So Cal guys a question. Where do you actually drive????

Just got back from 8 days in the LA area, and wondered where it is you folks actually drive your cars. Now obviuosly a week is not enough time to explore all of the by ways and back roads, but from what I saw the freeways are chock a block nearly any time of the day and night, the surface streets are a nose to tail circus parade of bleached blonds in Lexus SUVs, on cell phones or texting. We took a trip Friday AM from LAX to Dana Point on the Coast Highway, through Seal Beach Huntington, Newport, etc. Nice road but probably 40 mph max.

Then we took 74 over to Elsinore and into Palm Desser where we stayed. Nice road but again most of the traffic was white knuckled folks afraid they might fall off the road. We spent 3 opportunities in LA and Anaheim, and according to the Navigator, average speed on the freeway was 29 MPH this after rush hour. Yep surrounded by Bimmers, and Jags, and Bently Contenentals, and even a couple of Maseratis, all slogging along at 29 MPH, got up to 45 a vouple times in the HOV lanes. Only guys who were moving were the guys o bikes lane splitting.

Now the dessert and mountain roads were fun but it took nearly 2 hours to get out of town. Did get a chance to do some 4 wheeling in the rented Jeep out near Joshua tree, (Red Canyon Trail) and in JT Pinkham/ thermal Canyon, which was fun especially after the sun went down.

Just wondering where all the freedom of the road stuff comes in. I can be on no traffic country 2 lane in about 10 minutes from the end of my drive way, granted only from May to November. If I had to deal with that kind of congestion on a daily basis, no matter how nice the weather and how pretty the girls, I be heading elswhere in a hurry.

No disrespect but,whats the sense of building Hot Rods to do 30???

 

Agreed, that's why I live back here.

I love the weather and physically SoCal is beautiful, but there are WAY too many rats in the maze.

 

There are places to go....just need to deal with some of the crap sometimes too. There are some nice roads through temecula, cherry valley, the road from palm desert over hte mountains to hemet is a cool cruise too. There's a nice cruisin road fom chino hills to anaheim too. Just gotta know where to go. I moved out here 2 years ago, and the one thing that drives me nuts when I visit cali is the traffic. My town I live in now has a blinking red 4 way stop! Rush hour would be passing a few combines and having to wait for traffic! lol

 

I know all to well of your frustration with traffic here in SoCal. We are in the high desert out near Palmdale/Lancaster area and it quite a bit more rural than near or around LA or Orange county. Where we are is even more rural than the Palmdale area. There are a lot of dirt roads and area where there isn't a car for miles. But the summers aer very hot here.

I used to go to a place near the Mexico border called Glamis. I can't remember the road if off of, but once you get there all you see is miles and miles of sand dunes! If you have off road toys, THAT'S the place to be!

When I was part of the working stiffs, one of the positions I had for nearly 2 years was 60 miles away and it took me 2 hours one way to get there...that was in good weather and fair traffic. If it rained it took over 3 hours! Glad I'm retired! lol

 

I live out in Temecula and currently commute to LA for work. Nice roads to cruise out here, especially in the wine country. But when it comes to LA... Not much. I do like Topanga canyon but just gotta watch for the other drivers, but it does drop you off on Pacific Coast Highway, which is real nice. Take that to Huntington Beach... But that's not fun in traffic either

 

yeah, sitting in traffic when is 100 deg plus in a old car is no fun but thats the reality in the summer, - so we get on the road before the sun comes up or drive at night etc... thats the price we pay to live here

 

Going to and from work, taking your kids to and from school, parts runs, lunch, bank, and that normal stuff. There are plenty of times, places areas to haul ass. It's not how fast you go, or how much traffic. It's liking what you drive.

 

never found the traffic a problem myself,londons worse and as for moscow,ive never seen traffic like it

 

For me its not really fun driving anything in L.A... Ive driven my old cars daily, its risky but i do it because you cant live worrying about what might happen.

Best times to drive is early in the morning... although in my model A I was almost run over by a garbage truck on the 110/101 fwy split @ 8am, he crossed 3 lanes of traffic without pausing or checking. Cant let your guard down.... always expect traffic on your way back home.

Worse time to drive a hotrod/slow moving car is on the freeways at night... downright dangerous, especially near hollywood, south LA and downtown LA. The 405 on a Saturday night from Irvine to Long Beach in the rain is fucking silly....

 

its not so much the traffic... there is a point in high speed traffic where it starts becoming dangerous. Its when the impatient dumbass's start weaving through slower traffic while people are merging onto the freeway.... most old cars are cruising in those slow lanes. Add tail gating semi trucks to the mix and its become a big cluster fuck. That is only one scenario Ive run into. At night you gotta watch out for blown out semi truck tires too..

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_0pQTtn39k

 

Just read this, LA rush hour started 39 years ago, it will end when the air will no longer support combustion, or the oil runs out. Which ever comes first......

