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kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 07:44 AM
I was planning on making the trip from Portland to Anaheim in one day, but....I may chicken out. Can anyone recommend a decent, cheap hotel that is right off I-5 somewhere near Sacramento? An hour North or South would be fine.
Thanks so much in advance!!!!:D

PJTinkerbell
02-26-2007, 08:06 AM
We haven't made that trip in awhile, so I can't recommend any by name for sure. However, we have found that Stockton is a good stopping point. We travel from the Portland area too and this makes the second day a short 6 hour drive. I think we stayed at a Super 8 there once, which was o.k., but then we stayed at two other ones. One down the street a bit, which may have been a Embassy Suites or something and once just right off the highway and it was a Best Western or something like that. We liked that one for convenience and price. The kids were excited because there is a Krispy Kreme right there too.

Lekta
02-26-2007, 08:18 AM
Come on, you can make it!! Just a few more hours! Leave a few hours earlier and imagine the great feeling of driving into the Disneyland area the same evening as you left! That is always what keeps my foot on the gas pedal, and we drive straight through from Portland at least once per year.

Have fun!

hbquikcomjamesl
02-26-2007, 08:38 AM
When I'm in Sacramento, I stay at the Vagabond. The one right across the street from the railroad station, on one side, and across from the Downtown Plaza Shopping Center on the other, and just the other side of I-5 from Old Sac.

SactoGuy
02-26-2007, 09:50 AM
Hey today is your lucky day. Right off the 5 there are like 5 hotels. You would take the J Street Exit. J Street is one way heading east and I Street and L Street will take you back to I 5. Um Do you want nice or somewhere to just sleep?

To just Sleep:

The Vagabond (on J Street to your left with a dennys in the parking lot)

The Holiday Inn (right off the free way on J Street, it would be on your right side, also its connected to a mall) pro-union (Hey I'm a staffer for a state Assemblymember can't help it!)

Then there are the nice places:

The Sheraton (if your a pro-union its the one of two pro-union hotels), on J and 12th (1230 J street) its probably one of the nicer hotels in the area.

The Hyatt, 11th and L its the next nicest hotel, if your an Arnold lover its where he lives in the pent house upstairs (non-union).

Across the way in Old sac (on the west side of the 5) there is the embassy suites also really nice! non union too. Which is on Capitol.

If you are wanting to eat... there are several good places downtown you can message me if you want on that stuff!

Good luck hope that helped!

tonytone
02-26-2007, 09:52 AM
I was planning on making the trip from Portland to Anaheim in one day, but....I may chicken out. Can anyone recommend a decent, cheap hotel that is right off I-5 somewhere near Sacramento? An hour North or South would be fine.
Thanks so much in advance!!!!:D
One that I know right off the bat--not that I've personally stayed there but I know about it since I live in the Sac metro area--is the Motel 6 right alongside I-5 just north of downtown Sacramento; there are also some other decent hotels not far off the I-5/I-80 junction (Traveller's Inn, Extended Stay America...or at least I think that's what they're called based on my best recollection). As far as whether these hotels are decent and/or cheap...that would be depend on whatever your subjective criteria may be. ;)

kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 09:54 AM
Come on, you can make it!! Just a few more hours! Leave a few hours earlier and imagine the great feeling of driving into the Disneyland area the same evening as you left! That is always what keeps my foot on the gas pedal, and we drive straight through from Portland at least once per year.

Have fun!

Heehee, don't get me wrong, I could do it in a heartbeat and enjoy every step knowing it puts me that much closer to Disneyland! But, the three y/o might just disagree;)

I was actually planning on leaving on a Tuesday evening and driving all night while the kids slept. But if I can find a Hotel that's cheap and EASY to get to right off I-5, I will leave right after school time on Tuesday, stop at the hotel, and then have a nice, fresh morning and a short drive on Wednesday. This way, I'll be wide awake and ready to enjoy that pure excitement of turning down Harbor:fez: !!!!!

kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 09:58 AM
As far as whether these hotels are decent and/or cheap...that would be depend on whatever your subjective criteria may be. ;)

Cheap = right about $75. max
Decent = Safe mainly, not far from a busy road. No back alley hotel with 4 rooms;)

kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 10:00 AM
Thanks so much SactoGuy!! That is fabulous info! Yeah, just a clean bed where we can flop, nothing fancy at all.

