Hi,

I'd (attempt to) research this myself, but I'm short on time.  Please
answer this by the end of the day May-16, if possible;  after that,
please disregard this question, as I will already be on the road....

I'd like to know a scenic way to get from the Bay Area (Oakland,
specifically) to Visalia, CA (near Fresno) that is more interesting
than taking major highways.  (I've never been on 99....any idea if
that's a nice drive?)

The fastest way (just under 4 hrs) seems to be to take I-5 South to
198-E, but I did that drive once before.  I'm wondering if there's a
more beautiful alternative, that is still under, say, 6 hours.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

Hello.

I have been on Hwy 99, and it is slightly more interesting than I-5.
If you prefer to go that way, you'd probably want to take 580 to 132
to cut over to 99 at Modesto.  I can't really say that passing through
Turlock, Merced, etc., is "scenic," but I guess that those towns are
better than nothing. That's really the difference between Hwy 99 and
I-5 (i.e., on 99 you're passing through actual towns rather than an
unpopulated valley).

If you really have a lot of time and want a genuinely scenic route,
you could take 580 out to 205 (Tracy) to 120 (Manteca) and then stay
on 120 through part of the Gold Country (Chinese Camp, Groveland,
etc.) cutting along the western edge of Yosemite, and then taking 41
south through Wawona, Fish Camp, Oakhurst, etc.  Eventually 41 will
take you down to Fresno where you can switch to 99 for the last 35
miles or so to Visalia.  This will be a truly interesting and scenic
route, but it will, of course, add several hours to your drive.
  
As you say, the I-5 route would be a very fast option, but it would
certainly be quite boring.  About the only thing that I can recommend
about I-5 is the pot roast sandwich at Pea Soup Andersen's in Santa
Nella. :-)

I hope this helps. If you need more information, let me know via the
"request clarification" feature. Enjoy your drive!

---

Request for Answer Clarification by jkopp-ga on 16 May 2003 11:47 PDT

might you be able to give me the # of miles I would cover by taking
the 205-to-120-to-41-to-99 route?  if it takes more than 5 minutes
don't worry about it, you've answered my question.  thanks!

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 16 May 2003 11:52 PDT

Sure, I can do that.  

Do you want the total miles (including from Oakland to 120)?

---

Clarification of Answer by juggler-ga on 16 May 2003 12:04 PDT

Total miles from Oakland to Visalia for that route would be about 307.

Here's the breakdown:

Oakland to Chinese Camp : 116.5
Chinese Camp to Buck Meadows: 27
Buck Meadows to Fish Camp: 61.6
Fish Camp to Visalia: 101.8
Total: 306.9

source: Yahoo Maps / Driving Directions:
http://maps.yahoo.com/

thank you, my love for this service grows stronger by the day....

Thank you for the tip.
-juggler

if the town of Fish Camp sells t-shirts, I will be the proud owner of
one 18 hours from now.  thanks again--jk.

Hello jkopp-ga,

I like Juggler’s answer a lot! For future reference, I’d like to offer
another alternative that is very pretty this time of year. The hills
should be wonderfully green and there might be wildflowers still. It’s
a scenic ride through the hills East of I-5.

Here are the details – from San Jose:

Take 101 South to Gilroy. Just past Gilroy take Highway 25 (33 miles)
Follow this scenic route to Hollister and then along the East side of
the Gabilan Range to the junction with Highway 98 (63 miles)
Turn East to Coalinga and the I-5 junction. (45 miles)
Cross I-5 and take Highway 145 North to Kernan. From there go East on
Highway 180 to Fresno. (51 miles)’

These are mostly two-lane roads through rolling hills that are popular
with motorcycle and sports car clubs. The only really boring part is
the section from Coalinga to Fresno, but even that part is through
farms and orchards instead of freeways.

Here are some pictures to help you decide if you like this kind of
driving. Have a fun trip.

czh


http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/Highway25.htm
Highway 25 -- Hollister to Hwy 198 -- "63 Miles of Bliss"
Hwy 25 is marked a scenic road on the map.  I never know what that
means when I head on down into the unknown.  It might be scenic but
not so great when it comes to stimulating my motorcycle self.
  On the other hand, Hwy 25 headed south out of Hollister (home to one
of California's biggest biker rallies) is a wild ride!  It's one of
these forgotten roads surrounded by bigger and better well traveled
rides.  I-5 to the east, Hwy 101 to the west.  In between is this
little gem and any motorcyclist will love this road!.
***** Includes a description of the ride, lots of pictures and a map.

http://www.bayarea02.com/features/02drives/hwy_25.html
It was very much like the poker rally route, following scenic canyons
and rolling hills on a narrow two-lane country road. Best of all, the
road was practically deserted -- we saw only about 10 cars in the 80
miles between those two towns

http://www.moto-rama.com/html/central_coast_to_san_luis_obis.html
Highway 25 south from Hollister to 198, 198 east to Coalinga

http://www.pashnit.com/roads/cal/HighwayJ1.htm
Highway J1 -- Panoche Road - Little Panoche Road
This describes the section on Highway 198 between Highway 25 and
Coalinga. Includes maps and pictures.

delightful....thank you thank you