Herald CA to Flagstaff AZ

[NW Cat Owner]

I'll be heading south on 99 and was thinking I could make Barstow CA the first day. Not going to be sightseeing along the way.

Googlemaps says 6 hours, which of course I know isn't accurate when pulling a trailer.

However, I do not know that route at all so I don't know if reaching Barstow is reasonable or not. Same with reaching Flagstaff the following day (via 40).

I know I'll be doing some climbing, elevation wise. Fortunately the Tundra pulls the trailer very nicely (if the climb through the Siskiyous by Mt Shasta is any indication). But I still won't be hauling butt to get there.

And I also remember that the speed limit for 3 axles or more in CA is 55 (least it was on 5), so I need to take that into consideration.

If I need 2 nights along that route, any suggestions on best places to stay for the night? How are the Wal-Marts along that route?

Thanks again folks!

[Arthur John]

I just drove a good portion of that route in February on my way to Quartzsite. I ended up driving to Red Rock Canyon State Park for an overnight stay. It is located approximately 25 miles north of Mojave. It was a nice campground with a lot of pull thru sites (not at all crowded - maybe 15% occupied at that time) with about 50 sites pretty well spread out. $25 for the night, $23 for seniors. But there are no hook ups. There's a nice YouTube video of the campground by Love Your RV I believe.

I don't think you'll have any problem making it from Herald to Barstow in about 7 hours, in my opinion. As far as driving speed goes, I usually stay at about 59 to 62 MPH while on 99 and will still get passed up by an occasional big rig. By the way, Highway 99 has seen a lot of stretches of road improvements over the last decade so it's a decent drive down that highway. Have fun!

Art

[cpaharley2008]

I routinely make the trip in reverse when we go from Pennsylvania to Kingsburg, Ca every other year, and then head up to Osoyoos. After Amarillo, Tx, we make it to Flagstaff, Az and stop. Next day we are in Barstow by lunch and heading up 99 to Kingsburg and arrive in afternoon. I really enjoy coming down the Tehachapi Loop from the mountains to the desert and watching the trains climbing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kP2zk_gF7-k

[h2owmn]

Arthur John is right. If you stay at 55 you may get run over. Almost nobody in California (not truckers, trailers, etc) obeys that rule.

And yes, 99 is nice now. And the truckers are really aware of trailers, way more than other cars. They will frequently signal when I'm clear to move back into the slow lane. Or blink lights in thank you if I get out of their way.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

I routinely make the trip in reverse when we go from Pennsylvania to Kingsburg, Ca every other year, and then head up to Osoyoos. After Amarillo, Tx, we make it to Flagstaff, Az and stop. Next day we are in Barstow by lunch and heading up 99 to Kingsburg and arrive in afternoon.

Um, yeah, Jim, but aren't you the fellow that drives and drives and drives for hours on end? I don't!