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Memorial Day weekend travel to Vegas - what time to go Saturday.

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05-24-2017 , 11:15 AM

sofsof

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105

Going to Vegas to get a poker fix this weekend.

Leaving Saturday morning from LA. What time does traffic begin to build up? If we leave at 7:00 AM, will we avoid the quagmire on the 15 Freeway?

We're also trying to avoid the problem by going back Tuesday.

Suggestions and advice will be greatly appreciated.

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05-24-2017 , 11:22 AM

Stu Ungar

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,966

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofsof

Going to Vegas to get a poker fix this weekend.

Suggestions:

1. Fly instead.

2. Since that probably isn't an option, the only way to do this is to leave Saturday no later than 5 a.m..maybe stop at Barstow Station for breakfast and arrive in Vegas at 10-11.

7 a.m. is way too late..you WILL be in traffic on a holiday weekend.

Glad you are returning on Tuesday..so you should be fine there..

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05-24-2017 , 02:24 PM

pig4bill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,790

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu Ungar

Suggestions:
2. Since that probably isn't an option, the only way to do this is to leave Saturday no later than 5 a.m..maybe stop at Barstow Station for breakfast and arrive in Vegas at 10-11.

Stopping in Barstow for breakfast kills a lot of the advantage of leaving early. The worst jam-ups are yet to come on I-15. If you can't wait until Vegas to eat, go through the Burger King drive-thru.

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05-24-2017 , 04:34 PM

eco74

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Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 10,116

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu Ungar

Oh come on. He's leaving on Saturday morning, it won't be that bad. The nightmares happen on Friday.

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05-24-2017 , 04:48 PM

Stu Ungar

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,966

Quote:

Originally Posted by eco74

Oh come on. He's leaving on Saturday morning, it won't be that bad. The nightmares happen on Friday.

On a normal two day weekend you would be correct, but the last time I drove on a 3 day weekend (Labor Day, 2016) Saturday morning the I-15 at 9am in the high desert was nuts to butts. Many people will leave this Saturday morning..everyone has the same idea as the OP..I would leave as early as possible and yes I would do it John Wayne style..only stop for your horse..

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05-24-2017 , 05:07 PM

sofsof

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105

Quote:

Originally Posted by eco74

Oh come on. He's leaving on Saturday morning, it won't be that bad. The nightmares happen on Friday.

The HE is a SHE.

I'm not a morning person, so leaving "no later than 5" sounds a bit torturous... If I do, I'll probably be a zombie the entire day and won't want to play zombified... On the other hand "nuts to buts" (never heard that expression before) isn't a great option either.

My friend, who will drive says that it can be done in 3.5 hours from Redondo Beach. Sounds a bit too fast to me, but if true, wouldn't we be almost there, if we leave at 7?

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05-24-2017 , 05:07 PM

pig4bill

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Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,790

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu Ungar

John Wayne style..only stop for your horse..

LOL, I like that. Only wish my bladder was 10 years younger.

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05-24-2017 , 06:35 PM

Stu Ungar

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,966

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofsof

My friend, who will drive says that it can be done in 3.5 hours from Redondo Beach. Sounds a bit too fast to me, but if true, wouldn't we be almost there, if we leave at 7?

Better chance of your friend eating $1,000 worth of McDonalds in 36 hours than driving from Redondo Beach to Las Vegas in 3 1/2 hours on Saturday..

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05-24-2017 , 07:45 PM

sofsof

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stu Ungar

Better chance of your friend eating $1,000 worth of McDonalds in 36 hours than driving from Redondo Beach to Las Vegas in 3 1/2 hours on Saturday..

I'm with you but you're not helping.

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05-24-2017 , 07:55 PM

#10

hobbes9324

veteran

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 2,872

Call in sick Friday and leave Thursday night.

I-15 on Memorial Day.......it MIGHT be worse for New Years, but maybe not.....

MM MD

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05-24-2017 , 08:12 PM

#11

Sooga

veteran

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 3,320

Quote:

Originally Posted by eco74

Oh come on. He's leaving on Saturday morning, it won't be that bad. The nightmares happen on Friday.

I agree with this. If you're actually AT the Cajon Pass at 7am, it shouldn't be much of a problem. If you're leaving Redondo Beach at 7am, I would imagine you'd be stuck. Stu is right - you have literally 0 chance of making it to Vegas in 3.5 hours if you leave Redondo at 7am.