 

This morning I drove from home to the shop. 35 miles on the 5 and 405 freeway in Orange County CA. Saw 5 hot rods and classic cars. That's just 45 minutes on the freeway. Usually see more on Sat. but rain is coming (yes it's wimpy, I know). If I take Pacific Coast Hwy home I'll see 20 more. They are everywhere here. Huge car culture here.

 

If you check the speedo on the video, you'll see that she is going 65-70 on the 405 and this is on a Sunday afternoon!!

 

Grew up in San Diego and moved to Norcal 10 years back, there are a ton of great roads up here and no one on them.

That being said, not much can beat an evening blast up hwy 1/101 in San Diego, or Ventura and heading north.

 

just my take as an out of stater...I'd rather drive LA any day than Seattle Washington...That's where the crazies are!!

 

Come to the West Coast Kustom show in Central Ca, Santa Maria, on Memorial Day weekend. Not everywhere in Ca is like LA or New York City.

 

Bingo - we have a winner! I wish we had the season and the road conditions that LA does - I hope to relocate there some time.

Steve

 

I drive my Truck or my Merc everyday,here in LA and the OC. PCH on the weekend can be stressing,but heading UP the Coast,can be really nice. Towards Ventura...I don't think about the traffic anymore,cause I just enjoy driving my car! You should have contacted me...I could have shown you the fun places to drive. Also,I like getting up early for a drive,cause there's hardly anyone on the road at that time.

I especially like driving to San Pedro....over the bridge,than down through Long Beach.

 

When ur driving a sled, slows the way to go. I'm a Cali boy livin in Idaho and I miss only one thing...the beach. PCH was a lot of fun. U made me remember the good times I had driving (barely) all around the coast. Damn this winter! It's snowing!

 

Going up the 405 at 5:30 am for the Ventura Nationals. Meeting Bad Bob and the gang in Malibu.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkAZ5TA36wo

Heading to Rubys in Redondo at 4:00 pm on a Friday.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn5pX4bsL5k

 

I've driven in LA lots of times and five times in my roadster when I've driven out there from the Midwest. Sure the traffic can be a bitch on the freeways and when you get further into the city but I think the drivers are better out there than where I come from and for the most part they respect and like hot rods. We've driven Mulholland Drive and through the hills, and up the Pacific Coast Highway all the way to Coos Bay, Oregon. The scariest thing about the freeways is when you are doing 70 and the traffic stops, so I always worry about the 12 gallon bomb between my frame rails out back and what the guy or gal behind me is doing.

 

My 61 Cadillac is my daily driver...It really trips people out that I drive it everywhere. I live in the Inland Empire about 60 miles east of LA. During the winter while the snow is 3 ft thick in NY.. I love driving my Cadillac, even if I only go 30mph.

 

best drive in california is HIGHWAY 1!!!! hands down wins every time!!!! its closed up by big sur after the road fell to the ocean. it will be up and running in about 6 months is what we were told! the 126 through filmore is a good drive too. and the back roads of the valley always wins for me.

 

You're right about driving in the LA / OC metro area, however there are a few hidden gems in the pile of rocks . Personally , if I want some quality semi, local roadtrips , I go north from Ventura or the north San Diego county area . I used to go to upstate NY every June for a MC event , and the roads and scenery in that part of the state is truely spectacular . I'm envious of you for about five months a year , the other seven months is why I'm in socal. Here's a few pics of some quality CA roartrips.

 

nice video and song. she's cruising down Broadway then down 4th st. hitting 60mph down Westminster Ave. very cool!

 

I live right by Huntington Beach. Sure there is alot of traffic, but there are SO many nice classic cars around here. I can take the 51 out on a saturday and see 10-20 other classics cruising around too. You cant beat the weather, and most of the people are pretty nice. Even the cops are cool. I was talking to a HB cop one day about modified cars. He said that most police officers appreciate classics and that most of the classic car drivers respect the road. He said I could be cruising down the road with my frame 1" above the ground and not get pulled over. Now if I had a modified import, thats a different story.

 

I am retired and drive my Coupe every day.

 

Pasadena to Santa Barbara 210 to the 5 via Fillmore and Santa Paula, then 101 N ...nice drive on a weekday, forget the weekend.

 

Im from New England and I do know what you mean by being in your own world and the only one on many roads....stopping, doing burnouts, rapid exceleration from stop signs and such...I do miss that for sure! You have to approach SoCal with a different view, First off its year round car culture that you cant get anywhere but here, the amount of extremely worthy shows and events are calender filling! I now know why all the local guys I meet cant finish there cars completely.....there to busy driving them! As far as the roads you mentioned...I live in Costa Mesa and drive them all the time but you cant go cruising at rush hour! I just drove the coast from HB to Manhatten Bch the other day in the 54..then down the 405 home at 75 the whole way around 3pm. I got back from Vegas today (sat at 5pm)and came thru LA into OC, 75 the whole way..its def not as bad as you made it sound bro...Plenty of year round cruising at all speeds! Just plan your route and head out...its very hard to get a true idea of all the roads we have in this large area in one week.