Road trip I-5, need hotel recommendation

I%26#39;m going to be driving from Oregon to Arizona and need recommendations for a decent hotel (clean, safe, but low-priced, maybe around $80), I%26#39;m guessing somewhere between Stockton and L.A. (probably closer to L.A.) for a one-night stay.

Suggestions?? Thanks!

Road trip I-5, need hotel recommendation

that%26#39;s one heck of a first day drive. But since you suggested that you want to be closer to the south end of the central valley, how about Buttonwillow. Lots of chain motels and chain restaurants, all pretty cheap because they%26#39;re in the middle of nowhere. After that you will have some exhausting driving to do as you suddenly enter the mountains north of LA. You may want to stop further north to split the drive in two. Keep in mind that I-5 south of Stockton was built to shorten the drive between SF and LA, not to connect any towns or cities along the way. Rates in Buttonwillow should run $50.

Road trip I-5, need hotel recommendation

I agree, with one stop, this will be a couple of very long days behind the windshield. I-5 is easy, but can also be hypnotic in places. Some people have a better tolerance for it. but it%26#39;s a challenge for me.

Even if you did make Buttonwillow, that%26#39;s about a 750-mile day and you still have over 600 miles just to Flagstaff. You didn%26#39;t give your exact destination, and Arizona is a big state.

However, unless your destination is far south in Arizona, I wouldn%26#39;t stay on I-5 as far as Buttonwillow. I%26#39;d have you turn off for Bakersfield and catch I-40 at Barstow.

Frome Eugene to Sacramento is close to 500 miles; Sacramento-Bakersfield about 300; Bakersfield-Barstow a shade under 150; Barstow-Flagstaff about 360 with Kingman a little over halfway between them.

Thanks for the input and help. We are going to Phoenix, actually, for spring training YAY!!! Pretty much all the mapping sites have drawn the route going down I-5 to about San Bernardino and then onto I-10 to Phoenix. Would the Bakersfield ';back way'; be good for our destination?

We have driven I-5 for long road trips before, so it%26#39;s not as bad as it sounds. Most every place is a long drive from Eugene. We used to live in the Bay Area and frequently drove from San Jose to Eugene in one shot, and had a Disneyland trip that we drove in one day, so the long distance won%26#39;t be too hard on us.

The main thing is wanting to stay at a decent and reasonably priced place along the way. We%26#39;ve been out in that ';no man%26#39;s land'; with no idea where or how far the next good motel would be, so I really want to be prepared this time.

Thanks again! :)

You%26#39;re never really that far from a hotel on I-5, although the hotels may not have much around them other than a few gas stations and a few fast food places.

Yes, take the back way through Bakersfield. I used to go to Palm Springs a lot when I had relatives down there, and learned that rather than go through LA, it was much faster to take Highway 58 through Bakersfield and Mojave to Highway 395, and then take 395 south to I-15 to I-10.

Buttonwillow or Bakersfield seem like good places to stay, although as others have said, that%26#39;s an awfully long drive from Eugene if you try to do it in one day. If you want to take the back route through Bakersfield, it might not be a bad idea if you cut over to Highway 99 around Sacramento, and then find a hotel in the Fresno area.

OK, since you%26#39;re going all the way to Phoenix, don%26#39;t bother with Bakersfield and I-40, stick with I-10. That works for northern AZ but adds a few miles for Phoenix.

Most interchanges along I-5 have a variety of lodgings in all price ranges. Red Bluff, Williams, WIllows, Dunnigan, Sacramento, Manteca, Patterson, Santa Nella, Coalinga Junction, Lost Hills, and Castaic all have decent selections: Motel 6, Econolodge, Super 8, Comfort Inn, Best Western, etc. Most of them aren%26#39;t the lap of luxury but are fine for an overnight stop. One exception is Harris Ranch at Coalinga Junction, which is more upscale than a typical highway motel. Some minor interchanges or exits for small settlements (e.g. Gorman or Lebec) have fewer choices.

Personally, I stay at Motel 6s a lot on main highways. Motel 6s in cities often attract a, well, less cultured clientele, but I don%26#39;t find that true on the highways. I%26#39;ve found those at interchanges to be clean and well maintained, if very bare-bones. The locations I mentioned also have a variety of restaurants. They work fine for me since I%26#39;m only looking for the basics. Best Western or Ramada would be a step up.

Since you%26#39;re just passing through, I would stay at a motel on the open road rather than going into Sacramento, Stockton, or any city, to avoid the traffic.

Hee hee, looks like two opinions on going through Bakersfield. The mileage isn%26#39;t that different (maybe 30 miles or so in the overall scheme). And to tell the truth, the route through Bakersfield and Barstow is more rural and quiet, with grand desert panoramas. I-10 in a main urban route for the metro Los Angeles-San Bernardino area.

So--toss a coin. :D

I didn%26#39;t want to route them through Barstow. I just wanted them to catch I-10 via San Bernardino. I stopped taking I-10 through LA because there was always got stuck in traffic, even if it was 10 PM on a Friday night.

Oops, bad grammar again.

If you decide to take I-5 south into LA to get I-10, please don%26#39;t go directly from I-5 to I-10. Trust me, you will hate-hate-hate it. Rather, take I-5 south to I-210 east. The 210 meets I-10 just east of San Bernardino. Not only is the eastern stretch of the 210 California%26#39;s newest freeway, it%26#39;s also less congested than the painful experience that is I-10. Good luck!

Thanks, everyone, for all the help--it%26#39;s really appreciated! A lot of information to think about and investigate further.... which I will do!

uk hosting