keyholder
02-26-2007, 11:17 AM
Consider one of the hotels at Santa Nella. We live on the Oregon coast and usually drive straight through to southern California. When we do stop we stay there at the Holiday Inn Express but there are several national chains to select from. Right on I-5 without dealing with a big city. Easy on/off, gas stations, food. Makes the first days drive a little longer for us(12 hours) but a short 6 hours to Orange County the next.

keyholder
02-26-2007, 11:24 AM
Just read that you would be leaving after school so Santa Nella might be pushing it. Not sure how long it would take from Portland. How about leaving at lunch? :)

kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 11:51 AM
Well, looking at Mapquest and timing it, I think Stockton would be great mileage wise for one evening. That will put us right past Sacramento and it looks like there are lots of Hotels to choose from there. Then it will just be a short, sunny jaunt on down the next morning.

I just need to find one that is as close to I-5 as can get, as I will surely get lost if I try and find anything too far from the freeway:confused:

msgmg68
02-26-2007, 12:15 PM
Well, looking at Mapquest and timing it, I think Stockton would be great mileage wise for one evening. That will put us right past Sacramento and it looks like there are lots of Hotels to choose from there. Then it will just be a short, sunny jaunt on down the next morning.

I just need to find one that is as close to I-5 as can get, as I will surely get lost if I try and find anything too far from the freeway:confused:

Hi! I live in Stockton and can tell you that you should stay at a hotel on MARCH LANE. The Residence Inn and the Marriott Courtyard are in the same parking area right off of I-5. My in-laws stay there when visiting from Boise. There are many restaurants in that area, so you won't have to travel far to eat.

Have a great time!

adriennek
02-26-2007, 12:24 PM
I was actually planning on leaving on a Tuesday evening and driving all night while the kids slept. But if I can find a Hotel that's cheap and EASY to get to right off I-5, I will leave right after school time on Tuesday, stop at the hotel, and then have a nice, fresh morning and a short drive on Wednesday. This way, I'll be wide awake and ready to enjoy that pure excitement of turning down Harbor:fez: !!!!!

Have you ever done this before or do you regularly work a night shift? Because unless your body is used to this kind of abuse, I wouldn't advocate this plan.

In 2004 we did one of these trips - a 12 hour drive to Salt Lake City. Fortunately, we didn't have a lot planned for our day in SLC - it was a stop over on our way to Montana. We met with a friend from the internet for lunch, shopped at Target, let the kids swim at the hotel. Let me tell you, we were ZOMBIES. We were in bed by 8 pm and no bed ever looked so good! I can't imagine driving all night and then taking the kids to Disneyland. :eek:

Unless you're planning a totally "wasted" day in Anaheim or your body is already used to that kind of schedule, I wouldn't advocate the overnight trick. If we had to drive back to Montana, I might do it again, but I would plan that day in between to be wasted.

Adrienne

bloomaroo
02-26-2007, 12:51 PM
Christmas vacation we stayed four nights at the Vagabond Inn, in Rancho Cordova. Its right off of Zinfendel. As a great bonus, a Lyon's Restaurant is right next door.

Easy freeway access.

Pat-n-Eil
02-26-2007, 01:00 PM
Christmas vacation we stayed four nights at the Vagabond Inn, in Rancho Cordova. Its right off of Zinfendel. As a great bonus, a Lyon's Restaurant is right next door.

Easy freeway access.

I think this would take them out of their way by making them go East on Hwy 50. If you want to stay near I-5 and you're only going to crash and go, consider the Days Inn on Jibboom Street. It's off I-5 near discovery park and it runs about $60.

Karen256
02-26-2007, 02:13 PM
Yeah, Rancho Cordova would be way out of your way.

There are a lot of hotels just north of downtown, but if you're planning on leaving in the morning on Wednesday you might want to consider morning traffic. You'd be fine once you get past downtown but I would just keep going and stay in Elk Grove/Laguna, that way you miss all the traffic. There are hotels right off both the Laguna Blvd and Elk Grove Blvd exits, but I'd go with Laguna because there is no entrance back onto I-5 South from Elk Grove Blvd. Although it's quite easy to get back to Laguna from there to get on I-5 South. Ok, I'm rambling now.

