Review #851 2025-023 What goes up, must come down... right? I oddly reviewed "The Grapevine" I-5 North (refer to Review #247) but didn't comment on the south. LOL It's the return from my happy place where I frequently visit my aunt & uncle, especially meaningful after my parents passing. My son never had the opportunity to meet his great uncle, so he was especially doted on by my aunt. This last visit was to my cousin's, their youngest daughter & it was a very different road trip because my beloved aunt & uncle have joined my parents. I no longer have to pay tuition for my mahjong sessions (because I frequently lose to them), receive hugs & affection, enjoy delish home-cooked comfort foods & soups. I was intentional in my road trips to visit them after I settled in my work schedule; the I-5 South always brings a little heartache when I have to leave. I have yet to see snow until after my kids were born, & finally understood what my uncle meant about the perils of trying to drive through the mountain pass when the roads became icy. On this recent visit to my cousins, it was bittersweet because my Aunt & Uncle are no longer with us. (T-T) And we went up as a family of 4, & returned home as a family of 5, adopted a fur baby (her name is Snow, a Siamese mixed kitten) because my cousin & his wife are helping a family friend control the kitty population near her home by spaying/neutering the feral kittens & their mommas. I repeat what I wrote about its northbound: "Driving through the pass during the holidays can be a nightmare when traffic just stops; careless drivers may misjudge the steep downgrades & sharp turns as well as steep inclines leading to the many accidents on the I-5. And heavy rain or winds, & fog are major weather hazards. :-( But after a good season of rain, the hillsides are lush & bright with vegetation & wildflowers. =) When you're driving through The Grapevine during the winter, rainy months, be sure to check The I-5 weather advisory for any intermittent road closures or to add snow chains if you attempt to drive the pass. The only thing you can still be sure of... you have to yawn, chew gum, or suck on a lollipop to relieve the pressure on your ears." Whether you're coming or going... wish you happy & safe driving folks! read more

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This mountain pass links Southern California to the Central Valley. It is commonly referred to as "The Grapevine" and today Interstate 5 comes through. The highest point is 4144 feet. The road is curvy and the grades are steep. But trucks seem to do it just fine. Check the weather before trying. It does snow here and the road can get iced. Be weather aware. [Review 21041 overall - 548 in California - 4 of 2024.] read more

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Known as the Grapevine that lies in Grapevine Canyon through the Tejon Pass The stretch of I-5 through the Grapevine and the Tejon Pass is sometimes closed by the CHP due to weather conditions Curvy stretch of road and also steep but once you pass through you are home free read more

Enjoying the scenery on The Grapevine I-5. The is the route we have always taken when traveling to the Los Angeles area. Traffic is minimal today being a Monday and missing all the weekend traffic. Weather was a bit cloudy but added to the scenery. Wind was minimal and temperatures were in the 60's, not to bad. read more

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Anyone traveling up to Northern California ( or visa versa) will pass through the grapevine. It's a long grade that humbles semitrucks and cars built in the 80's. If you're lucky enough to travel the grapevine during the day there are some interesting scenic points of interest including pyramid lake. If you're driving in April and May you'll see the yellow and orange flowers during superbloom. - Fort Tejon State Historic Park (spend an hour and stretch your legs) - Lebec Rest Area. CLEAN bathrooms open during pandemic. read more

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Sometimes there snow but freeway not bad if not holiday nice drive to mountain nice place

SoCal here we come! Our travels heading to LA are usually during after work and by the time we reach the Grapevine it's already night time so no photos available. The mountains are steep with an elevation of about 1500-ft when heading up this 7-1/2-mile stretch of thoroughfare and roads are long and windy. My teen had her first experience driving through the Grapevine early last month, she was careful but scared, lots of semi trucks and there's always drivers who drive recklessly through the mountains! When you reach the Grapevine you are still 70 miles north of LA. There are four lanes going southbound but sometimes the lane narrows due to construction or accidents or weather delays. It is hell to be here when you're stuck in traffic... it is even worse when you're stuck AND hungry! Luckily, there's Santa Clarita and we were able to make a pit stop here to get some food! One time I asked my hubby why it was called "The Grapevine" and he said that grapes used to grow here. I thought he was being funny but when I researched it he was partially correct... at one point there was an abundance of wild grapevines along the route and, today, wild grapes can still be seen along the canyons. Well, how about that... Drive safe California! Review #1279 read more

The grapevine is that magical connection between Northern/Southern- Southern/Northern California. Named for the slight twists and turns through the mountains, during different times of the year the view from your car window can be picturesque. Winter will bring snow, and it's not uncommon to have the grapevine closed, until the roads can be cleared. Spring will bring flowered covered hills, and you'll spot the occasional moo cow, boar, and even deer. Keep your eyes peeled for the Po Po. They roam the grapevine like the wild animals do. There are very limited services, so make sure you've gassed up, grabbed drinks etc before you hit it. It's a 45 minute drive, but the hills and drivers who can't navigate the hills will slow you down. Remember, you may have heard it through the grapevine, but that could be the screeching brakes of the semi-truck trying to avoid the bad drivers too. Beep beep!! read more

Don't you know I heard it through the grapevine Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah I heard it through the grapevine Just about to lose my mind Honey, honey, yeah I heard it through the grapevine, Not much longer would you be mine, baby yeah Its not really named after the classic Gladys Knight & the Pips song, but the Grapevine is very familiar to those who transit I-5. For those traveling Southbound to Los Angeles, the Grapevine begins at Grapevine Canyon and flows up the canyon and over the Tajon Pass at 4144 feet and then down past Pyramid lake before descending into the Santa Clarita area. Its multi lane and well paved however in the winter is is at risk for ice and high winds. Also, the CHP is usually out in force so be mindful of your speed lest you get caught up in revenue generation. As the major West Coast North To South artery its usually quite busy with travelers and big rigs. at the Southern entrance the traffic crosses over then crosses back for reasons only known to the highway engineers. There are services dotted periodically on its 43 mile length. read more

