Driving San Francisco to San Pedro

I live in the SF Bay Area and will be working the day before departure from San Pedro. If I leave before midnight(driving) the nite before, will I make embarkation or am I pushing it? Thanks in Advance:)

I live in the SF Bay Area and will be working the day before departure from San Pedro. If I leave before midnight(driving) the nite before, will I make embarkation or am I pushing it? Thanks in Advance:)

Since the drive is only slightly over 400 miles, barring the foreseen, you should be in San Pedro before 6 AM.:)

When is your cruise?

Taking the 5?

Should be fine unless your going in winter when the Grapevine closes due to snow.

Rush hour starts before 6am.

If you have a smartphone there are several traffic apps.

Taking I-5. Cruise is still a while away. Next January. Im just excited.:) Leaving Bay Area around 10pm so planning to be there before 6am.

So what happens if it is snowing? Sometimes the I-5 gets snowed in around the grapevine.

January?

Take the 101 or check the weather carefully.

The Grapevine closes during snowfall. CHP might run caravans but that's very slow going.

Only if you're far enough north can you go west from the 5 without getting into lots of trouble.

Friend got stuck on a bus overnight near Fort Tejon.

January?

Take the 101 or check the weather carefully.

The Grapevine closes during snowfall. CHP might run caravans but that's very slow going.

Only if you're far enough north can you go west from the 5 without getting into lots of trouble.

 

Friend got stuck on a bus overnight near Fort Tejon.

If they monitor the weather they can cut over at Kettlemen City on the 41 to Paso Robles if there is snow on the Grapevine. Kettlemen City is 100 miles north of Lebec.

Doesn't the ship depart around 4pm?

Since this cruise is so far off ... why not watch for a good price on a flight to Long Beach and fly in the morning of. Arrive rested and ready for a good time, instead of starting your cruise tired and grumpy.

Doesn't the ship depart around 4pm?

 

Since this cruise is so far off ... why not watch for a good price on a flight to Long Beach and fly in the morning of. Arrive rested and ready for a good time, instead of starting your cruise tired and grumpy.

Thanks for the suggestion. But I'll be transporting a mobility scooter and I don't really trust the airport with the handling and transport of it. And there's no way I'll be arriving grumpy. :-) I'm sure I'll b smiling the whole drive down. And probably on pure adrenaline!;) I'll have plenty of time to recover my sleep when I get on board.

Thanks for the suggestion. But I'll be transporting a mobility scooter and I don't really trust the airport with the handling and transport of it. And there's no way I'll be arriving grumpy. :-) I'm sure I'll b smiling the whole drive down. And probably on pure adrenaline!;) I'll have plenty of time to recover my sleep when I get on board.

In a couple of weeks we are driving the same route, but the day before and staying over in Long Beach. I did consider driving on the same day, but thought it was a bit risky. However since you are leaving at 10pm, I think you will be fine. Just watch the weather closely and have an alternative route if it snows on the Grapevine. As you know we had so little snow this year the ski resorts in Tahoe are already closing.

In a couple of weeks we are driving the same route, but the day before and staying over in Long Beach. I did consider driving on the same day, but thought it was a bit risky. However since you are leaving at 10pm, I think you will be fine. Just watch the weather closely and have an alternative route if it snows on the Grapevine. As you know we had so little snow this year the ski resorts in Tahoe are already closing.

Thanks for the the comment. I've done the day before arrival in the past but that was before I was transporting my own mobility scooter. I'll take everyones advice and have a backup route just in case.;)

I live in the SF Bay Area and will be working the day before departure from San Pedro. If I leave before midnight(driving) the nite before, will I make embarkation or am I pushing it? Thanks in Advance:)

You will get there...absent snow, of course...but you will be dead tired to start your cruise...

What time do you get off work the day before?

Here is what I would do:

Assuming my work day ends around 5:00 pm, I would have everything packed and in the car before I went to work...I'd get home and IMMEDIATELY turn around and get on the road...even if it meant a little rush hour traffic leaving the Bay Area...

I would also first check weather reports for possible snow in the Gorman area...

If no snow, I would plan on the 5...If there are reports of likely snow, I'd switch to the 101...

If the 5 is clear, it should only take about 6 hours, more or less, absent Bay area traffic...So, conceivably, I could be in San Pedro by midnight...

But I wouldn't necessarily push it...no hotel reservation...

