California - Hotel/motel on I-5 between SF and LA

I'm looking for something midway, preferably somewhere where I can earn
(1)Starpoints (impossible)
(2)HHonors (too far off the path)
(3)Priority Club (probably too far north/south or off the highway)
(4)Best Western (the most likely)
But if there aren't points, that is ok if the place is decent (i.e., clean and hopefully HSIA).

Nothing more than a couple miles off I-5. Santa Nella is too far north (but seems to have the most options). Something better than Motel 5. Somewhere near the midway point would be lovely. Other than stopping to buy a beverage, or stopping to leave off a beverage, I really haven't stopped nor paid much attention to my surroundings on that route.

Thanks!

You know, driving US-101 from East Bay to LA adds only roughly 40 miles, and offers a plethora of options for decent midpoint hotels between Paso Robles and Pismo Beach.

HH: Embassy Suites San Luis Obispo
Hampton Inn & Suites Paso Robles
Hampton Inn & Suites Arroyo Grande

PC: 4 Holiday Inn Expresses (some w/ suites)

BW: 6 Best Westerns

Additionally, if the trip is before mid-March, you guarantee that you won't hit either Tule fog or a weather closure over the Grapevine.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As for I-5

There's a Best Western at the Kettleman City off-ramp, which if the wind is wrong stinks of the stockyard over the hill from it...

You know, driving US-101 from East Bay to LA adds only roughly 40 miles, and offers a plethora of options for decent midpoint hotels between Paso Robles and Pismo Beach.


Thanks - I'm familiar with 101. I need I-5 recommendations. Those 40 miles will add 2 hours. I just need a clean bed without fleas. Points would be an added bonus.

Those 40 miles will add 2 hours.

????

What are you driving that only goes 20 MPH? (...that's still freeway legal...)

Or is this you way of saying that you intend to *really* exceed the speed limits? :rolleyes: :cool: :D

How about the area around Avenal or Kettleman City? There's a Super 8 and BW in Kettleman City, as well as the Avenal Hotel in Avenal. I haven't stayed at any of them but they all have decent reviews on Yahoo Travel and Tripadvisor.

What are you driving that only goes 20 MPH? (...that's still freeway legal...)

EastBay1K is right, the 101 generally takes substantially longer than the 5, even if the asphalt is only 40 miles longer. 2 hours sounds about right to me.

Taking the smell into consideration is very wise. Kettleman City is a good call if it doesn't smell of cows at the time, and I've always treated Kettleman City as the unofficial halfway point anyway. I can't vouch for either the Super 8 or the BW, but the area has food and is generally convenient.

While you're at it, grab a steak at Harris Ranch, a few miles north on the 5. The place is supposedly so good for steak (I have yet to eat there), people fly planes up from LA to land on the little runway right behind the restaurant to eat there. (There's also a Best Western at Harris Ranch, fwiw, out there all by itself.)

Naw, I tried it and the Harris Ranch restaurant is, like everything else along that stretch of I5, a ripoff. The motel was for the longest ime the only non-budget motel option along the whole stretch but I haven't stayed there in quite some time, so it may not have aged gracefully.

I think you're out of luck for a decent place to stay.

And I just did 101 as an alternative to I5, definitely adds the time noted and tends to be more stressful too, although prettier.

Shortest added distance for major chain points opportunities is to head east to Bakersfield, I think, but by then you might as well drive up the Grapevine to Valencia.

IIRC, the two "main" stops on 1-5 between the Bay Area and SoCal are Santa Nella to the north and Kettleman City to the south. The other stops in between don't get better than the Motel 6 class.

And I just did 101 as an alternative to I5, definitely adds the time noted and tends to be more stressful too, although prettier.

Shortest added distance for major chain points opportunities is to head east to Bakersfield, I think, but by then you might as well drive up the Grapevine to Valencia.

At 10pm, I'm sure 101 would be beautiful! Looks like I'll do a BW somewhere and add to my "I earn enough for 1 free night every 10 years" balance!

IMHO, it is best to just get to your destination and not stay in the Central Valley. Lots of nice hotels in suburbs of L.A. and S.F.

But, if you must, I'd try for dinner at the Wool Growers in Los Banos (great Basque family style place) and stay at one of the several okay economy motels there. Motel 6 etc.

LB is only a few miles off I5.

IMHO, it is best to just get to your destination and not stay in the Central Valley. Lots of nice hotels in suburbs of L.A. and S.F.