I went to Vegas on Labor Day Weekend last year, and I think we were at the pass at around 6.30 or so, and we were really surprised at how little traffic there was.

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05-24-2017 , 11:29 PM

#12

sofsof

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sooga

I agree with this. If you're actually AT the Cajon Pass at 7am, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

I think, to feel semi-normal, I'm going to leave at 6:30, which should put me at the Cajon Pass around 8. You guys really think it will be crowded from that point on at 8:00 AM?

Thanks, everyone, for your comments.

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05-25-2017 , 11:54 AM

#13

Kalrex

journeyman

Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 239

I live in Hesperia and Saturday traffic going North is never really bad. Friday is brutal and then Sunday going South is even worse sometimes.

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05-25-2017 , 12:07 PM

#14

ratthevol

newbie

Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 17

With no traffic and no stops its about 3 hours from the pass to Vegas. You should be in pretty good shape if you get to the pass between 7 and 8am and there are no wrecks in front of you. coming home on Tuesday should be pretty calm. Monday will be a *****.

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05-25-2017 , 12:36 PM

#15

Rizzeedizzee

veteran

Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 3,072

Can't speak specifically to Vegas, but in many areas because of just how bad Friday traffic on holiday weekends had become it created a spillover effect into Thursday evening and Saturday AM. And surprisingly, Friday often isn't as terrible as it once was due to folks being scared into staying off the roads. If you 're leaving on Tuesday and can't get on the road super early on Saturday, then you might be best served to wait until after lunch.

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05-25-2017 , 02:50 PM

#16

sofsof

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratthevol

Thanks!

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05-25-2017 , 02:51 PM

#17

sofsof

centurion

Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 105

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kalrex

I live in Hesperia and Saturday traffic going North is never really bad. Friday is brutal and then Sunday going South is even worse sometimes.

Thanks, Kalrex. Do you include a holiday weekend in what you said?

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05-25-2017 , 05:05 PM

#18

eco74

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 10,116

Quote:

Originally Posted by sofsof

I think you'll be fine, but please report back with results.

And no, 3 1/2 hours from Redondo Beach is not doable (by a sane person), probably not anytime. That's 80mph the entire way, no stops. I think I've done a sub-4 hour drive to or from like twice in my life.

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05-25-2017 , 05:31 PM

#19

madlex

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Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 17,427

Quote:

Originally Posted by eco74

And no, 3 1/2 hours from Redondo Beach is not doable (by a sane person), probably not anytime.

A friend always bragged that you could go most of the I-15 part at 120/mph+ at night, but I have no idea if that's true or not.

The only reason to even think he might have done that is the fact that he still faces jail time if he'd ever return to Switzerland where he was clocked at >150/mph instead of the allowed 60/mph. He prolly would have gone even faster but nobody had removed the electronic engine lock at 250km/h that's standard for insurance reasons.

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05-25-2017 , 08:01 PM

#20

pig4bill

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 33,790

Most? No way in hell. Short parts of it, probably. At 3 am.

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05-26-2017 , 04:36 PM

#21

eco74

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 10,116

Yeah, those days of consistent 100mph on I-15 are long gone (even if you don't care about the cops). My cruising speed is generally about 85mph but there are so many chunks of the drive with traffic slowing you down, pretty much any time.

Also, as I've been driving LA to Vegas for 20+ years now, I have seen some wrecks that would scare straight anyone into slowing down.

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05-30-2017 , 04:28 PM

#22

Stu Ungar

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,966

So....how was the traffic?

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05-30-2017 , 05:02 PM

#23

macktyson

grinder

Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 688

Quote:

Originally Posted by ratthevol

I left Vegas yesterday morning (Monday-Memorial day) at 8am and literally hit zero traffic back to Cali. Small amount at Stateline but no more than a few minutes.

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05-30-2017 , 09:13 PM

#24

Sooga

veteran

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 3,320

Quote:

Originally Posted by macktyson

I left Vegas yesterday morning (Monday-Memorial day) at 8am and literally hit zero traffic back to Cali. Small amount at Stateline but no more than a few minutes.

Yea I would imagine that's about at the very latest you could leave and get out unscathed. I checked the traffic on google maps just for ****s and giggles at about 10am and it was solid red halfway to Jean.

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