Pleasanton to Clear lake Best route

[ppickerell]

My wife and I will be leaving around lunch time Friday for our first Clear Lake trip. We are staying at Konocti Vista. I remember a previous thread discussing alternative routes. Mapquest thinks 101 is the best route, but 101 through Santa Rosa really sucks at times. What route do you guys recommend for a Suburban pulling a 21 ft Champion?

[rmd]

I just came back from clear lake if your wife don't get car sick you can go up thew napa on the silverodo trail hwy. but if she get car sick like my wife ,go up 101 to hwy 20 then turn right on hwy 29 to soda bay turn off

[StockOption]

There is a ton of construction on 101 between the downtown Santa Rosa exit up past the College Ave Exit. (Like 4-5 miles). However, depending upon when you travel through here the traffic is really not that bad, at the most I would expect a 30 minute delay and that would be only if you're in primetime rush hour traffic. More typical is no delay or perhaps 5-10 minutes.

My typical route to Clear Lake is 101 N, take the Mark West Road Exit to route 29 to Lower Lake. I've also gone 101 N to 175 to Soda Bay Road. (175 is not good for car sickness at all....route 29 is far better but there is one section which goes up and over a mountain which could get some folks sick.) If car sickness is an issue then 101 to 20 as RMD suggested is your best bet....

(Sorry if your rig is over 30' I don't believe you can take the 175 route...)

[Mark Langner]

I live in Concord, so basically would follow a route similar to you.

I got this route from Couch, and I really like it.

680 North....
After the toll bridge bear right toward sacramento
80 East
Take the 505 Winters/Redding "cutoff"
After a SHORT bit, take the Hwy 16 "Esparto" exit, when you come off the exit of the freeway, at the stop sign turn left heading to Esparto. Then just stay on hwy 16, takes you through little towns like Capay, Guinda, etc. You'll pass the casino. It runs smack into Hwy 20 (so you've done a diagonal shortcut).
Turn left on Hwy 20, it takes you to clearlake.
You'll see a sign (Hwy 53), turn left...takes you east to west along bottom of clearlake.
Turn right on hwy 29 to head northward along the west shore of clearlake and up to Konocti, Lakeport, those places.

-Mark

[Dewayne]

Fridays are tough getting across the Benecia Bridge, but I prefer to head up through the Napa Valley. Take Hwy 680 to Hwy 80 West, First exit to Hwy 12, to Hwy 29 towards Napa. At Oakville I take the Oakville cross road over to Silverado Trail and follow it North till it meets back up with Hwy 29. Then take it over the mountain through Middletown. It will connect with Hwy 53 in Lower Lake, 53 will take you up to the turnoff for KV Casino.

The over the mountain part is a little harry the first few times. Takes about 2.5 hours normally, maybe 3+ on a Friday.

[Manuel]

You are allready this side of the bay traffic. Think about just going up hwy 5 thru sac to winters. Hwy 20 to the lake. works for me. I start out from Tracy. Takes about 2hr 45min alone. With the wife, and a stop at Granzellas in Winters add another hour.
Good luck to you, how ever you decide to get there.
Manuel

[swordfish]

101 not a good choice, also avoid hwy 175 @ Hopland and 175 Middletown steep grades, the silverado trail would be a good route,after you cross the bridge @680 to hwy 12 can work, off 780 I used to use 4 different short cuts one of them went thru a county park to the east and ended up on hwy 29 study a map for routes find Columbus parkway on the map, if the traffic is bad in the napa valley (sunday) there is a back road thru pope valley by Berressa when taking the Berressa route (not a short cut) always enter or exit at Middletown not lower lake, the longest route would be hwy 101 to 20 @ Calpella

Hwy 16 thru Esparto could be a good choice as well

I say the Silverado......and good fishing.

[fishnrich]

I think the best way is 5 to 20 in winters. The 16 through esparto gets backed up with all the blue haired widows heading to the casino. There may be a minor delay on 20 due to construction. Leave as early as possible whatever route you take will be congested on a friday.

[swordfish]

the ride thru Winters will bring you past a beautiful view of the dam at Berryessa , Williams is the turn @ hwy 20 watch for pheasants in the valley and the Elk up near the pass.......

[ppickerell]

Thanks all. The wife is liking that Silverado Trail (read Wine Country) concept! This will be my first time at Clear Lake and I must admit I am pretty excited. The recent reports have me drooling. MUST FIGHT URGE TO DROP $200 on tackle!

[swordfish]

Tackle ? Visit Limit Out Tackle in the Oaks, Bob and Dorothy will treat you fair and be very helpful for you especially as a new visitor to the lake I haven't seen Bob or Dorothy in person for more than three years and live 3,000 + miles away still I know they will treat you right.

Good Fishing and big fish, don't always make the day , I' take 5 threes over one five......unless the chips are down.