I like your route choice (and the variations that have been suggested.) I saw the endpoints of the trip and immediately envisaged a long trip down 99 to Bakersfield and over to Barstow and I15 into Vegas. You’re definitely going to have better scenery on your route! I envy you guys, because I love a nice road trip like this. Have fun!
Bakerfield-Barstow makes the Mojave at 95 near Vegas look lush and vibrant.
If the trip is taking place during summertime, an alternate is Mormon Immigrant Trail, just south of Sly Park. That road is a nice, wide, and sorta straight 25 mile route through the forest from Hwy 50 over to Hwy 88 (Carson Pass). There will be little traffic, and no drop-offs like on Hwy 50 Echo Summit. Once on 88 going east (turn left), it’s just a few miles to the pass, again without any serious drop-offs - take 88 all the way thru Hope Valley past Woodfords to 395 in Minden, or south on 89 thru Markleeville over Monitor Pass to 395. Going this route avoids S Lake Tahoe altogether, but is more remote (and more scenic!).
A few years ago we took Hwy 95 north from Las Vegas back to the Sacramento area, via some connections in western Nevada I do not remember - I really enjoyed that, but also a very remote road with few towns and services - fewer than Hwy 395.
When is she going? There is a pretty big storm over Western Nevada today and there are now chain controls on the mountain roads around Tahoe.
Gonna be shitty on and off all week up around Tahoe.
[quote=“nachtmusick, post:18, topic:814254”]
Yeah, I got that turned around somehow.
Here’s a sped-up road log someone did of Highway 50 from Kyburz to Lake Tahoe. Skip to about 6:45 to see the grade down from Echo Summit:
[/QUOTE]Thanks for the video - “That doesn’t look bad - I can do that.” So she’s not as wimpy as she thought she was.
Thanks for some of the routing suggestions - we’ll look at those also and see what looks good.
Dopers are the best (but you knew that).
Oh, and the trip starts the Tuesday after Memorial Day.
If you are doing the Kingsbury Grade route, you would probably hit that around lunchtime (depending on when you leave). Try Mott Canyon Bar and Grill. Pretty darn tasty burgers and the best potato salad I’ve ever had, damn near (red potatoes, bleu cheese and bacon!). About a half-mile or so after you turn right onto Kingsbury, on the right hand side.
I’ve been watching a bit of the Amgen Tour of California (a multi-day bicycle race). They’re doing a stage from Folsom to South Lake Tahoe tomorrow. It looks like it won’t conflict with Folacin’s wife’s trip, but it sounds like it could get kinda nasty.
I don’t have a lot to add other than I used to live there 1970.
Its more or less desert, desolate in that area.
Here’s the house and the field. When you go by pull under the tree and snag yourself a pear. Its just off 395 about 1/4 mile
Susanville? I guess that’s sort of close by western US standards but would be a roughly 2.5 hour detour, one way, for the OP’s wife.
And if you detour around Bishop, you’ll miss some amazing smoked meats and jerky.
Coming down 50 into Tahoe is the only part of your proposed trip that would, IMHO, rattle a nervous driver. I guess you could take 80 to Truckee, then 89 down and around the west side of Lake Tahoe and avoid that. Though the part of 89 near Emerald Bay I remember had some twisties too.
There used to be a very good deli in Lee Vining, about a mile or so up 120 from the town proper (and a giant gymnastics/trapeze setup, for some reason.)
Carry a lot of water if going through Death Valley. I went in July, a long time ago, and it was “memorable.” (Car overheated, went the whole way running the heater and guzzling water nonstop. About 121 outside, per the ranger station.) It’s a really alien place.
Drove from Davis to Lee Vining yesterday, mostly on 395, and apparently did not drive off a cliff anywhere. Pushing on to Vegas today.
From the couple of shared photos, they are having a good time.
Thanks again for suggestions.