Your Favorite Stops along I-5

[Belle Ella]

Lost Hills. That's where we always stop too, the gas prices are good and the bathrooms are the cleanest! We've stopped in Santa Nella a few times but Lost Hills is halfway (well almost halfway) for us so we generally stop there, gas up and grab a bite to eat, then off we go the rest of the way to DL.

I stopped in Lost Hills for the first time this past trip. WOW!! Those bathrooms were clean and they had the best prices on gas I got throughout the whole trip. I think I will always factor a stop in there for any trip it's perfect for either direction if I only want to stop for gas once.

 

[kylie71]

We like to stop at Vista Del Lago visitors center on the Grapevine.
It is a water museum with free entry & clean potties.

The other stop we do is off 152 (which links to 5)
Casa de Fruta!!!
www.casadefruta.com

They have a train ride, carousel, & play ground.
There are four open air markets
Casa de fruta (fruit)
Casa de dulce (candy )
Casa de wine (yummy sandwiches)
Casa de nuts

We can easily spend an hour here.
Great for the wiggly riders in the car.

Was that once the Nut tree, about 20 years ago?

 

[tlovesdis]

Was that once the Nut tree, about 20 years ago?

Nope. The Nut Tree was off of Highway 80 in Vacaville. It's now a shopping center!

 

[kylie71]

yeah, I know where that is, I don't know where 152 is I guess!

 

[lilpooh108]

We like to stop at Vista Del Lago visitors center on the Grapevine.
It is a water museum with free entry & clean potties.

The other stop we do is off 152 (which links to 5)
Casa de Fruta!!!
www.casadefruta.com

They have a train ride, carousel, & play ground.
There are four open air markets
Casa de fruta (fruit)
Casa de dulce (candy )
Casa de wine (yummy sandwiches)
Casa de nuts

We can easily spend an hour here.
Great for the wiggly riders in the car.

I remember that place! We usually stop near the Gilroy Outlets when driving to and from NorCal.

And somewhere along the middle stretch in the Central Valley there is a really clean McDonalds right near a gas station---can't remember the name of the town. Going south, it's just past the stinky cows.

 

[kylie71]

The stinky cows, is Harris Ranch beef!
Harris Ranch has a motel too... it does stink there, Oh Boy!

 

[pixiewings71]

I stopped in Lost Hills for the first time this past trip. WOW!! Those bathrooms were clean and they had the best prices on gas I got throughout the whole trip. I think I will always factor a stop in there for any trip it's perfect for either direction if I only want to stop for gas once.

that's exactly what we do, it's our one stop for almost all of our trips. Great gas prices and the clean bathrooms are what keep us coming back. lol

Was that once the Nut tree, about 20 years ago?

Nope, like Tina said, Nut Tree is in Vacaville off I80, it's about 15 minutes from my house, is now a shopping center and has dining and a small "amusement" park area.

The stinky cows, is Harris Ranch beef!
Harris Ranch has a motel too... it does stink there, Oh Boy!

LOL It is stinky there!!! But let me tell you, the Harris Ranch restaurant is delish!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously good meat!! We stopped there a few times to eat and YUM!

 

[Ariel224]

I jut had to say hello to Kylie71. I live in Sparks too!!!

 

[kylie71]

Arial, Hi!
Your going to Disneyland in 4 weeks? We are going for Thanksgiving!
Where are you staying?

Fellow Sparks girl!! How Cool!

 

[duck_widow]

The stinky cows, is Harris Ranch beef!
Harris Ranch has a motel too... it does stink there, Oh Boy!

We always stop at Harris Ranch. They have a nice restaurant, and gift shop\bakery\butcher shop. We always buy some steak to bring home.

 

[kylie71]

Our local grocery store ( Scolari's ) sell it. It's good beef!

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

But let me tell you, the Harris Ranch restaurant is delish!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously good meat!! We stopped there a few times to eat and YUM!

We always stop at Harris Ranch. They have a nice restaurant, and gift shop\bakery\butcher shop. We always buy some steak to bring home.

