Old US Route 99 - Los Angeles, CA to Calexico, CA - High Speed Driving Video

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 6 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 63

  • @jbawden
    @jbawden Рік тому +1

    If only my family perceived my road-geeking in the way these videos are presented...

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      I'm such a road geek, JBawden! I just can't help it! Thank you for watching it. Fred : )

  • @lanefrank6208
    @lanefrank6208 Рік тому +4

    Old US 99, in the southern California area, was co-signed with US 60 and US 70. US 99 south split off from US 60/70 in the Indio area. Great video.

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +2

      Hi LaneFrank, yeah, I was reading how those routes were co-signed from about Dillon Rd though to where the 60 splits off now, if I recall correctly, and that the 70 was never a sole route in CA, always co-signed with something else. Every once in a while I'll see some old video showing those highways in like the 1950's, and I wish so much that I could have seen them in their heyday. The roads looked so unworn, if you know what I mean. Like a car would come down them every few minutes maybe if the road were lucky. Oh well, I was born too late! Thank you for watching the video, and I really appreciate your comments. -Fred : )

  • @DuaneHinkle
    @DuaneHinkle Рік тому +4

    Great video. I enjoyed the information along the way and learning all about the old 99 alignment. Your comment about the rickety old cars driving on those roads cracked me up. I drive one of those old cars (1929 Ford Model A Roadster) and that is what got me off the freeways and on the secondary roads. There is a fascinating world just beyond the freeways. Salton Sea is a fascinating place.

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      Thank you, Duane! That's cool that you have a '29 Ford. Wow, in six years, it will be 100 years old! I lived in Burbank for 21 years, so I'd see Jay Leno driving around in old cars a lot. One time, he was at a service station at night when I pulled up, and he had his head down over the engine with a screw driver tinkering with something, and I asked him if the car had broken down. He said, no, and that he was just fiddling with something to make it run slightly differently. People LOVE their old cars! Glad you do too. Thank you for the compliments and for watching the video. -Fred : )

  • @postal_the_clown
    @postal_the_clown Рік тому +2

    Heck of a drive, young man. A reminder of many things. How isolated and undeveloped some of these places were even up to the 60s. I really didn't know how popular Salton Sea was. No one ever actually sold me on it a a place to go and my impression was that it was slightly better but bordering on downright dangerous like Walker Lake up here. Still an interesting drive and I hope your tires survived.😁

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      Thank you, Mark. Yeah, I was constantly imagining these old cars making their way through these extremely large, desolate swaths of geography, hoping that they wouldn't break down. Thank you for the compliments and for watching the video. -Fred : )

    • @Dkrpan59
      @Dkrpan59 9 місяців тому

      I wasn’t young I was 68

  • @paulohashi332
    @paulohashi332 2 місяці тому

    Thank you for the ride. During the 50s my dad would take the family from LA to Bakersfield through the old ridge route. Driving Valley blvd to Pomona via toner cyn to bsa Firestone camp. Driving Ca 2 through san gabriel mts to catch the 395. Thank you for the memories. 😊

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  2 місяці тому

      That's so great that you have those memories, Paul. I love hearing about them since I never had any firsthand travel though these old routes, with the exception of the Ridge Route Alternate/U.S. Route for maybe a year or two. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )

  • @MM_in_Havasu
    @MM_in_Havasu Рік тому +2

    Wow! Cool drive, recognize most of those streets in downtown L.A., having worked for LADWP and retired from there in 2012.
    They can keep the insane traffic though! Great video!

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      Thank you, MM! It was great fun to make. -Fred : )

    • @MM_in_Havasu
      @MM_in_Havasu Рік тому

      @@RapidTopographykeep up the great work, these videos are fun to watch!

  • @bobcoats2708
    @bobcoats2708 Рік тому +2

    Another great video, Fred. Really enjoyed the old concrete ribbon where you could find it. Music selection was fun and energetic as always.
    I like that you’ve been adding elapsed mileage and time to some of your videos. Have you ever considered whether you could do a small inset map to show your progress as you move from one city to another? Only thing is, I imagine it’d be a lot of extra work.
    Thanks,
    Bob

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому

      Hi Bob! Thank you for that idea. I'll think about it. That's a great idea. And thank you for watching the video. I'm really glad that you enjoyed it! -Fred : )

  • @sallylambert1576
    @sallylambert1576 5 місяців тому

    That was so cool! Brings back a lot of memories with my Dad.

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  5 місяців тому +1

      I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Sally. I love that old stuff. I imagine the times when these are the only main roads. It's amazing how long those drives would have taken at the slower speeds of cars back then. -Fred : )

    • @sallylambert1576
      @sallylambert1576 5 місяців тому

      @@RapidTopography my Dad repaired vending machines back in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. His route took him up to the desert so I remember riding with him up the old Route 66 from Bloomington. I ride the old road in remembrance several times a year.

