It's a freeway in Los Angeles. Sometimes the traffic flows well, sometimes the traffic flows very slow. Drivers usually pack this freeway, causing it to flow slowly, but if you persist, you'll reach your destination. They cannot enlarge it to handle more traffic because it's one of the older freeways in the region. I suggest you sit back and enjoy the ride. You'll get there. read more

Road trip to San Francisco is more pleasant if you decide to take the scenic 101 route. Although the trip takes longer than the 5 freeway alternative, I find this route more enjoyable passing through the amazing inland areas and a glimpse of the picturesque coast side. Going this route, you'll pass by these amazing towns which include Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria and San Jose. You have a choice of going on a single day trip all the way to San Francisco or make several stop overs to explore all or some of the amazing towns along the way. I also love to take this freeway when driving locally to get to Hollywood or downtown area. On my way back, I always challenge myself to be able to take a picture of the heart shaped Bougainville plant hanging on the side of the freeway. It's either a hit or miss taking pic from a moving car but I'm proud to say that I've been successful so far. read more

U.S. Route 101 - Taken on a moving car. Not bad! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Call me an "odd duck" but, as a frequent visitor to your city, I actually enjoy being a vehicle passenger and driver. Your streets, avenues and boulevards have been arranged in a functional directional grid. You use the compass directions of North, South, East and West whereas we in Hawai'i often use landmarks. Driving or riding along the U.S. Route 101 has been part of our experiences. You see, this freeway or highway runs parallel (North to South) from San Francisco and Los Angeles. It is normally filled with traffic but IMHO seems to flow pretty well. In all of the years that we've traveled along this route, I would enjoy seeing, even while whizzing by, the different architecturally diverse neighborhoods and changing skyline. When you're a driver, you probably wouldn't take notice of certain changes or views...um, you better be paying attention to the road! However, on a recent drive to DTLA, we were caught in a traffic jam...it was exactly what Angelenos have to deal with on a daily basis but this actually was a FIRST for us. As we crept along, I started noticing more beautiful painted murals, some artistic "tagging" and tile insets along the medial barriers that depicted palm trees or old Spanish missions. There were some buildings that caught my eye and I wondered what kind of business was in it or who its residents were. I even caught sight of the Hollywood sign in the distance and striking colors of floral arrangements from apartment balconies. Heck, along one of the walls, someone had planted red bougainvillea (I think) and shaped it into a gorgeous heart....as each time we passed, we noticed the heart becoming redder as more blossoms came out. I took our traffic jam as a "time out" from the rush that everyone else seemed upset by. It was great to look around and to enjoy the beauty about even though most would consider this and the other highways as just a means to get between from points A to B. read more

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For LA: 1 Star The LA 101 is a great tool to get you late! With one of the best bumper to bumper traffic you could ever have in America! From Downtown to Ventura! Yes it is a blast that this could be a tool to get you late! It's great if you work in downtown! Hell yeah. For Ventura to San Luis Obisbo: 5 Stars Aah the gorgeous views! The tight and rumbly roads, and the glory of having 0 cars being in front of you. Great road trip, Hearst castle, gorgeous! San Luis Obisbo to Gilroy: 4 Stars Great views, the freeway is starting to have more car's now! Woo Hoo!!! Awesome views, cars tailgating you yes it's a gorgeous ride to see all the farms and that dumb Mercedes in front of you going 35 in 70 zone! Heck yeah! Gilroy to San Jose: 3 Good views of farms, mountains and more! Yay the freeway has 5 lanes now! Now some semi convoy is in front of us! The traffic starts to cluster, people merging to the left causing a traffic jam woo hoo! San Jose to I-80: 1 stars Yassss The break checks, the view of the bay! And all those buildings around you! Heck yeah, there is a idiot in the Carpool lane when he's the only one in the vehicle, and the freeway at a complete stand still! We almost rear ended that Beater Honda civic in front of us! I-80 to Marin county line: 5 stars Yes yes yes!!! The great buildings surrounding us, and the Great Golden Gate that rips people off! Hey, at least you get a nice view! Theres a view point where you will find 0 parking and people with phone cameras! This gives five stars. read more

Ah, the scenic 101 freeway. This freeway is scenic from NorCal all the way to its connection in the Hollywood area. This freeway is my alternative way to get to the San Fernando Valley, the other way being the 405 northbound. For some reason, the 101 southbound freeway from Hollywood to the 110S connector is always packed. The 101 northbound varies throughout the day, but generally it is pretty bad during rush hour. I love the drive from Hollywood to Woodland Hills, as it is scenic and relatively smooth. The drive in the opposite way can be a pain in the neck, and I sometimes opt to take Topanga Canyon Road through the SM mountains toward Malibu. Farther up north, the 101 lays closer to the coast, and provides an alternative route to the bay area. If you get bored of the cows and manure that line the 5, give this freeway a try. But beware of the traffic in the LA area, but you probably already know that ;-) read more

U.S. Route 101 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Three stars because it takes to you all the great places like Hollywood, Ventura, etc....all the way to the Bay area. Views are awesome!!! Why it didn't get more stars? Because of the ongoing complaint like most people here, it's like getting your tooth pulled out! Driving in traffic or coming back on the weekends no matter what time of day (mostly later as you try to work your way closer to Downtown-or away from. (from then on you can get off & take other alternative routes to find your way home). Traffic, Traffic, Traffic!!! Where do all those cars come from?? Holy mackerel!! But it's one of the main arteries of traveling through our great state, I definitely acknowledge that fact :) read more

How do you review a freeway? Well it gets me within about a 1/2 mile from where I want to be. But the traffic is awful, always! Of course I get plenty of time to listen to my music. They don't have any beautification process is going on like on other freeways, but then we the taxpayers aren't wasting money to pretty up something useless instead of a park or something. Eh, on a whole I guess it's not so bad here... read more

