Saturday, November 2, 2024

The Route (78 Miles of scenic historic highways)

A few changes this year. Please scroll.

1: Depart 9:00 AM Saturday Nov 2, Rancho San Diego

Southwest corner of the Rancho San Diego Towne Center parking lot Near Hooleys and the movie theater 2963 Jamacha Road, El Cajon.

OLDE HIGHWAY 94 (1937)

Lots of twists and turns... good sports car road!

2: Dulzura Winery for coffee and donuts

13.7 miles to Dulzura Vineyard and Winery, run by descendants of the 1885 Clark Ranch. It will be a bit early for wine tasting, but the tasting room, located in the old ranch pickling building, will be opened for us, and we will have coffee and donuts on picnic tables under the trees.

The winery has special little chocolates made in Tecate from cacao sourced from around the world. Kind of like varietal wines.

We'll probably stay about an hour.

3: Pacific Southwest Railway Museum

The San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway Company traces its origins back to 1906, when John D. Spreckels announced he would build a railroad to provide San Diego with a direct rail link to the east by connecting with the Southern Pacific lines in El Centro.

It's an incredible story of hardship and determination, and it's told in this museum. We will spend about an hour here. The admission fee is $10 or $8 for seniors, but the club will pay $5 of it for each of us.

4: We'll take a short bypass though what remains of Camp Lockett, last home of the legendary Buffalo Soldiers who patrolled the Mexican border on horseback in WW2.

5: The Motor Transport Museum

Sometimes referred to the place where old trucks go to die, this is not your average auto graveyard. Lots of interesting old vehicles, a few of which have been restored.

We'll just drive through to get a taste of what's here, and tip our hats to a couple fallen brothers on the way out.

On the way to our next stop, we'll drive under the High Trestle, part of the "Impossible Railroad" we learned about at the Railway Museum.

5: Wisteria Candy Cottage

Wisteria Candy Cottage

14.2 miles to Wisteria Candy Cottage Family owned since 1921, makers of amazing handmade chocolates. If you don't want to carry chocolate in your car, they ship.
(30 minutes.)

OLDE HIGHWAY 80

Yes, they actually spell it that way on the signs. (1917)

One of the first coast-to-coast US highways, this road once went all the way to the Atlantic Ocean and included the "Old Plank Road" through the sand dunes.