car show. We had an earthquake earlier the same day at 6:20 a.m. to get us started on this 'Rock and Roll Day.'  We took Hwy 41, traveling at 35 to 45 miles per hour on two-lane, curvy, mountainous roads to get to Hwy. 101, our preferred hwy. for getting to Sacramento, the beginning of Hwy. 50.  Hwy 41 joined Hwy. 46 near the James Dean Memorial (located near where he was killed in an auto accident at age 24).  I wanted another picture of the Japanese memorial to James Dean, another Hoosier, but the two-way traffic was so heavy, we pulled into the turn lane, shot a picture, then pulled out into the northbound traffic to continue.

The pickup ahead was chasing an Angus along the berm who had gotten out of the fence on the right..cowboy sans horse, I guess!	Most people probably identify this countryside as California.
	The vineyards seen on both sides of the road in the picture to the left, closer up above.
James Dean Memorial.	You'll see this chrome bird (hood ornament) in many of my photos on this trip authenticating that I drove a 1956 Chevy on this 12,000 mile, 25 state, 37 day trip from Coast to Coast and Border to Border. This was the hottest spot on our trip, 111 degrees, when Hwy. 41 met Hwy. 101.
	These two signs were within a mile of each other.

We paralleled the California Acquaduct on I-5 (which we crossed) to Fresno.  In Lenmore, crops included corn, beans, and alfalfa.  Near Fresno, there were Sunmaid raisins and almond trees.  Near Madera were pistachos.  

Our first state capitol on this trip!  Sacramento is where the Pony Express left to start the climb into the Sierra Nevadas.  It is also where the transcontenental railroad started construction, heading east.  And finally, it is where the Lincoln Highway passed after starting in San Francisco.  Sacramento was chosen as the state capital during the Gold Rush era, when it was the main jumping-off point for the Sierra Nevada gold Mines.  A highlight for me here is the California State Railroad Museum.

This is the first time you will see the Route 50 sign since 50 has been covered  by I-80 from the coast to this point.  If you are looking for this sign, it is at the junction, on the west side of Sacramento, of I-80 and Bus. 80.

 

 

From Placerfille, El. 1,860 ft., we rist to Echo Summit El. 7,382 ft.   The highway follows a rushing mountain stream much of the way.  At 4,000 ft. we stop and get out our jackets.  We stopped for rushing river shots in the pines and a mile east of that, past a small store along the river that said, "Beer, Wine, and Chains," we stopped for our first roadwork.  I handed the flag lady our card so she could see why were were passing her way on Hwy. 50.

Camp Sacramento, CA, El. 6478 ft. elev.  first snow.



Pacific Crest Trail, 7,382 ft.

Last picture in California.

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Returning to California:

Remaining portions of Route 66 parallel I-40 across Needles to Barstow, where I-40 ends and I-15 continues toward the coast. Eventually, Historic 66 heads through Pomona to Santa Monica Pier, where it ends.  Near Newberry Springs, CA, east of Barstow, CA, you can drive on the old Route 66 where 'Route 66' has been painted on the lonely road.