"The Grapevine" I-5 South When I frequently make the I-5 drive to & from Orange County, I reflexively try to check-in as I enter this 40 minute stretch of road. (Approximately one and a half hrs from Magic Mountain; two and a half hrs from the OC; four and a half hrs from the SF Bay Area.) The overall drive can range from six hours to nine, Depending on how fast you drive.) It's one of those highway markers that says, "I made it here!... 'Only ??? miles more to go; depending on your direction & destination. "The Grapevine," also known as Grapevine Hill. (Truth be told, this 40 mile stretch of the I-5 HWY isn't technically called The Grapevine... 'Lucky for me, I never worked IT.) Photo - https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-grapevine-i-5-south-grapevine-2?select=BNjVvL9lzThyneri-1wGSg&userid=O6EBodP3Fgu_n67efSKnBQ Whether you're road trip'n, headed north or south, The Grapevine is always one of those landmark points on the drive. With me, if I'm headed north from South OC, it's my two hour mark out, Magic Mountain being 1 1/2 hr. When I hit the bottom of that hill, I'm about 4-5 hours out until I hit the SF Bay Area and visa versa. When I travel with the HAPA, my bully pit, you can easily add an extra 1-2 hours... 'And if I'm tired, add an extra 3-5 hours. (i.e. - Rest area; sleepy time) Now, entering Grapevine Hil (Southbound) - https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-grapevine-i-5-south-grapevine-2?select=ooqZ3BHnryn1iaX5krjv6A I don't usually make regular stops while passing through Grapevine Hill but if I do, it's usually at the Tejon Pass Safety Roadside Rest Area on my BARTs Northbound. Teton Pass Rest Area (Photo) - https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-grapevine-i-5-north-castaic?select=d_31gMz8KAPhiHS5jY7suQ *BART - Bay Area Road Trip There are two stories that address how the name, The Grapevine, came about: 1. The route resembled that of an actual grapevine. 2. Back in the day, the route was thick with overgrown grapevines and travelers had to literally hack their way through. (I believe this one to be the more accurate of the two.) Whether you make the I-5 road trip once or twice a year or every few months, be safe. If you're feeling tired, pull over @ one of the rest areas. If you're too tired to reach a rest area, find a well lit gas station to stop at and get some sleep. I used to make this drive once every two months before I originally moved to Southern California. It would always sadden me along with a bit of anger whenever I would see a single car, auto accident which most of the time was due to driver fatigue. On a few occasions, there was a blue body bag alongside the totaled, overturned vehicle. (That's a few more than I ever wanted to see.) Idiots. Pull over, take a small nap, wake up, grab a cup of coffee and be on your way. Now, someone's wife, husband, children, or parents are going to get a call @ 3am with the bad news. (Sigh) Safe & smart travels my friends. I created two Yelp*, Grapevine check points, one for northbound travelers and this one, for those headed south. Both are set up @ their "relative entry points" on Grapevine Hill depending on which direction you're driving. Whenever I would make the drive and attempt to check-in @ The Grapevine... (Insert buzzer sound here) 'Nada, nothing, zilch. - "Wrong answer, do not pass GO, do not collect $200, but thank you for playing." So, on this last visit to the SF Bay Area, I thought, "It's time." **Note: Be sure to check weather conditions if you're planning on driving through The Grapevine, severe rain/snow can create road closures not to mention mudslides as of late. (i.e. - Sh'tuck) On this last trip, the weather went from light clouds & sun to thick as molasses fog; followed by heavy rains. Photo - https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-grapevine-i-5-south-grapevine-2?select=koIWLtztzuzjvxXPlAn7jA Local weather - http://www.localconditions.com/weather-grapevine-california/93243/forecast.php The Grapevine (Source: Wikipedia) - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapevine,_California - Big Aloha & drive safe! Food: n/a Ambiance: 4 Service: 5+ Value: 5 read more

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Driving through here is it's own drug. Great place to step up your roadhead game, too read more

"The Grapevine" I-5 South - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

The Grapevine.... a poetic name for the stretch of I-5 between Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley/Bay Area. It's evocative&picturesque, terms not usually associated with the I-5. It's windy, curving, the site of historic Fort Tejon, a gateway of sorts. It's where the San Andreas Fault meets the Garlock Fault, where California's generally north-south trending mountains meet the east-west ones like the Tehachapis&the Transverse. The Garlock Fault was pinpointed as the cause of a Mojave quake as recently as 1992, tho it was perhaps a culprit for California's largest&lesser-known quake, the 1857 Fort Tejon, that had an estimated 7.9 magnitude https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1857_Fort_Tejon_earthquake The deceptively peaceful Grapevine was the epicenter of the largest known historic quake. The poor Garlock Fault, that bridges the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and the Sierra Nevada, never got an action movie named for it https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garlock_Fault Or perhaps it's the San Andreas' "silent partner." On the Grapevine, the steep, winding curves that go on for nearly an hour are an indication of its geologically active life. It requires Zen-like attention&tons of energy drinks. Or at least coffee. If you have to go to a rest stop, do it. Be sure to check weather conditions. It gets snow&rain. If you're prone to carsickness, don't read your Kindle/Nook/book/smartphone if you're a passenger. If you're driving, keep your eyes on the road. And tho it's named "Grapevine",don't drink the fruit of the vine before hitting this road. The Grapevine can be quite meditative- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY8J4sH9DII read more