I don't know where you get onto I5 from the bay area but here is a list I did to keep my busy last year when someone else drove: (as you can see, even though it is a boring drive, about every 30 minutes there is another stop that can be made, most times within 15 minutes)
I-5 stops Eateries, gas stations and hotels/motels
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I-5 Reststops from Sacramento to Anaheim
I probably missed some signs for eateries as I was doing the first 240 miles driving and writing.
Just past the Sacramento airport
Del Paso Rd
Eateries-In/Out Burger, Der Weinerschnitzel (?sp), Taco Bell, Sizzler
Chevron
Safeway Grocery Store
Hotels-Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Homewood Suites
Arena Blvd
Bel Air Grocery Store, StarBucks, Credit Union ATM, BelAir Gas Station
Walmart and Target are close by
I fall asleep here until around Stockton....I know there are Elk Grove people on here who can give hotels/eateries just past Sacramento to Lodi as I usually start falling asleep after I wave bye (ok, see ya, I'm off to DL wave) to my work downtown.
Starting at Lodi, Flag City
Flag City, Lodi 50 miles south of Sacramento
Eateries-McD's, Burger King, Taco Bell Gas Stations-Shell, Am/Pm
Exit 463 Lathrop (just south of Stockton) *Stop 1
Eateries-Subway, Carl's Jr, McD's, Taco Bell, Dennys, A&W, KFC
Gas Stations-Chevron,
Grocery Store chain (can't remember which one),Target
Hotels-Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn
Rest stop at approximate mile marker 450 Just past Modesto exit
Exit 441
Eateries-McD's, Subway, Carls Jr, truck stop
Gas Stations-Chevron, Am/Pm, Shell, Union 76
Hotels-Holiday Inn Express, Days Inn
Exit 434 Patterson Exit
Eateries-Dennys, Carl's Jr, KFC, Starbucks
Gas Stations-Union 76, Chevron
Hotels-Best Western
Exit 407 Santa Nella Anderson's Pea Soup Exit
Eateries-Anderson Pea Soup, Taco Bell, Dennys, Jack In the Box, Starbucks, McD's, Quiznos, Wendys
Hotels-Motel 6, Holiday Inn, Best Western, The Tower of Pisa Hotel--don't know the name.
Gas Stations-Am/Pm, Chevron, TA Travel Center, Rotten Robbie
Mercy Sprngs Rd (did not indicate mile marker) 156 miles from Sacramento
Shell gas station, fruit stand. No other services
Exit 385 Firebaugh Exit
Chevron gas station, Subway-no other services
Exit 368 Panoche Rd
Eateries-McD's, Taco Bell, Apricot Tree Restraunt, Foster's Freeze
Hotels-Best Western
Gas Stations-Shell, Union 76, Chevron, Mobil
Exit 334 Harris Ranch Coalinga/Lemore exit
Eateries-Harris Ranch, Burger King, Dennys, Carl's Jr,Taco Bell, Chinese Restraunt, McD's
Gas Stations-Chevron, Shell,
Hotels-Motel 6, Best Western
Exit 325 Coalinga exit Very few services
Eateries-Baja Fresh
Gas Stations-Am/Pm, Shell
Hospital
Rest Stop area past Coalinga Road closed
Exit 319 Avenal-Lemoore NAS
76 Truck Stop
Exit 309 (just happened to be where we got gas going down and coming back--tank lasted to Anaheim and back here)
240 miles from Sacramento
Eateries-McD's, Jack In the Box, Starbucks (at Mobil station), Carls' Jr, Subway, Taco Bell, Quiznos, In/Out
Gas Stations-Shell, Chevron, Mobile, Union 76, Velero
Exit 278 Lost Hills ***171 miles from DL on the way back
Eateries-McD's, Dennys, Wendys Arbys
Gas Stations-Chevron, Union 76, Shell, Arco, Pilot Truck Stop, Loves Truck Stop
Rest Stop 286 miles from Sacramento--Buttonwillow ***152 miles from Anaheim on the way back
Exit 257 Hwy 58 to Bakersfield
Eateries-Carl's Jr, McD's, Taco Bell, Dennys, Subway, Starbucks
Gas Stations-TA Truck Stop, Am/Pm
Hotels-Motel 6, EconoLodge
Exit 253 Stockdale Hwy
Eateries-IHOP, Jack In the Box
Hotels-Best Western
Gas Stations-Shell, Chevron
Exit 244 Lamont-Taft Hwy
Gas Stations-Chevron, Mobil no other services
***note 325 miles from Sacramento to the merge 5/99 (left home just north of Sac at 7am, arrived here at 12:30pm)
Exit 219 A&B Laval Rd
Eateries-Popeyes, McD's, Taco Bell, Starbucks, Panda Express
Gas Stations-TA Truck Stop, Petro Truck Stop, Chevron, Mobil
Hotels-Best Western
Exit 215 Grapevine Exit
Eateries-Jack In the Box, Dennys, Mexican Restraunt
Gas Stations-Shell, Union 76, Mobil
Hotels-Ramada Inn
Rest Stop Exit 206 Grapevine
Exit 205 Elevation 4144
Eateries-Jack In the Box, Subway,Dennys
Gas Stations-Am/Pm, Flying J Truck Stop, Shell
Hotels-Holiday Inn
No exit number Gorman exit
Eateries-McD's, Carls Jr, Ranch House Restraunt
Gas Stations-Union 76, Chevron
No exit number Castaic Exit (where we stopped-370 miles from Sacramento arrived at 1:30pm)
Eateries-McD's, Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Carl's Jr
Gas Stations-Union 76, Mobil, Shell
Hotel-Rodeway Inn
Walgreens
Below are times and exits to DL as the stops usually quit here. All the years I have been going, I forgot (or probably erase from my mind)
just how much farther it is from the grapevine to Anaheim so thought I'd write down the cities along the way so next time, I'd
know when I was getting closer. Plus, my daughter was driving so I was having a slight panic attack in the car and had to keep
busy.
The following numbers are miles from Sacramento and arrival times (we left Sacramento at 7am--2 extra stops due to too much
coffee)
373 Magic Mountain/Valencia 1:49pm
389 Mission Hills 2:01pm
395 North Hollywood 2:06pm
397 Bob Hope Airport 2:08 pm
398 Burbank 2:09 pm
406 Griffith Park 2:15pm (Glendale)
412 San Bernardino Fwy (LA to the right) 2:20pm
413 traffic came to a dead stop 2:22 pm
416 Commerce Exit 2:31pm
418 Citadel Outlet 2:33pm
422 Downey 2:40pm
425 Norwalk 2:45pm
427 La Mirada
431 Knotts Ave ORANGE COUNTY---YOU KNOW YOU ARE GETTING CLOSER NOW!
432 Fullerton 2:56pm (we are actually going 70mpg here)
433 Anaheim 2:57pm