I would grab some sort of take-out food to eat on the road and drive only as long as I was comfortable...Around 4 hours should get you to about Bakersfield, 5 hours to Santa Clarita...

When I start getting tired, I would look for a hotel...figuring, even with traffic on the way out, safe to guess on Santa Clarita by midnight...There are lots of cell phone apps that can find local hotel availability, so I'd find one and just stop and spend the night...

Get a good night's sleep and get back on the road after breakfast...From Santa Clarita (about 5 hours from San Francisco) to the port should only take about an hour to an hour and a half...So, getting back on the road by 10:00 am would still get you to the ship fairly early...and better rested than driving all night...

Even if you called it quits on that first nights driving in the Bakersfield area...Say Buttonwillow (on the 5 near Bakersfield...and only 4 hours from San Francisco), you'll only need to drive about two and a half hours in the morning, so if you got back on the road by 9:00 am, you'll still be at the pier by 11:30...

So, rather than driving from 10:00 pm until about 4:00 or 5:00 am, then napping in your car with nowhere to go and boarding the cruise a mental wreck, you split it up into about 4 hours of driving...maybe 5 if traffic...between 6:00 and 10 or 11, then a good night's sleep and a short two and a half hour drive, well rested, in the morning, arriving at the pier in still plenty of time!

And there's no way I'll be arriving grumpy. :-) I'm sure I'll b smiling the whole drive down. And probably on pure adrenaline!;) I'll have plenty of time to recover my sleep when I get on board.

But the reality is .... if you drive all night, you WILL arrive tired and grumpy.

What time do you get off work and what time does the ship depart?

Provide that information so that people can provide realistic options.

Why over complicate this?:confused::confused::confused::confused:

If you want to leave at 10pm just drive a couple hours and stop around midnight. Grab a hotel, get a good nights sleep and head out about 7-8 the next morning and you are still going to be there by 12-1pm and be well rested.

Why over complicate this?:confused::confused::confused::confused:

 

If you want to leave at 10pm just drive a couple hours and stop around midnight. Grab a hotel, get a good nights sleep and head out about 7-8 the next morning and you are still going to be there by 12-1pm and be well rested.

The only reason it's complicated is because we don't have any details. We don't when the OP is able to leave SFO and we don't know when he/she needs to be on board. Therefore people are providing a myriad of answers without knowing what time frame they have to work with.

But the reality is .... if you drive all night, you WILL arrive tired and grumpy.

 

 

 

What time do you get off work and what time does the ship depart?

 

Provide that information so that people can provide realistic options.

Last I checked you don't even know me so how do you know what condition or mood I'm going to be in when I arrive at port? Secondly, it's none of your business what time I get off of work. What are you a stalker? I already said in the original post I'm leaving at midnight, don't worry what time I get off of work.

Why over complicate this?:confused::confused::confused::confused:

 

If you want to leave at 10pm just drive a couple hours and stop around midnight. Grab a hotel, get a good nights sleep and head out about 7-8 the next morning and you are still going to be there by 12-1pm and be well rested.

Thanks TruckerD. I wasn't trying to make it complicated. I simply just wanted to know if I left the Bay area before midnight, would I be ok. From all the helpful input I've been able to gather here(thanks to all the wonderful posters) I will take the I-5, keep tabs on the weather report, and have a backup route just in case. If I get tired which I highly doubt with all the anticipation and excitement about to occur, I still have 2 backup drivers in my party. Not to mention that I LOVE road trips!;) It means that I'm going somewhere:)

Nevermind

Last I checked you don't even know me so how do you know what condition or mood I'm going to be in when I arrive at port? Secondly, it's none of your business what time I get off of work. What are you a stalker? I already said in the original post I'm leaving at midnight, don't worry what time I get off of work.

geez, sounds like you're already grumpy !

You asked for help, and I was trying to clarify the time frame since the responses were all over the place.

I WAS trying to be helpful .... but certainly not anymore.

geez, sounds like you're already grumpy !

 

You asked for help, and I was trying to clarify the time frame since the responses were all over the place.

 

I WAS trying to be helpful .... but certainly not anymore.

Thanks for your attempt to be helpful. I just didn't take it too kind you telling me how I WILL arrive and what my mood is going to be. I apologize if I came off a little too strong.

Thanks for your attempt to be helpful. I just didn't take it too kind you telling me how I WILL arrive and what my mood is going to be. I apologize if I came off a little too strong.

Rider --- Stick with your plans !!! When you post on this board, you will ALWAYS have some who will try to change your plans because of their beliefs and feelings.

