Hello, It did not matter when the traffic got heavy or stayed light, someone is not paying attention and stuff happens. The Hollywood Freeway is the one that cuts through downtown Los Angeles from neighboring Orange County all the way to Santa Barbara. If you see a tv show or movie with the City Hall building or a downtown freeway at night or day, it is distinct as it cuts right through the center of activity. Back then, any approaching exit had last minute drivers doing some crazy things to get to their offramps. Without planning on lane changes or traffic clogging up the supposedly smooth transition to the far right hand exit lane. So, “stuff” happens. The Melrose exit is interesting. In the early 60s, it was just a street with no inclinations of any attractive stops or draws for teenagers or 20 somethings. But, as the culture started changing, the area gathered steam as a funky zone and then the shoppers started coming in droves. Pretty soon, the Melrose exit was a jammed packed exit and one had to plan miles ahead to get over for the off ramp to go to the Melrose shopping enclave. Jnaki Now, if one travels through downtown Los Angeles, the sign Melrose Ave. has some meaning and is usually crowded. The street has gone through some drastic changes and is a draw for a lot of young folks and the “hipster” generation, if that is your thing. But, the unique shops are a draw… Note: Is there a good time to drive on any of the So Cal freeways? Yes... I drove to San Diego from Laguna in less than an hour with no traffic at 4:40 am. ha! Those days were the exceptions. But, when my wife and I take our road trips to wherever... we usually start around 9:00 a.m. That will get us through L.A. in record time, unless someone is not paying attention to the road and screws up. But, for the most part, between 9-10 am is a good time to be on the freeways. YRMV But, coming home, if one can plan, between 3 to 6 is an impossible time to be on any freeway in the afternoon early evening. So, we get off the freeways near the beach and end up having dinner in Manhattan Beach to allow the traffic to die down. But, we usually take PCH South through the coastal communities for a cool night, ocean view drive. It works well and we are not rushed to get home.
The Jalopy Journal
