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Bolivar
08-04-2006, 12:10 PM
A week from Sunday I will be driving down to DL with the family. However, on Saturday night my wife is going to Cache Creek with her friends and won't be home until the afternoon. Rather than have her drive all the way home and then jump in the car to drive all the way to DL, I was thinking I would meet her in Vacaville and head down from there. That would accomplish two things: we would be on the road that much sooner and it would save some driving for her. This leaves me with a few questions:

Google maps tells me that the route from Vacaville to Anaheim is to go west to 680, then south on 680 to 580 and then east to 5. Is this true? From Vacaville I would have gone east to 5 and then south from there. Thoughts?

Google maps is saying seven hours, but that is their 680/580 route. Any thoughts on the time from Vacaville to DL?

Anyone know Vacaville? I've only driven through on the freeway. What would be a good meeting place? We will each be driving a distance to get there so I'm sure we won't arrive at exactly the same time, so I need a place I can wait with three kids between the age of 12 and 2. A park might work, but it gets hot so an indoor mall might be better, but it needs to be close to the freeway and easy to find. I welcome any suggestions.

TIA

MammaSilva
08-04-2006, 12:16 PM
Hi there, I live in the town over....and go to Vacaville at least once a week. I don't ever take the 680/580 route EVER! I did ONCE and it took me two extra hours to get to Anaheim. There are NO indoor 'malls' to hang out, your best best would be the McDonalds on Alamo that has a playstructure and a starbucks near by and is less than a block off of the 80.

From Vacaville, I would highly recommend using CA 12 to the 5 just above Stockton. It's a small 2 lane 55 mph and double ticket for speeding backway to the 5, if not that then I'd say get on the 80 towards Sacramento and hit the 5...

Nettfrankie
08-04-2006, 12:17 PM
Once you leave Route 16 from Cache Creek and get on the 505 take it to hwy 80 then you can get on hwy 680 in Cordelia (just passed Fairfield) near the truck scales, from there you can get onto the 580 then to the 5, they all "feed" into each other. I know it sounds like quite a bit, but it's actually a pretty easy drive. I hope this helps! Say hey to Pooh for me!!

Bolivar
08-04-2006, 12:24 PM
My wife will go to Cache Creek on Saturday with her friends (one of them will drive) and on Sunday I will drive out to met her somewhere convenient for her friends to drop her off and for me to pick her up and us head out to DL (I'll be coming from Marin).

Am I hearing you say that Vacaville isn't the best place to meet? Any suggestions?

Alex S.
08-04-2006, 12:32 PM
On a Sunday morning the traffic on the 680/580 route isn't going to be bad but it probably works about the same as just cutting straight over to 5.

If you are going to take the 680/580 route a better place to hook up might be about 9 miles farther south on 80 in Fairfield. Solano Mall (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=fairfield,+ca&ie=UTF8&ll=38.25975,-122.065659&spn=0.028913,0.10849&om=1) is indoors, it is right on the freeway and hard to miss and it is right before the 80/680 interchange.

Osky
08-04-2006, 12:35 PM
Having lived in the area for quite some time, and knowing practically every detail of the three routes suggested here, (80 to 5, 80 to 680 to 580 to 5, and 12 to 5), I would highly recommend 80-5, or highway 12 depending on what time of day and when. I don't think I would even consider the 680 route. The chance of traffic on the 680 route is a least one order of magnitude higher than if you just take 80 to 5. I would guarantee that, barring some weird emergency like the landing of a life-flight helicopter on 80 that shuts down the freeway, it would be much much faster to go 80 directly to 5.

MammaSilva
08-04-2006, 12:36 PM
It depends on when you expect to meet your wife. If it's after 10 then I'd suggest meeting at the mall in Fairfield and then taking the 12 to the 5. If it's early then I'd say the Vacaville McDonalds. Once you have that figured out, then I'd say the 12 to the 5 would be MY route of choice, if you don't like small (think Hwy 37 road type) and want to be able to do 70/80 then get on the 80 East to the 5 South at Sacramento.

wHiTe2k3eP
08-04-2006, 12:36 PM
if i were driving from marin and meeting in vacaville, i would take the 80 all the way up to sacramento and catch the 5... the traffic sucks on the weekend.

Osky
08-04-2006, 12:41 PM
If it is Sunday morning, a good option would be for you to jaunt a few miles (about 8) up 505 and meet in Winters. It is a quaint little town (very old buildings), and will be very easy to hookup there. Very little traffic. Putah Creek Cafe is awesome for breakfast. Even though you have to come up 505 for about 8 miles, if you then head directly east from there on Covell (which is a county highway), and then south on 113 for a mile or so back to 80, it will only be more like 5 miles out of the way than if you just stayed on 80. I could map it out for you if you like.

http://local.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=38.485576,-121.863098&spn=0.185969,0.322037&om=1

Bolivar
08-04-2006, 12:49 PM
We are thinking of meeting around 1:00.

