Seeking route to San Fran area

Yes Tom, it's on the backside of the fairgrounds....back there by the racetrack cafe.  Quiet for being right in the middle of town. 

Ah, thanks, didn't realize there was a private RV park there. Close to Old Town Pleasanton, and a hop, skip and a jump into Livermore and the numerous wineries.

I'll add this to the list of recommendations for RV parks in the Bay area.

ArdraF said:

When we first moved to Redwood Shores in 1972 my commute to SRI was about ten minutes.

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I recall the last time I visited you in Redwood City, Ardra - stayed at the RV park on the Bay. When coming and going, it took forever just to get "on" the freeway. I asked the park manager the best times to get out of there to anywhere - and he just laughed and suggested 1:00AM.

Having commuted from Sacto hundreds of times over the years, then while working in SF and living in Alameda, Clayton beyond Walnut Creek, San Mateo, and in The City itself over a 20 or so year period - can verify that most anywhere one lives in the Bay Area, the commute to most anywhere from anywhere will be a zoo most of the time.

When living in Clayton and working at the Federal Building I read the Examiner cover to cover and worked the crossword puzzle each evening while commute driving by myself. It was one challenge after another - the first of which was getting onto the Bay Bridge, then dealing with tunnels on 24 - and finally the evening traffic through Walnut Creek. About 2 hours total. The ideal of buying out there was that Bart would be in soon. "Soon" never happened.

Anyway, I still can't see much reason to go so far North and then back South to get to Fremont from Phoenix.
Reno, Sacramento, Fairfield, the Benicia Bridge and a long stretch of the 680 are all North of Fremont. According to Google, the Northern route thru Reno is 1030 miles vs. 725 coming North thru CA and will take 16 plus hours vs. 10 or so.

Bob Buchanan said:

Anyway, I still can't see much reason to go so far North and then back South to get to Fremont from Phoenix.
Reno, Sacramento, Fairfield, the Benicia Bridge bridge and a long stretch of the 680 are all North of Fremont. According to Google, the Northern route thru Reno is 1030 miles vs. 725 coming North thru CA and will take 16 plus hours vs. 10 or so.

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Because traveling is not always about reaching the destination as quickly as possible. The journey can be as exciting as the destination.

I'd take traffic over mountain driving personally. I live in LA. I would take the Southern route and plan on going through LA, mid-day. 10>210>5. You should avoid any traffic that way. You could go from San Bernardino all the way to the 5N in 1.5 hours.

Having said that, it's a pretty bleak drive. If it were me, I'd stay on the 10, all the way to the ocean and go up Hwy 1 (we do it at least once a month). It's a beautiful drive and lots of places to pull off and/or camp by the ocean. It avoids any grades.

SeilerBird said:

Because traveling is not always about reaching the destination as quickly as possible. The journey can be as exciting as the destination.

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Thank you for the profound quote, Tom!! 

Note that I wrote, "I" can't see much reason - and so forth. I prefer deciding my own routes based on what works for me vs. what works for someone else. In this case, I see little "excitement" in the drive from Las Vegas to Reno, or being stopped at the bug station in Truckee and told the summit has been closed for the night, or driving the Sacramento-Benicia corridor, or the backups on the Benicia Bridge, and finally, no excitement at all driving South on the 680 to Fremont. Especially if once about 35 miles or so South of Tonopah, I am driving North of my final destination.

This is what the OP stated in the original post:

"Is going through Reno, NV a viable travel route this time of year?"

That was the only question. Yet a number of people have been telling this person that such and such a route is shorter. They were not asking for the shortest route. A number of people have been telling this person the best routes to drive around in the Bay Area. Once again that is not what the OP was asking about. It is nice that everyone is offering up such nice information, but none of that info is answering the original question.

SeilerBird said:

This is what the OP stated in the original post:

"Is going through Reno, NV a viable travel route this time of year?"

That was the only question.

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And you responded,

You can take 93 from Phoenix to Las Vegas and then take 95 north to Reno. From Reno take I-80 west to Freemont. It will add a few hundred miles to the trip. It is a great route with very little mountain driving except Donner Pass. Beautiful scenery.