Ordinarily I'd just go to where I'm going in LA. But this time, I won't be able to leave home until no earlier than 7pm (after a long day), don't want to be driving until after 1am, bed no earlier than about 2, and have to be all refreshed for an afternoon event. And although I've spent 45 years in California, I have never stopped to sleep nor paid much attention to the surroundings on I-5.

You could try the 99 and stop in Fresno for the night. We have an okay 4 pts Sheraton. It takes me about 3-3.5 hrs from 405 at 101 to FAT.

Ordinarily I'd just go to where I'm going in LA. But this time, I won't be able to leave home until no earlier than 7pm (after a long day), don't want to be driving until after 1am, bed no earlier than about 2, and have to be all refreshed for an afternoon event.

When I'm in that kind of situation I usually stay in Buttonwillow at the Super 8.
It's no Starwood but it fits the bill as a place to grab 7 hours and a shower.

When I'm in that kind of situation I usually stay in Buttonwillow at the Super 8.
It's no Starwood but it fits the bill as a place to grab 7 hours and a shower.

When I do this drive, I generally stop in Buttonwillow - but it might be too close to L.A. for the OP. For me, it's the half-way point, but I'm normally headed to San Diego from Silicon Valley when I do this drive. Buttonwillow has nothing luxurious, but all of the motels and gas stations are quite inexpensive - much cheaper than Kettleman City, for example.

Incidentally, the 101 route DOES take a couple of hours longer. I generally do it in one direction as the scenic route, and do some wine touring in either Santa Ynez or Paso Robles as a diversion on the way. Then, coming back, I just power drive the I-5 route. It's even possible - heaven forgive me - that I might violate the speed limits on the I-5 if there's no tule fog.

It's even possible - heaven forgive me - that I might violate the speed limits on the I-5 if there's no tule fog.

I'd be shocked if you didn't! If you obeyed the 70mph speed limit, you'd be run over. On a drive south in 2005, I had cruise control set at 95 in the middle lane and never had to move out of that lane to overtake anyone (and only overtook the trucks doing about 75 in the right lane)--and was continually passed by people going at least 5 mph faster than me in the left lane... ;)

I'd be shocked if you didn't! If you obeyed the 70mph speed limit, you'd be run over. On a drive south in 2005, I had cruise control set at 95 in the middle lane and never had to move out of that lane to overtake anyone (and only overtook the trucks doing about 75 in the right lane)--and was continually passed by people going at least 5 mph faster than me in the left lane... ;)

Seeing how most of the highway is only 2 lanes, I wonder, just wonder, about how you were really driving. :eek::D

Seeing how most of the highway is only 2 lanes, I wonder, just wonder, about how you were really driving. :eek::D
Well, this was 2005, and since most of my family (and my original hometown) is along the Central Coast, I usually take 101 and so am less familiar with the 5. I guess my memory of the highway layout has faded.

So, in that case, I was doing 95 in the right lane, rarely encountered anything to pass (except for the trucks), and was constantly being passed by people in the left lane doing 100+. :p

BTW, it was on that trip that I discovered the Chrysler 300 Limited governs out at 115... ;)

Take a look at this thread before you start driving over the limit these days.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/california/993813-watch-your-speed-i-5-sf-la.html

Things have changed. Arnie needs cash. @:-)

Take a look at this thread before you start driving over the limit these days.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/california/993813-watch-your-speed-i-5-sf-la.html

Things have changed. Arnie needs cash. @:-)
I know; I'm disappointed. :(

Though if you look, I did post in the thread you linked to... ;)

I'd say start going and you'll notice something.. That's how I always do it - I drove to LA from SF 9 during last 4 months, and always played it by that rule. There are a couple of Petro stops along the way - Petro's a chain of gas stations, restaurants and hotels, and is generally considered a truck stop - I always see a lot of big rigs there. There are at least two of them.
Also, there's a hotel right on the side of 152 hwy(which goes from 101 to I-5), which is not more than 10 miles of I5.
Also, I did notice a couple of places advertise 21.99$/night, though I never stopped to check any of those.
Also, you might want to consider going without stops: I did it last time on 24th of December: I had to catch an afternoon Su flight from LAX, and as the tickets were almost 300$ea, and there were three of us, we just got a car from local Hertz.
If you leave the area at 7.00AM, you'll be in LA at 1PM(provided you stop twice to refuel and/or eat). it's a 6-hour ride, give or take.
Also, never had any trouble with CHP's: the limit's 70, I drive 77-78 depending on the vehicle(77 on the HD truck, 78 on the 'stang) - not a single problem at all.