North County San Diego to Mount Shasta Thanksgiving - Best Time to Drive? (Riverside: to live, airport)

[bestcoast84]

Hi there,

Planning a trip and looking for some advice regarding when to leave for Thanksgiving holiday from Oceanside (North San Diego) to Mt. Shasta, CA. I have zero interest in joining the traffic train.

The original plan was to:

• Leave Oceanside at 1:30pm (can't leave earlier) on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving.

• Take the 15/215 through Temecula/Riverside/San Bernadino into Victorville/Hesperia which we would proceed onto 395.

• Drive for 10 hours until we get to Susanville, sleep

• Continue the next morning for 2 hours to Mt Shasta


The problem with this plan is I don't know how congested things will be before we get to the 395 "safe zone". We wouldn't get to Riverside until at least 3pm, which I feel traffic could be terrible by then?

Not sure if we would just make it by, as I know traffic is at it's worst from 3-5pm on this Holiday, and supposedly many leave L.A. for Vegas for Thanksgiving.

Also, chances of getting snowed in this time of year on the 395?


The second option is to:

• Get some solid sleep

• Wait until evening on Wednesday, after the madness and depart Oceanside say... 10PM.

• Take the 5 instead, straight shot all the way - miserable 10 hours overnight.

The only problem I have with this idea is driving all night sucks, plus the amount of drunk drivers since this is a night when people get hammered.. but are they on the roads?


It does seem the second plan is probably the better choice, but would like some feedback / opinions. Thanks!

[sav858]

Go with the second option and drive through the middle of the night. It took me almost 13 hours to drive from San Diego to the Bay Area on the Wed before Thanksgiving one year. Probably by far the worst day of the year to do that drive imo.

[bestcoast84]

Originally Posted by sav858

Go with the second option and drive through the middle of the night. It took me almost 13 hours to drive from San Diego to the Bay Area on the Wed before Thanksgiving one year. Probably by far the worst day of the year to do that drive imo.

Thanks Sav. Do you remember what time you had left?

[sav858]

I left the UCSD area around 1230p if I recall.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Oh man, do you have to drive? It would take me hours to just get from Davis to the SF Bay Area with parking lot traffic if I left mid day on the Wed before Thanksgiving.

It will be better in the middle of the night for sure. That turkey better be good.

[bestcoast84]

Originally Posted by NoMoreSnowForMe

Oh man, do you have to drive? It would take me hours to just get from Davis to the SF Bay Area with parking lot traffic if I left mid day on the Wed before Thanksgiving.

It will be better in the middle of the night for sure. That turkey better be good.

Haha well it's either driving, or spending $800 in airfare just to get to Northern California in addition to airport madness... pick your poison!

But seriously, I think most are going to assume my post is about driving the 5 during these hours - which is not part of the plan at all. The 395 was the route I assumed to be mellow during the afternoon, however that stretch through Riverside before reaching the 395 was still a worry.

The turkey... well, hoping there is some up there! No dinner plans, no family, we just love the area!!

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

I used to live near where you do, & we often made that haul. I think you would be better off going up the 15 to 395, but do 15 in the middle of the night. Thanksgiving is the worst time to be on the road, seems like everyone is out there, but if you can avoid the exodus that will be on the 15 heading to Vegas, the 395 will be quickest/least stressful. Seriously, avoid 5 going through OC, LA, etc.

[bestcoast84]

Originally Posted by TurquoiseOne

I used to live near where you do, & we often made that haul. I think you would be better off going up the 15 to 395, but do 15 in the middle of the night. Thanksgiving is the worst time to be on the road, seems like everyone is out there, but if you can avoid the exodus that will be on the 15 heading to Vegas, the 395 will be quickest/least stressful. Seriously, avoid 5 going through OC, LA, etc.

Nice to see someone who is familiar with both routes. So you are saying do the 15/395 at night as opposed to the 5 at night?

[MarciaMarshaMarcia]

Yes, definitely, just be sure to gas up before you get too far up the 395, say in Adelanto or at the very farthest, Kramer Junction.

The only time we ever went up the 5 on Thanksgiving weekend was specifically to visit family that lived right in the Bay Area & it was always bumper-to-bumper nearly all the way, even through the Central Valley. Really bad.

[bestcoast84]

Originally Posted by TurquoiseOne

Yes, definitely, just be sure to gas up before you get too far up the 395, say in Adelanto or at the very farthest, Kramer Junction.

The only time we ever went up the 5 on Thanksgiving weekend was specifically to visit family that lived right in the Bay Area & it was always bumper-to-bumper nearly all the way, even through the Central Valley. Really bad.

You think there would be issues with traffic on the 5 at night too? (leaving 10pm or later)..