I don't you were harsh in stating YOUR feelings and plans.

Last I checked you don't even know me so how do you know what condition or mood I'm going to be in when I arrive at port? Secondly, it's none of your business what time I get off of work. What are you a stalker? I already said in the original post I'm leaving at midnight, don't worry what time I get off of work.

Rider, I think you REALLY need to get a hold on yourself here...

First of all, YOU were the one who brought up your work schedule in your initial premise: "I live in the SF Bay Area and will be working the day before departure"...

As to your time of departure, you originally stated: "IF I leave before midnight..."...That states a POSSIBLE departure time...Made much more uncertain by your follow-up post which changed the time: "Leaving Bay Area around 10pm..."

So, all any of us here was trying to do was to HELP you...to give you advice, suggestions, whatever...Perhaps, assuming like most who ask such questions here, you might have been open to suggestions. And nobody was telling you how you should feel...It's just that most of us HAVE done all night drives of this nature before...and we know, both from personal experience and from general common sense, that, adreniline or not, it is never preferable to try to begin a cruise with a lack of sleep...

So, NOBODY here was trying to invade your privacy by asking what time you left work...and no one was telling you how you must feel...

We were just trying to help you by suggesting alternatives thatmight flip on a switch with you...where you read them and say "Wait...I wasn't thinking that way, but it makes sense...Thank you for suggesting it!"

You will get there...absent snow, of course...but you will be dead tired to start your cruise...

 

 

 

What time do you get off work the day before?

 

Here is what I would do:

 

Assuming my work day ends around 5:00 pm, I would have everything packed and in the car before I went to work...I'd get home and IMMEDIATELY turn around and get on the road...even if it meant a little rush hour traffic leaving the Bay Area...

 

I would also first check weather reports for possible snow in the Gorman area...

 

If no snow, I would plan on the 5...If there are reports of likely snow, I'd switch to the 101...

 

 

 

If the 5 is clear, it should only take about 6 hours, more or less, absent Bay area traffic...So, conceivably, I could be in San Pedro by midnight...

 

 

 

But I wouldn't necessarily push it...no hotel reservation...

 

I would grab some sort of take-out food to eat on the road and drive only as long as I was comfortable...Around 4 hours should get you to about Bakersfield, 5 hours to Santa Clarita...

 

 

 

When I start getting tired, I would look for a hotel...figuring, even with traffic on the way out, safe to guess on Santa Clarita by midnight...There are lots of cell phone apps that can find local hotel availability, so I'd find one and just stop and spend the night...

 

 

 

Get a good night's sleep and get back on the road after breakfast...From Santa Clarita (about 5 hours from San Francisco) to the port should only take about an hour to an hour and a half...So, getting back on the road by 10:00 am would still get you to the ship fairly early...and better rested than driving all night...

 

 

 

Even if you called it quits on that first nights driving in the Bakersfield area...Say Buttonwillow (on the 5 near Bakersfield...and only 4 hours from San Francisco), you'll only need to drive about two and a half hours in the morning, so if you got back on the road by 9:00 am, you'll still be at the pier by 11:30...

 

 

 

So, rather than driving from 10:00 pm until about 4:00 or 5:00 am, then napping in your car with nowhere to go and boarding the cruise a mental wreck, you split it up into about 4 hours of driving...maybe 5 if traffic...between 6:00 and 10 or 11, then a good night's sleep and a short two and a half hour drive, well rested, in the morning, arriving at the pier in still plenty of time!

Avoid Bakersfield as its off the 99.

Along the 5 you could stop at Harris Ranch or somewhere in Santa Clarita (Magic Mountain area). Leaving around 10a would put you after rush hour and be one of the first to check in.

Some of you are talking to the OP as if he or she was not an adult, but a child. The op asked for advice, not lectures about how tired she may be, or to get a motel, etc.:)

Some of you are talking to the OP as if he or she was not an adult, but a child. The op asked for advice, not lectures about how tired she may be, or to get a motel, etc.:)

On the flip side (forgetting the 'lecture' part of things)---

It's always best to have as much info as possible. Wouldn't want to read a report from OP saying they missed their cruise because the Grapevine was closed or they fell asleep in the parking lot.

OP- since you should be arriving extremely early, are there any 24hr coffee shops in the area? I have no idea. I live an hour from port.

ETA- Found one - Norms in Torrance "South"

http://normsrestaurants.com/location.html