He obviously knew he could go thru Reno - he wanted to know about viability this time of year. I and others answered his question -- and because there "is" a possibility of snow - alternate routes were suggested. And I see nothing wrong with also mentioning traffic and distance considerations. I know I would have appreciated the extra info - especially if I wasn't that familiar with a route I was planning.

Aside from this topic discussion -- how is your day going? 

SeilerBird said:

This is what the OP stated in the original post:

"Is going through Reno, NV a viable travel route this time of year?"

That was the only question. Yet a number of people have been telling this person that such and such a route is shorter. They were not asking for the shortest route. A number of people have been telling this person the best routes to drive around in the Bay Area. Once again that is not what the OP was asking about. It is nice that everyone is offering up such nice information, but none of that info is answering the original question.

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True.... but viability is in the eyes of the beholder and the weather on that particular day/week. It is not viable to me because I don't like all the mountains involved. The OP may love mountain driving and dislike the ocean.......... it was sort of an open ended question....  I guess one could simply have answered the question, "Yes"........... sure wouldn't make him feel good if Donner Pass was closed due to weather. ;D

My real question is.....Phoenix to Reno???? There must be a reason. If you want to see the rockies, there are better ways. Maybe if the OP were to help us out with the reasoning for Phoenix to Reno, we might be able to be more helpful......... It it's business that's one thing..... if it's site seeing, you may want to be more specific......

This discussion brings back memories ...

Our second year in CA my parents were visiting from the UK. We all joined a group of folks from work for a weekend bus trip from Santa Clara to Reno late in March. I had no idea of the road conditions until we were "stuck" attempting to go over Donner Pass; CalTrans had I-80 over the pass closed for 5 hours until the snow plows finished clearing the freeway. We left Santa Clara at 5:00pm and arrived in Reno at 2:30am.

Fortunately, the bus had a toilet on board. However, Dad had developed a boil on his butt, which made it extremely uncomfortable to sit for that length of time. He and I entertained the occupants of the bus by singing duets while standing in the aisle (I wonder if I have old photos around here somewhere).

Dad started his singing career at 8 years of age when his Dad used to take him to "rich people's houses" to sing, in order to help put food on the table for the large coal mining family; See the attached picture.

Here's the rest of the story, which I didn't understand until we stayed at the home of Dad's last remaining sibling on one of our trips back to the homeland a few years ago. She explained that, when puberty arrived, Dad's voice changed, and that was the end of the 'singing for your supper'.

JCZ said:

If you go the Reno route, Tom has provided you with the best direction.  It'll bring you in to Fremont the back way, avoiding all the bay area traffic.

Snow fall over Donner Summit (Reno route), I'd have to agree with braindead.  The odds are against that at this point in time.  We're just not getting our normal snow fall on the mountain this year......not even close.
I pulled our 5th wheel from Quartzsite in Jan.  We came up I-395 to Reno and over Donner Pass against many that advised against it.  Bob said it best.... Cal Trans does a heck of a job keeping that highway open and when it's closed, it's usually just for a few hours.

Phoenix is just east of Quartzsite (where we started from).  Here's a blog of our journey in late Jan.....a sneak preview of this route if you so choose....  http://jczquartzsitejourney.blogspot.com/

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I asnwered the question......do I win something. 

Always, for current California road conditions.....especially the mountain passes (since Tom, Bob and I live so close to many of the passes).....I keep this link handy.  Although I conjured up an image of Tom and his father standing in the isle of the bus singing songs (how many "drinks".....I've been on those gambler specials before) that was quite amusing....this link may be more helpful to Archie & Linda (from Reno it's I-80 west Archie)...  http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi

As we left Quartzsite in late Jan. I referred to this web site several times.  Even pulled off the road in Mojave, one more time for a last time check to be sure that I-80 was open.  As somebody so eloquently put it......it was all about the journey, not the destination and we were both very glad we decided to go this route vs. the boring I-5 route.

JCZ said:

Archie & Linda....in your first post you said you're going to Fremont.  Much closer to Fremont and less traffic that the other side of the hill (bay area side) is the town of Pleasanton where you have the Fair Park RV park....  http://www.thefairparkrv.com/

Pleasanton also has a nice little downtown area with some nice restaurants, etc.

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JCZ wins the prize, what is it?  Thanks everyone!!