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  5 місяців тому

      That is such a nice way to remember your times with him. : )

  • @WhosaidIrene
    @WhosaidIrene Рік тому +1

    I had to watch 😊 made the trek from LA to Calexico many times as a kid in the 70’s to visit my beloved grandparents. This video made my heart swell with burst with memories (all warm and fuzzy). Ty friend 👍🏼

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      Oh, that's awesome, WhoSaidCate! I am so glad to hear that the video brought back good memories of your grandparents. There were no better trips than going to grandma and grandpa's house as a kid. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )

  • @noellemartin6332
    @noellemartin6332 6 місяців тому

    You are the bomb! I absolutely enjoyed the road trip, I wish I could've gone along. Born and raised in Los Angeles, but had a chance to enjoy a road trip like this. You did that 😊

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  6 місяців тому

      Oh how great that you enjoyed it so much, Noelle. I really did too. I love working on road shooting projects like that one. My time is limited though, so I can't always be working on one. Well, it will be out there waiting for you anytime you decide to do it. Thank you kindly for watching the video. I really appreciate it. -Fred : )

  • @ourv9603
    @ourv9603 5 місяців тому

    I love old roads.
    When you are driving sections of old roads, keep your eyes on the shoulder
    quite often back in the bushes or behind a couple of trees will be found the
    old original mile marker posts. The coolest ones are a 4x4 wooden post but
    the later ones will be flat metal.
    !

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  5 місяців тому

      Thank you, ourv9603. I'll look out for those. It's amazing when you really look that there are still original artifacts like that around. Thank you for watching the video. -Fred : )

  • @Aereaux
    @Aereaux 3 місяці тому

    I was born in Montery Park and then lived in Rosemead before we moved to Burbank. Wasn't much there in the 40s. My parents and all of my aunts and uncles went to El Monte Union High School. It was the only high school around in the 20s.

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  3 місяці тому

      That's cool that you know those areas though. I enjoyed driving through them. Thank you for watching the video, Aereaux. Fred : )

  • @anchorsaweigh9893
    @anchorsaweigh9893 Рік тому

    Awesome Video. I like taking my Motorcycle out and doing old routes around SoCal. Cheers from San Diego

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      Yeah, I would imagine that a motorcycle is perfect, especially for those sections that are less maintained, such as Old US 80 from San Diego to Yuma. Thank you for watching, AnchorsAweigh! -Fred : )

  • @MrOne9five0
    @MrOne9five0 Рік тому

    Amazing !! Being a baby boomer (1950) love this. I reflected on before freeways it would 5 hrs to drive from Corona to San Diego then TJ

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому

      In a way, it's really not that long ago. The fact that a lot of people recall these roads is pretty cool. Thank you for watching, MrOnecan. -Fred : )

  • @07BSPtC
    @07BSPtC Рік тому +1

    How do you find these alignments? I would love to drive some in nor cal. have found a few just out of luck

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      Hi 07BSptC. When I have wanted to drive an old route, I generally have found the alignments by reading as much as I can on the Internet. I'm sure you have done that too. What I have found is that some routes have a lot written on them, and others don't. Sometimes I have gone to books too (as with the Ridge Route). You should definitely do it. Every time I've been through norther California (as in way north such as around Lake Shasta), I have been very curious about the old roads up there. But I am just not up there enough to make a project of it. I would love to see what you find if you do it. Anyways, so long answer, short, I cobble together as much as I can, and then also using satellite maps, you can often make out old alignments that make sense for whatever road you are focusing on. So it's all of that together that often gives me the best picture of how things might have been. Oh, and lastly, sometimes local historical museums, or museums online, will have access to maps and books that are readily available on, say, Amazon.com. Thank you for watching my video, and again, please, if you do some of your own, please send me the links. I'd love to see them. -Fred : )

    • @07BSPtC
      @07BSPtC Рік тому

      @@RapidTopography yes. By me old historic 40 is pretty easy. Lots of signs and such. Found one section out of luck. I drive it all the time but only noticed the signs when I was in an Uber recently.

  • @jamesmassey-cc4ml
    @jamesmassey-cc4ml 4 місяці тому

    In the early 1950’s then US 99 was upgraded from two lane Hwy to four lane expressway from Palm Springs area westward in many places. When in the early 1960s when it became I 10 upgraded to freeway standards.

