Driving to see Blu

For those of you wondering about my ‘commute’ to see Blu I’ve got the route pretty well set.  I’ve got plenty of options and some depend on what vehicle I’m driving.  I could take I-80 down to 680, but I do that route to the Bay Area often enough that I HATE it and will avoid it at all costs.  I can take I-5 to 205 to 580 to 680 to 101 but the roads are bumpy as all get out and if I’m in the truck with the camper I am driving much slower than the speed limit and in the slow lanes the bumps are even worse.  That alone makes me skip that route.

I can take I-5 to 33 in Santa Nella but I-5 to Stockton is quite bumpy too.

So I’ve determined that my best route is to take Hwy 99 to Hwy 4 to I-5 down to Hwy 33.  From there I take 152 to 156 to 101.  It isn’t as confusing as it may sound and it’s fairly scenic (as opposed to the drive through the Bay that is just houses/businesses).

And Google Maps says it is only 6 minutes longer than if I take their recommended I-80 to 680 route.  In real life it’s about 10 minutes longer – I’ve timed them both.  Hwy 99 is much less bumpy through to Stockton, and I am getting to know the horses housed along I-5 even.  There are some distinctive ones and I try to say “hi” along the way!

Here's a mare and foal I'm watching every trip - if you zoom in you'll see the foal is nursing 

Here they are again

All in all, in the MINI it takes me just under 3 hours to get to Todd’s from my house, including stops for gas.  In the truck and camper it’s closer to 4 hours, but then if I’ve got the camper it’s because I’m staying the night.  It works for me.

I guess it’s a good thing I like driving.  And knowing that I've got a great horse waiting for me makes the drive worth it.