{"id":2130,"date":"2015-07-05T06:10:13","date_gmt":"2015-07-05T13:10:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pascual.co\/ActiveE\/?p=2130"},"modified":"2015-07-05T06:10:13","modified_gmt":"2015-07-05T13:10:13","slug":"to-the-bay-area-and-back-in-one-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pascual.co\/ActiveE\/roadtrip\/to-the-bay-area-and-back-in-one-day\/","title":{"rendered":"To the Bay Area and Back in One Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

A little over a week ago, we returned home from a day trip to the Bay Area and back.\u00a0We didn’t set out on Thursday morning to go on a 22 hour road trip. We figured to find a place to stop overnight once we got to the Bay Area. \u00a0However, we did end up on a 22 hour drive and this is the post of that particular trip. \u00a0After our 808 mile day on our Here, There, and EVerywhere series<\/a>, a drive of approximately 400 miles isn’t\u00a0“too bad.”<\/p>\n

We started our trip on Thursday morning after an overnight charge in our garage. \u00a0Figuring to head to the Bay Area using the I-5 route means driving through the Grapevine and\u00a0since I haven’t driven that route in years, I didn’t remember if the climb was both ways or if it was just one way, so we range charged.<\/p>\n

One question that is often asked by folks waiting for delivery of their Model S is whether to purchase the HPWC and dual chargers. \u00a0As you can see below, the Model S was drawing 20 miles per hour on 30A. \u00a0At the time we were faced with that decision the HPWC was over $1000 (was it $1500? I don’t remember) for the device alone. \u00a0Additionally, because our garage is the furthest point from our Main Electrical Panel, a 100A circuit was prohibitively expensive. \u00a0So, we opted to use an existing Chargepoint EVSE that I had installed for the Active E. \u00a0We opted to install 2\u00a0NEMA 14-50s and a NEMA 6-50 throughout the garage and outside to accomodate up to 4 EVs charging at the same time.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20150625_075107\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We rolled out of the garage just a tad under “full” but with enough range to tackle the drive from home to Tejon Ranch.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20150625_081312\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Moving the car out of the garage requires a bit of a maneuver and takes a lot of going back and forth.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20150625_081321\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Southern California Traffic<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the challenges of leaving Southern California\u00a0during the rush hour is the amount of time spent in traffic. \u00a0The navigation does an adequate job of routing us through traffic, but it doesn’t calculate “potential frustration” with certain routes and though I-5 is the most direct route to Tejon Ranch, we opted to go I-605 to I-210 (less immediate traffic) and more. \u00a0Note the estimate below of a 10:31 AM arrival to the destination through the original route.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9438\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The other benefit of the longer route that we took was access to the HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle or carpool) lanes. \u00a0In some parts these lanes can be as congested as other lanes, whereas in many they are still beneficial for drivers. \u00a0In many of the routes, an HOV only requires two passengers or an HOV eligible vehicle with a sticker (such as an EV, PHEV, Hydrogen, or CNG.) \u00a0Though I have some opinions on PHEV eligibility<\/a>, unfortunately the legislature is fairly lenient about that.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9439\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Visitors to Southern California freeways might get confused by the on ramp\u00a0stoplights. One of my close\u00a0friends, who is British and was visiting from England, was pulled over when he just passed through one of these many years ago. \u00a0The\u00a0one in the photograph is between I-605 and I-210 and requires all lanes to stop and proceed with 2 cars per green. There are many on ramps in the Los Angeles area that actually only uses the on ramp stoplight for one of the lanes, the other lane is an HOV lane and does not use the stoplight. \u00a0This is not the case in the one below.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9440\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As we were driving along, I noticed\u00a0that we passed 44,000 miles early on this drive, 44,008 miles.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20150625_093115\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Grapevine<\/strong><\/p>\n

And we are thankfully out of SoCal\u00a0traffic. \u00a0The folks going the other direction, however, are heading\u00a0into it. \u00a0There is a reason that California is called the Golden State. And part of me wonders if that’s more because of the Golden Brown that the hills take rather than the “Gold Rush” of the 1800s.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_9445\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In the Winter, this route can be closed to traffic when it snows. \u00a0Which happens occasionally. \u00a0But, we’re in a drought and it’s Summer,\u00a0so, that’s not a worry.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_20150625_101008\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_9447\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_20150625_101014\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Ooh a water tower. \u00a0We have to build them lower to the ground in “earthquake country.” \u00a0I do wonder how much water Gorman actually has in that water tower, we’re in the fourth year of the drought, after all.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9448\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Apparently, the Grapevine drive is downhill when heading North. So, I guess we’ll have to pay attention to what we charge on the way back for that climb.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9449\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_9450\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_9452\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Peering West from the car during the descent we capture this\u00a0view with our camera. The landscape scene is quite stunning and in looking at the picture now, we wonder whether we can pass it off as a painting.<\/p>\n

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Tejon Ranch<\/strong><\/p>\n

The exit\u00a0for the Tejon Ranch Supercharger is\u00a0ahead, away from the outlet mall on the East Side of the road.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9458\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Take the West exit from the Northbound 5.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9459\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Believe the sign, that’s one weird curve coming up.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_9460\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There looks to be two Starbucks in this exit, one East (probably in the mall) and one West, a free standing one with a drive through. We opted for the one up the street from the superchargers on the East side. \u00a0We futilely waited in the drive through, but the line was just too long (wasted 20 minutes and gave up.) \u00a0I figured that we would probably see another one on the I-5 drive.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_20150625_104406\"<\/a><\/p>\n

We would have actually beat the original estimate to arrive at the charger by at least five minutes had we not decided to waste time at the Starbucks line.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_20150625_104938\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Sharing the same parking lot as the chargers is a Yogurtland and Chipotle. \u00a0I went to see about using their “facilities” the Yogurtland doesn’t open until 11:00 am, but the Chipotle was open.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_20150625_105412\"<\/a><\/p>\n

These guys in the pickup truck did ICE the SC, but only for a few minutes. They were so excited to see us charging and had questions that he drove right up, jumped out and started to fire away. \u00a0We had a good conversation and they drove off soon after we were done talking.<\/p>\n

\"Supercharging<\/a><\/p>\n

On the next leg of the drive to Harris Ranch, we\u00a0swapped drivers, so it was my turn to take pictures of the view outside.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_9463\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It’s amazing what farmers in the Central Valley are able to grow in such an arid place. Not really sure what they’re planting and my wife and I spent the time guessing what they are.<\/p>\n

The cows that we saw on this drive were all penned up and had shade that were installed over them. \u00a0They were carport like structures.<\/p>\n

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\"IMG_9465\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"IMG_9466\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Since I wasn’t driving, I took the opportunity to play with Periscope and Twitter again. The first attempt at Periscope was about a minute.<\/p>\n