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  4 місяці тому

      Thank you, James. I love looking for any remnants of the differing versions of roads like you're describing. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )

  • @normsweet1710
    @normsweet1710 2 місяці тому

    I recall my Dad used to say “ain’t changed none, folks still run 60 mph stop lite to stop lite. Lots of cars in S. Ca

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  2 місяці тому

      That sounds like SoCal drivers, Normsweet. Lol. Thank you for watching the video. Fred : )

    • @normsweet1710
      @normsweet1710 2 місяці тому

      @ I forgot to mention my Dads remarks came after 2 weeks in LA 1946 after getting outta the Navy after WWll . He said “this ol Mich farmer seen quite a bit “ of the way they live & drive out there .

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  2 місяці тому

      Just imagine if he could see it now. It's such craziness with all of the congestion. That's why I love the open road. Fred : )

  • @JL-cu8rh
    @JL-cu8rh 2 місяці тому

    Man.. I hope you are making some money from these FANTASTIC videos to cover your car's wear & tear costs, on top of gas. Thanks for the info along the way... Nice!!

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  2 місяці тому

      Thank you JL. I don't make a lot of money on these, but I really love driving and photographing the drives. So it's worth it for me. Thank you for your very kind words and for watching the videos. -Fred : )

  • @lesliefranklin1870
    @lesliefranklin1870 2 місяці тому

    Note that the desert you drove through is not the Sonoran Desert, it's the Colorado Desert.

  • @alvarezjacqueline1266
    @alvarezjacqueline1266 Рік тому

    im really inretested in this trip. Calexico is my birthplace. we always took the main route to Calexico. so im trying to plan this trip out...are the named streets in video the actual turns we take? are all street turns named?

    • @robertfeeley9738
      @robertfeeley9738 Рік тому +1

      Went to Calexico High class of 67

    • @alvarezjacqueline1266
      @alvarezjacqueline1266 Рік тому

      @@robertfeeley9738 born Calexico in 66' moved to Mexicali then moved to echo park in L.A. now in the San Gabriel valley.

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому +1

      Hi Jacqueline. Yes, I think I put all of the roads and turns that I made on the video. The only thing is that I went on some side roads that are the former US Route 99, and some of them are in bad shape. But most are okay. Those that were in bad shape were between about Banning and Cabazon, so it's probably easier to take Interstate 10 during those stretches. There are also other areas where I've dissolved onto Old US Route 99 that are now side roads. Some of those aren't done with a simple exit, but rather, one has to "get around" to them. But otherwise, if you follow the video, it should be mostly readable. If you have any specific questions about areas/roads, just refer to the time code on the UA-cam video when asking me the question, just so that I can shoot right over to where you are asking about. Enjoy your trip. Fred : )

    • @alvarezjacqueline1266
      @alvarezjacqueline1266 Рік тому

      @@RapidTopography this is so great. thank you. I cant wait.

  • @kevinbroadway5398
    @kevinbroadway5398 6 місяців тому

    wow thats a long way to go just for one purpose i hope you did a few things and even went to mexico

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  6 місяців тому

      Yeah, Kevin, I did have some other things to do along the way. Also, I shot the video in segments, so I didn't do it all at once. Thank you for watching it! -Fred : )

  • @Dkrpan59
    @Dkrpan59 9 місяців тому

    How come only couple wind turbines are working

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  9 місяців тому

      That is something I always wonder too. The wind can be blowing pretty hard, and only some fraction of the turbines are turning. I don't know why that is.

    • @Dkrpan59
      @Dkrpan59 9 місяців тому

      @@RapidTopography thought maybe the other broken

  • @Dkrpan59
    @Dkrpan59 9 місяців тому +1

    California did not provide a alternative for bicyclists they would and could ride on the interstate

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  9 місяців тому

      That is true. I agree.

    • @Dkrpan59
      @Dkrpan59 9 місяців тому

      @@RapidTopography I rode my bicycle from alpine to phoenix able ride on the shoulder of course on 8

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  9 місяців тому

      Yeah, there are so many areas that are only accessible as pass through via an interstate, especially though mountainous and desert areas. I'm not sure why the route-makers didn't think of ways to better incorporate bicycle riders, especially when most states try to promote ridership for green purposes. It's really something they should retro-fit where they can if possible. Thanks for making that point. And thank you for watching the video. Fred : )

  • @snakeisekans
    @snakeisekans Рік тому

    Whitewater bridge unfortunately collapsed

    • @RapidTopography
      @RapidTopography  Рік тому

      OMG! Did it really? From Tropical Storm Hilary? I am so sad to hear this. And I am thankful that I shot the video this past summer then. Thank you for telling me this. I did not know, Snakeisekans. -Fred

  • @rayclapper6094
    @rayclapper6094 Рік тому

    My