I don't think Stockton has too bad of a morning traffic jam, but if you could make it past there you'd be in even better shape for Wednesday morning.

ETA: The Extended Stay America was the one I was thinking off right off the Laguna exit. A quick travelocity search showed rates about $80 a night.

kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 03:44 PM
No, I am not used to staying up all night. I have done trips like this without too much trouble, but certainly a zombie the next day. If I do decide to drive all night, we will have the late afternoon and evening to relax at the hotel, no DL that day.

Preferrably though, I want to leave the Portland area right after school (about 3pm) and drive about 10 hours. Then we can all sleep in the next morning (Wednesday) and leave the Sacramento area about 9AM. My check in time at the Hotel in Anaheim isn't until 3pm, so that would put us there about the right time.

We drove all in one day in 2005, it took exactly 15 hours with 6 pit stops, so I think I have this planned out right. I just don't want to have to 'find' a hotel that's too far off the freeway.

kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 03:59 PM
Okay, how about the Vegabond Inn in Stockton??? Their website says they are right off the freeway and have continental breakfast, which will be nice for the kiddos! And it's pretty cheap too! Anyone stayed at this one or can confirm it's being close to I-5?

msgmg68
02-26-2007, 04:19 PM
Okay, how about the Vegabond Inn in Stockton??? Their website says they are right off the freeway and have continental breakfast, which will be nice for the kiddos! And it's pretty cheap too! Anyone stayed at this one or can confirm it's being close to I-5?


Yes, it is right off I-5 at the Hammer Lane Exit. You take a right when you come off the offramp and it is immediately on your right hand side.

jewls520
02-26-2007, 05:41 PM
The La Quinta in Stockton would be in your price range and includes breakfast and looks like it is right off I-5. You can look it up on tripadvisor.com and check it out or some of the other hotels in the area.

We are doing the same drive as you in June and are planning on staying at the Marriott's Springhill in Sacramento. It is about $125 a night with taxes and also includes breakfast. On marriott's web site if you sign up for a visa with them they give you a free night at one of their hotels and after first purchase enough points for another free night.

Hope this help and have a great trip.

Koukla
02-26-2007, 05:49 PM
The La Quinta in Stockton would be in your price range and includes breakfast and looks like it is right off I-5. You can look it up on tripadvisor.com and check it out or some of the other hotels in the area.

You just beat me to it. The La Quinta in Stockton was one I was going to suggest, too. I need to visit a client up there in the next few weeks and usually stay in La Quinta Inns b/c I prefer to take my dog w/me and there's no extra charge for pets. Plus their breakfasts aren't too bad.

tchatters
02-26-2007, 07:16 PM
A nicer, safer and just off I-5 place is the brand new Holiday Inn Express at Del Paso Rd. It's called Sacramento Airport Natomas. The rate is around $120 a night, sometimes less on Travelocity.

There's also a Hilton Garden Inn at the next exit. The rates are between $81 and $160 depending on day of the week and business.

Personally, living in Sacramento, I'd never recommend to anyone that they stay off Richards Blvd- which is where some of the cheap hotels will pop up. And Rancho Cordova is pretty far out of your way from I-5 depending on traffic, you'll lose anywhere from 25 to 50 minutes driving int he morning.

Realistically, having made the drive from Sacramento to Portland about 40 times in college, and the drive from Sacramento to LA a ton too- unless you can guarantee you won't hit LA anytime between 2pm and 8pm, you'll be exhausted from all the traffic!

kimbopotamus
02-26-2007, 09:22 PM
unless you can guarantee you won't hit LA anytime between 2pm and 8pm, you'll be exhausted from all the traffic!

So in other words, I should plan on being past LA by 2:00pm? So I should probably head out of the Sacramento area by no later than 8AM or so? Would that give me enough time to make it through LA before the heavy traffic?

I drive around Portland all the time, so I know exactly what times to STEER CLEAR of those horrendous peak hours around here, hehehe!

Karen256
02-27-2007, 08:06 AM
I think you'd want to leave Sacramento or Stockton by 8 am at the latest. We usually leave our house (south sac) very early, like 5 am, and we get to DL by noon. We usually stop somewhere before the grapevine for breakfast/gas. We leave that early specifically to try to avoid traffic in LA later in the afternoon.