Our local grocery store ( Scolari's ) sell it. It's good beef!

For those of you in northern CA, Nugget Markets sells fresh Harris Ranch beef. It's the only grocery store I'll buy beef at.

 

[pixiewings71]

For those of you in northern CA, Nugget Markets sells fresh Harris Ranch beef. It's the only grocery store I'll buy beef at.

So does Raley's, that's where I do most of my shopping.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Kettleman's exit has the dirtiest bathrooms EVER! OM-to the G! I really mean it!!!

My husband is from Los Angeles, we are in the Bay Area--so we have done this drive 2-3 times a year for the last 20 years. Beware, Beware, Beware of Kettleman's exit!

Lost Hills is all new and hasn't had a chance for contamination yet. I love it.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

For those of you in northern CA, Nugget Markets sells fresh Harris Ranch beef. It's the only grocery store I'll buy beef at.

There was a Nugget Market where I grew up--in Davis. Where is your Nugget?

 

[pixiewings71]

There was a Nugget Market where I grew up--in Davis. Where is your Nugget?

The closest Nugget to me is in Vacaville, just a few miles from Davis. My BFF shops there all the time but I don't, the drive is too much for groceries IMO.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

Oh, yes--and here is my Pea Soup Anderson's saga...

We went to Pea Soup Anderson's on our Honeymoon, which was about 21 years ago. We went several times, as I recall (now I sound like my grandma)--and stayed at the Madonna Inn. By day we toured Hearst Castle, and at night we would finish it off with a hearty bowl of pea soup from PSA.

Fast forward to having kids and driving to Los Angeles from the Bay Area multiple times a year--and still stopping at Pea Soup Andersons for old times sake. The problem is that Pea Soup Anderson has the worst, weakest coffee known to humankind. It is almost a crime--that is how bad it is. This wouldn't be a big deal, but try getting up at 4:45 am to drive to L.A., and finally getting to Pea Soup Anderson's at 7:00ish to eat breakfast and have your FIRST coffee of the day. On a day when you really NEED a good cup of coffee (because you packed the whole day before, didn't sleep the night before because you were thinking about your trip, and then got up at the butt crack of dawn to pull 3 sleepy children from their beds) and arriving to your destination with the weakest excuse for a cup of coffee known to man with (gag) really bad non-dairy creamer to add to it. No strong cup of Joe with real cream or at least half/half--but instead weak paint thinner with non dairy creamer. It can make a grown woman cry.

So a few years ago I started asking the family if there was any way we could stop somewhere else for breakfast. There was quite an uproar for a while there, but finally I think I have the familly on board with it.

The bathrooms are very clean at Pea Soup Anderson, and yes, the pea soup is nice if you are a fan of that kind of thing--but the rest of it is just so not spectacular. The food is mediocre at best, and the rotting cow smell when you get off the freeway hits your face with the force of a baseball bat. I could live without it, you know?

I think whatever gets you to Disneyland the fastest (and Pea Soup Anderson is not fast) is the most ideal. Clean bathrooms mixed with fast service seems the best bet on that lonely stretch of I-5.

 

[LisainCalifornia]

The closest Nugget to me is in Vacaville, just a few miles from Davis. My BFF shops there all the time but I don't, the drive is too much for groceries IMO.

Yes, I know where Vacaville is. My dad use to be head warden at the prison there!

We live in the Bay Area--in Moraga (near Orinda) now. My dad no longer lives in Davis, he moved to the retirement community near Roseville, so I don't get back to Davis much. It was a nice place to grow up.

 

[krash2501]

he moved to the retirement community near Roseville.

Sun City Roseville? Love it there. Nice golf course.

 

[Ariel224]

Arial, Hi!
Your going to Disneyland in 4 weeks? We are going for Thanksgiving!
Where are you staying?

Fellow Sparks girl!! How Cool!

Staying at Hojo 11/11 thru 11/14, then finishing out renting a condo for a week.