MammaSilva
08-04-2006, 12:56 PM
We are thinking of meeting around 1:00.

1:00 pm ON Sunday?

Meet at the Solano Mall off Travis Blvd. have some lunch at the mall, lots of choices in there.

After lunch make sure you leave the parking area at an exit you can turn LEFT on Travis Blvd ...go to the first street, Pennsylvania, Make a right turn....go thru several lights til you end up at the Hwy 12, make a left and just enjoy the drive! It will take you one hour from that turn to the 5 IF none of the bridges go up. It's a nice afternoon drive thru the countryside, you get to cross the river 3 times :D and drive thru Rio Vista...

Bolivar
08-04-2006, 01:20 PM
I am sensing some incredulity regarding 1:00. Is there something wrong with that time that I should change it? I was thinking that would give my wife the morning with her friends and we would hit DL at around 8:00 or 9:00 depending on traffic and how long we stop for dinner.

I have to say that I'm getting a bit nervous about this trip. I haven't been during the summer since, well maybe when I was a kid. We always go either in the fall or the spring and we pull the kids out of school to go mid week. This trip is a spur of the moment thing -- well I guess spur of the moment would mean we are going tomorrow. It is a fairly last minute, impulsive trip. Now that we are going, I'm becoming afraid of the crowds.

Malcon10t
08-04-2006, 01:35 PM
I am sensing some incredulity regarding 1:00. Is there something wrong with that time that I should change it? I was thinking that would give my wife the morning with her friends and we would hit DL at around 8:00 or 9:00 depending on traffic and how long we stop for dinner.

I have to say that I'm getting a bit nervous about this trip. I haven't been during the summer since, well maybe when I was a kid. We always go either in the fall or the spring and we pull the kids out of school to go mid week. This trip is a spur of the moment thing -- well I guess spur of the moment would mean we are going tomorrow. It is a fairly last minute, impulsive trip. Now that we are going, I'm becoming afraid of the crowds.I wouldn't worry and just go and have a good time. I agree with the 12 to 5 route. And 1 on a Sunday isn't bad. BUT! I would figure closer to arriving at 9-10pm.

Inkman
08-04-2006, 01:40 PM
Hwy 12 to 5 if you don't mind a two lane rd with passing lanes here and there. My wife just went to Comi-Con in S.D. and they went 80 east to 5 and then south and said they wouldn't have changed a thing. We usually hit 4 (we live in Hercules) to 680 to 580 to 5, but that's just cause of where we live. Plus we leave at 0dark:30 for our trips south to DL so there isn't alot of traffic at that hour. At 1:00 p.m. on a sun from VV, i'd hit 5 in Sac and head south from there. Just my 2 cents.

Al

Rascalsfungirl
08-04-2006, 09:01 PM
I agree with Grundler about meeting in Winters. The town is so small that there is no way you and your wife would get lost. It would be a great place to met. I used to work for the company that owns Putah Creek Cafe (The Buckhorn)- GREAT FOOD, and if there was a slight chance that you did get lost all you have to do is ask one local where Putah Creek Cafe or The Buckhorn is and they could tell you.

adriennek
08-04-2006, 09:23 PM
Our family stayed at a hotel one block from the Solano Mall last week and took the exact route prescribed by MammaSilva. It was easy-cheesy.

Adrienne

Alex S.
08-04-2006, 09:28 PM
I wouldn't take 80 east to the 5 (I'm assuming that is what grundler means by taking 80 directly to 5) but if you're meeting at 1pm on Sunday I'd add my voice to the recommendation for taking the 12 to 5 option. I assumed it would be earlier on Sunday. By afternoon you run an increasingly significant chance of getting stuck in traffic at the 80/680 interchange due to weekend return traffic.

Osky
08-04-2006, 09:47 PM
I used to work for the company that owns Putah Creek Cafe (The Buckhorn)- GREAT FOOD
Mmmmmm, Buckhorn Tri-Tip!

Think I might ride out to the cafe tomorrow for a scone!

Osky
08-04-2006, 10:02 PM
I wouldn't take 80 east to the 5 (I'm assuming that is what grundler means by taking 80 directly to 5)

Why not? Traffic?

Alex S.
08-05-2006, 10:36 AM
Because unless traffic is bad on one of the more direct routes going 20 miles north before heading south doesn't make much sense to me.