U.S. Route 101 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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If Satan decided to get into civil engineering, this would be his thesis project. I'm sure when they built this freeway it served the needs of Angelenos very well. Many decades later, it's just a dated relic from a time when Los Angeles was not the second largest city in the nation. Sadly enough, the rest of 101 going north to Washington State is quite beautiful and one of the best roads in the country to drive on. The Hollywood Freeway, however? Absolutely terrible. If you are from out of town, absolutely avoid taking the 101. You can't avoid taking all freeways, but if you had to pick one to avoid I would definitely pick this one. read more

Love it, hate it. That's how I feel about the 101 freeway. I primarily use it to get to many of the fabulous restaurants and cinemas around LA. Some days the traffic is light, and some days it is horrendous! There is no predictability, I'm afraid, which is why it can be so frustrating to travel on it. No matter, it still takes me where I need to go. I just try to leave myself a few extra minutes for this unpredictable commute. read more

A great freeway to take you through Hollywood, Ventura and along the coast to San Francisco. Really great when traffic is light, try taking it between 9pm and 4am most weekdays and you should have a good time. P.S. Watch out, in portions of LA, when it says 'east, west', it'll still vaguely take you North south. :-) read more

I like 101. It goes through Hollywood and goes by downtown LA for a very scenic drive(I find LA to be very beautiful, up yours) and if done properly, it's a nice shortcut from 5 if you're heading south...and depending on where you begin from the north. It's got some nice views when it winds up the coast through Santa Barbara and then much farther up you hit the Bay Area, and that's not a bad drive at all. You go right through downtown SF! It does suck at times in LA because you get everyone on the roads who have places to be, so as a result no one goes anywhere. Despite that, though, I have a lot of fun whenever I drive on it. I think the only thing that prevents it from being 5 stars for me is that, well, it's not an interstate. So, such as the case in LA, there's no median which freaks the hell out of me. It also tends to take sharp turns. What's up with that? Pretty good drive. read more

Evey time I am traveling through downtown LA I run into traffic. Is it because people in LA can't drive or because we have to turn our tires a little coming out from a curve or is it that transition to the 110. I dunno but every time I drive by downtown LA on the 101 I hit traffic. read more

YIKES. when is there ever a time when the 101 is not packed with tons of cars? I was on the 101 this morning 9:30am and the traffic was horrible and I'm thinking that it's because everyone was heading to work! I would suggest other alternatives if you are driving the 101 in the morning and later on in the afternoon. When we were driving back, I think it was around 3:00pm, there was still bad traffic! :/ Please send recommendations on when the 101 is ever slightly more open & not jam packed with cars. :D read more

For those of us living on the West Coast, U.S. Route 101, a dismal stretch of grey concrete paved with a surplus of cars (also commonly referred to as simply "the 101") is as much a beacon of hope as Pinhead would be had he opted for papal candidacy. Though I, along with the greater half Los Angeles county, rely on this particular freeway to get me to and from work, a hellish route I've put up with for about 2 years now, I must say that this is the most stubborn, inconvenient, two faced, sadistic and morally corrupt stretch of road I have ever encountered in my life. Northbound or Southbound, this is where your true colors are squeezed out from behind a white knuckled steering wheel and run over, rolled on and thrown aside. Morning rush hour typically runs between the hours of 7:30 am to roughly 10:30 am, then starts back up around noon and quieting down at roughly 7 pm, with spotted jams here and there afterwards. If there is an event downtown, say at the Staples Center, game over. Go home, sleep in your car, cry, do anything but get on the 101 (I refer more so to the South bound side here). Once in a while there is a hazy time zone where the freeway is not packed, but that happens as often as a leap year and the odds of you driving during this moment is like witnessing the second coming of Christ and winning the lottery at the same time. In general, traffic is slow due to several inconveniences, such as but not limited to: car accidents and rear ending, both partially or overtly due to: cell phone usage, texting, radio fiddling, cd extracting, debris in the road, distractions due to personal grooming and maintenance ( i.e. tooth brushing, shaving(face and legs), meal eating, changing in the car...), and people who don't know how to merge and should not have a license-or do not have a license but continue to drive anyway. An added variable in the mix: traffic for no apparent reason. This happens more often than not, cars slowed down to a steady crawl, then to a stop, then back to a crawl and back to normal speed. No sign of an accident, stalled car or abandoned bag of puppies crying on the side of a road, just the sheer annoyance of having had to stop in the middle of the freeway. This can put a nice 30 minute dent into your driving schedule, plan accordingly. Things to note: Sig alerts are extremely helpful, check out sigalert.com, a website that reports congestion and accidents on all major freeways in California. As previously stated, plan accordingly, there will most likely be traffic in your future: bring a book on tape, learn a language, get over the fact that the school bus next to you is watching you sing your favorite Journey song-sing louder, pump your fists, play your steering wheel. read more

Having been on most of the 101 freeway from Hollywood (los angeles) to Northern California near the Oregon border, I am a fun. Especially north of San Francisco, in Redwood country in particular. So beautiful with those majestic tall trees. Be sure to visit the Avenue of the Giants when in Redwood country off the 101. As for the 101 in Los Angeles, I hate it and avoid the freeway. Secret tip: I take the scenic route 1 from Santa Monica thru Malibu to Oxnard and pick up the 101 in Oxnard. very beautiful, which is more than I can say for Route 101 going through the San Fernando Valley. There are many fun stopping places along Route 101, including Pea Soup Andersen's, the Madonna Inn, wineries, and outlet malls, amongst other places. This road used to be the main north/south highway before Interstate 5 was built. read more