We Need "Your" Experience on Places to Stop on Our Way to AZ

Tom said:

I mentioned Flag City at I-5 and Hwy 12 in Lodi. Alternatively, there's another RV park a little further south on I-5 at Patterson (can't recall the name). If you don't mind one night of boondocing, Harris Ranch at I-5 and Hwy 198 near Coalinga is a good overnight stop. Then you could take Hwy 198 to Hwy 99. Or our preference, which is Hwy 46 from I-5 to Hwy 99.

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Thanks Tom,
We are looking at Santa Nella, a little further than Patterson.  We don't mind boondocking  , what is this Harris Ranch?  I see an Inn & Restaurant, also an airport? Hmm...

Harris Ranch is a working cattle ranch with a nice hotel, restaurant, store and gas station. They have a large "outer lot" used by RVers and truckers for lunch or rest stops, and for overnighting (free). I've never seen any planes in the area, but I suspect the small airport is primarily for use by crop dusters.

Tom said:

Harris Ranch is a working cattle ranch with a nice hotel, restaurant, store and gas station. They have a large "outer lot" used by RVers and truckers for lunch or rest stops, and for overnighting (free). I've never seen any planes in the area, but I suspect the small airport is primarily for use by crop dusters.

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Oh, good to know  ...  I will add it in to my notes, free is always good 

Lou, Tom Hoffman, Marsha, Skyking4ar2, Ken, Tom and Margi, ArdraF, Jim, and Tom,
Thank you so much for all your suggestions and help    (not that we are done with this plan yet  :

So, we have plenty of choices set up for stops along I5 and then east to Bakersfield.  And lots of suggestions on routes skirting around L.A.  I love this!  As I can relax once I've over planned    And once I relax, so will my husband 

We are leaving Seven Feathers RV park tomorrow, heading south on I5...  that was our first outing with the towed.  It went very well, other than the fact that it was a very windy drive.
We went with the brakemaster by roadmaster and we are very pleased so far with pretty easy set up and disconnect.  It's nice for us to be in the motorhome together instead of me following in the vehicle.

Lou Schneider said:

50 miles south of Redding on I-5 is the Rolling Hills Casino in Corning.  You'll see signs for it all along the way.

Nice RV park in the rear, away from highway noise.  Or boondock with the truckers.  Free wi-fi, good restaurants and buffet inside the casino.

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Thanks Lou, we are here at Rolling Hills tonight...  easy refill fuel in the morning and back on the road.  We do most of our own cooking, it seems faster and we feel better, also saves a bit of dollars.  We could have easily boondocked with the truckers, it seemed really quiet over there  but a nice long hot shower before bed won out.
Went over the Siskiyou's today, just a few snow flakes spotted but what a gorgeous day.  What a lovely drive!  We are so glad to finally be doing this.  Been full time in our motorhome since November and just loving it!
Now for our next stop...  Any more suggestions, I think we were looking at Santa Nella for tomorrow?  Maybe?

The Orange Grove RV Park is delightful!  We've decided to stay here a couple of days  , Thanks for the suggestion.

Would love to stay there with the oranges in season...we thought it was one of the more quaint parks we have visited.

Do remember that Yuma and southern Arizona are still HOT in September so take your time as you travel down!

Elly

Tom said:

Harris Ranch is a working cattle ranch with a nice hotel, restaurant, store and gas station. They have a large "outer lot" used by RVers and truckers for lunch or rest stops, and for overnighting (free). I've never seen any planes in the area, but I suspect the small airport is primarily for use by crop dusters.

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Tom,

The airstrip at Harris Ranch is used primarily by private pilots flying in to eat at the restaurant there.  The Nut Tree Restaurant and airstrip on I 80 out of Fairfield was another favorite strip used for the same purpose.  However, the Nut Tree closed a few years ago.

Elly Dalmaijer said:

Do remember that Yuma and southern Arizona are still HOT in September so take your time as you travel down!

Elly

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I will so keep that in mind as we are traveling there in February... plan to be back in the Willamette Valley by April, as we are going to be grandparents!!!

The airstrip at Harris Ranch is used primarily by private pilots flying in to eat at the restaurant there.

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Thanks Carl. I've never seen any planes land or take off there.

The Nut Tree Restaurant and airstrip on I 80 out of Fairfield was another favorite strip ...

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Ah yes, we used to see the Nut Tree as we drove by on the freeway, but we never stopped there.

Anyhow as this thread seems to still be active  ;D  We are leaving the Orange Grove RV park tomorrow morning, we have family in Lake Havasu, what is your recommendations as to how to get there and where to stay there... if we stay there we are thinking a week or a month long stay... advise?

Oh and where to stay some place in between??? Barstow? or is there someplace else interesting? We don't have to go into Lake Have a Few, we can go anywhere we want  ;D  Suggestions???

East of Mojave at the town of Boron is the Rio Tinto Borax Mine, north of the freeway at the Borax Rd. exit (#196).  Follow Boron Rd. north about two miles to the mine entrance, then follow the signs to the visitor center.  It costs $3 at the entry gate, then you can drive up to the visitor center on top of a giant slag heap overlooking the mine.  It's a well graded dirt road that's watered for dust control.  The parking lot is large enough to easily accommodate your RV and toad.

About 9 miles east of Barstow on I-15 is Calico Ghost Town.  It was an old silver mining town that was home to the father of Walter Knott, the founder of Knott's Berry Farm.  In the 1960s, Knott "restored" Calico as an amusement park style western town.  After his death the family donated the town to the County of San Bernardino which now runs it as a county park.

There's a KOA out front and a county campground with water and electric out back.  The county campground winds through a couple of desert canyons and it's an easy hike for free admission into the town.

From Calico you can continue south on Ghost Town Rd. past I-15 to I-40 and take that east into Arizona.  Try to time your fuel stop so you fill up in AZ - the truckstops at the AZ 95/I-10 exit have diesel for about 70 cents a gallon less than what you'll find in Needles.

Thanks Lou, I think we will try to check that out.  Great information 

If you make it to Yuma,  come round to the River Front RV Park on the S side of the Colorado River,  very nice quiet older park.  We are in Iowa at the moment, and are going to fly out to Yuma on the 6th.  If you make it there, we are in space 68.  Stop by. 

Jane is the owner.  Her  info is:

2300 W Water St

Yuma, AZ 85364

(928) 783-5868

Before you leave Bakersfield, take Ardra's suggestion and visit the Tehachapi rail loop.  Take the toad, the roads are narrow and there's very limited parking at the overlooks.

Thanks for the invite Tom    We might just do that...
And thank you Lou, We spent two days at Calico, lots of geocaching  Lots of walking... No internet or tv and not much cell service  ;D
We will have to do the Tahachapi rail loop next time, hopefully we will be at this for a few years.
Now on to AZ...
We are sitting here all fueled up figuring out where our next stop over might be. Anymore suggestions?

We should be okay taking 40 instead of going further south to I 10?  Right?  Anything wrong with that thinking?