Beautiful Freeways

I think I have been on the Merritt Parkway a few times. I remember it is largely stop and go except at 11pm. But I do think there is something pleasurable about being surrounded by trees even in traffic congestion.

Welcome to the boonies! I’ve been through there recently back in July with my dad on CA-14, CA-178 (Inyokern Rd!), US-395 (China Lake Blvd! Loved being near the Naval Weapons Station and the Ridgecrest Holiday Inn we stayed at down there!), and of course CA-155 (great until you get into 7 to 12 miles of Onyx, Squirrel Valley and Sageland with NO CELL SERVICE, Southlake with 754 people and a bowling alley with booze and yes- Christina’s Thrift Store that looked like an old service center that was also up there with just an RV next to a large plot of land!) just for a road trip out into the depths of the Mojave Desert in Ridgecrest then to mostly go to Lake Isabella with a tiny bit of Kernville and Johnsonville along the way. All were completely beautiful and wonderful up there, except for when we got to CA-99 right past Kernville- that road is A BEAR to drive on with NO GUARDRAILS, LOTS of curves and to make matters worse- it’s barley maintained and mostly in the hands of the US NPS up there that only ever does anything if it’s an absolute emergency. Only a small patch of asphalt and just a barley painted strip of double yellow lines gets you through there. I even told my dad when he was driving that if I ever had to drive those for once- NOPE!!! I WOULD AVOID THEM IF I TRIED!!! Same with CA-54 going in and out of Bakersfield- another bear just like CA-99.

If I had to pick favorite freeways though, it would be those up there but I also like CA-118 aka the Ronald Regan Freeway going up into Simi Valley, SR-2 being the Angeles Crest Freeway going behind DTLA, the end of I-605 going into the San Gabriel Mountains near Irwindale (also my exit down there being 5A for Del Amo Blvd. going into Lakewood!) and even parts of I-15 and I-215 being really scenic near Lake Elsinore, Temecula and Murrieta. I honestly think it’ll continue to grow till I lose track just like you Rob!

And yes to the boonies for the other places I forgot- Dollar General (didn’t go in there thankfully but passed by 2 of them!), Pony Espresso (best coffee and ice cream apparently in Ridgecrest that my dad had for an iced latte!), 2 BKs (Lancaster’s slightly dumpy one next to super yummy Sugary Donuts that is JUST AS GOOD as Simone’s in Long Beach and of course Lake Isabella’s much nicer one next to Vons!), an older Denny’s in Ridgecrest late night where I can barley hit my head on the side of the building and THE BEST of them all- Classic Burgers of Inyokern!!!

It’s also one fact why I’m starting to become more of a boonie folk now instead of a city folk that I once am. I still like being in this part of SoCal near the LA area, but it is one thing I’m starting to consider if I want to actually move out there- wether Kern, Mono, Inyo or Tulare counties. I would so join you Rob if I were you!