Vacaville to Patterson (the first town on 5 after all routes converge) is:

96 miles if you take 12 to 5.
107 miles if you take 80/680/580 to 5.
130 miles if you go take 80 to Sacramento and 5.

Not huge differences but unless I knew traffic was bad I'd probably give preference to the shorter two (plus the negative psychological impact of knowing that you're going the wrong way for a while with the Sacramento route).

Osky
08-05-2006, 11:45 AM
96 miles if you take 12 to 5.
107 miles if you take 80/680/580 to 5.
130 miles if you go take 80 to Sacramento and 5.

Not huge differences but unless I knew traffic was bad I'd probably give preference to the shorter two (plus the negative psychological impact of knowing that you're going the wrong way for a while with the Sacramento route).

That's fair. Persoanlly, I would take the 130 mile route over the 107 mile route anyday. I would be willing to bet that it would be quicker 9 out of 10 times.

The 96 mile route is what I would take if I was leaving from Vacaville, but it seems to be about 50/50 if it will save you time or not. Lot more things to slow you down on 12.

MammaSilva
08-05-2006, 12:16 PM
I think what a lot of people have kind of missed is that the leaving from Vacaville was just a "pick a spot" choice ...he's coming from Marin, Fairfield is first for him, they're coming home from Cache Creek...it doesn't matter to them if they stop right after they come off of the 505 or if they drive an additional 10/12 miles before they stop and let his wife change cars. The women are heading home to Marin so it's not a matter of making them go out of their way to stop in Fairfield at the Mall (or In & Out which BTW is on that same exit) and then after grabbing a bite to eat for the Mrs. Bolivar, driving a few short miles to leave on the 12. I drive the 12 almost every trip to So Cal and in all my trips I've only had 2x where I had any significant delays. One was Fathers Day weekend when there is a HUGE crawdad festival in the Rio Vista area (not a problem next Sunday) and the second was a horrific automobile accident that took several lives in the middle of the night....that one ended up making everyone 'behind' the accident in both directions turn around and take alternative routes to get out to the 80 to get to wherever they were heading.

From the Mall to the entrance to I-5 isn't more than 55 miles (I know it's 45 from the exit off the 5 to my front door) The 12 is a two lane 'back way' highway with a strict 55 mph limit, yeah people do speed but it is patrolled fairly heavily and they have no sense of humor for speeders on that stretch. But considering the rest of the trip you're on 'high speed/highways' with little to no real scenery it's a nice start/finish to the ride for us.

tonytone
08-07-2006, 10:09 AM
Where will your wife be staying Saturday night...or to put it another way, where will she be Sunday before heading back to Vacaville (your initial suggestion about where to pick her up)? Were you considering Vacaville because that's where your wife will be staying overnight (you did mention that she would be going there Saturday night and wouldn't be back until Sunday afternoon, so I'm assuming that she's gonna catch a few winks somewhere at some point...not unless she's planning to stay at the casino or someplace nearby during the entire time (Sat. night until Sun. afternoon))?

This might be an oddball suggestion, but if she was planning on leaving from Cache Creek Sunday morning--maybe perhaps you could just drive there Sunday and pick her up, then from CC drive east on SR-16 past I-505 until you hit I-5. That may or may not result in a longer overally drive (relative to driving from Vacaville to DL), either time and/or distance-wise--but at least then you won't need to wait for her to show up in Vacaville or some place other than CC. Sure, you'd wind up driving a bit further to pick her up, but it's not that much further than going to Vacaville (if leaving from Marin)...but again, by picking her up at CC you'll save a bit of time that could perhaps be better used to your advantage--e.g., getting to Anaheim a bit earlier in the day rather than late at night.

Bolivar
08-07-2006, 11:18 AM
I have never been to Cache Creek, in fact I had never heard of it until she told me she was going, but isn't it another hour north? Wouldn't going all the way up there add two hours to the DL drive (an hour there and an hour back)?

So far I am liking the Solano Mall idea. My only concern is relying on a group of people to get out the door at a certain time when they aren't on a timetable. From that standpoint I might be better off driving up there. But there are cell phones, so I can stay in touch and see how she is doing on her timetable and adjust as needed. Maybe meet in Winters if she is running late, or if she is really late go all the way to Cache Creek.

Alex S.
08-07-2006, 12:42 PM
Yeah, the drive from Vacaville/Fairfield to Cache Creek casino is about an hour each way (almost all on minor roads). And if you are going to be coming from Marin County you would still have to drive through Vacaville/Fairfield to get there so it would definitely be duplicate driving.

Sounds like Solano Mall is the best compromise meeting point.