Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
I personally like the folsom area. Hangtown and Tahoe are much closer.
thanks bro's
No disrespect to Bakersfield or its residents at all, but IMHO there is a VERY short list of places that I think are worse than the Bakersfield area to drive through and or stop in.
I am from the north Los Angeles area, and have moved my parents to Sac, actually about 45 east to Placerville, or Rescue CA to be exact.
I am driving to Portland, Oregon this weekend from L.A. up the 5 fwy for the millionth time for work.
I'll just say that I can't wait to get through Bakersfield faster than any other place on that drive. Just being honest with you man, It is what it is :/
EDIT: I know Bakersfield is off the 99 but let's be honest, once you hit that part of central California, roll up your windows, hit the A/C recirc button and pin it. Can't wait to get through it.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
One thing to keep in mind is that as hot as it is up and down the valley, it cools off a lot more, a lot more often, and usually very nicely at night in the summer in the Sacramento area from the Delta breeze that sweeps through the Bay Area as fog and into the valley through the Sacramento River basin. It's like an air conditioning blast that regularly refreshes the Sac area from time to time (not talking cold, but low 70's/high 60's some nights). We're off the air conditioning most of the summer, often even in the high 90 days). That tends to not be the case when you get down toward Fresno/Bakersfield or up toward Red Bluff/Redding, where the cooling dissipates and it doesn't back off as much (unless the Monsoons creep over to the high desert down south). It's not uncommon in the summer for Scottie up in Redding to have nighttime temps 20 degrees hotter, even if the daytime difference might be Redding about 5 degrees hotter than Sac.
I think the quality of community life within the Sacramento area is a lot richer than right around Bakersfield (pretty incredible restaurant scene, decent arts, NBA team and probably an MLS team soon). As people have noted, however, LA is around the corner for that sort of thing if you're in Bakersfield, and Vegas isn't that far if you're into it. I've lived in NorCal all my life and east of Sac for almost the last 20 (grew up in the Bay Area); obviously I'm biased, but it's a no brainer. But that says more about my tastes than it does what Bakersfield has to offer; check them both out and see which suits you. If most of your life outside of work is riding, you'll be able to have a great time in either place.
Central California tends to have a stagnant air feel to it, almost a sticky heat. It's practically all farm land north and north west of there, and it gets pretty muggy and stinky with all the cows.
Sacramento isn't always the greatest either but its much much better, respectively. There are a lot of rolling hills I would say, that can get pretty dry in the summer. But I've been there when it's snowed about 5 years ago lol It cools down and you do get a breeze.
FTE, yea my parents moved there about 10 years ago from Santa Clarita. Wanted some property, so they bought a decent size home tucked away on 5 acres. She's not secluded, neighbors are close, but I love the Nor-Cal attitude that they have back in there. A lot of her neighbors are from southern california and are retired or about to be. Its hard to explain, but it's like they have that "been there, done that" positive , lend a hand attitude, and I love that. Great people, great area. Visit all the time!
On the other hand it's fairly cheap to live there
Do some reading: http://www.city-data.com/forum/california/
I liked Sacramento when I went there. I was in old town and it reminded me of where I grew up in New England. I drove from there and went to a VW show in Antioch. It wasn't so nice there.
So many cool places up north too. Swabbie's on the river and cool places in Folsom and Old Sac that have awesome bars within walking distance of each other.
I'm about an hr from sac
- perfect where we're at, we shopped around for 6 months prior about 15 years ago.. Got a killer deal, 4 garages, on a court on a big lot
Take your time, take plenty of notes pics and video
Location location location
Go in a local store or restaurant in a possible area.. To get feel for the quality of life you want
About an hr to prairie city/ Hangtown
1.5 hrs or less to mville and 3 tracks
Oatfield 25 mins
But the best... Hour or so to the foothills
2.5 to the sierras for hitting the slopes
2 hrs to Santa Cruz / Capitola / Monterey / etc
We did SF/ pier 39 and the blue angels on the weekend, 1.5 hrs
Plus Othg if your 30+
Shorter race days/ gang only
Private track day
Tons of good sponsors and deals
If anybody has a right to talk about location, its this guy!
I remember many trips through this place, on the way to Ballarat where we'd camp for a night. Then take a 3 day jeep trek up over the mountains and down into death valley and back.
What do you do out there Walent, i'd like to hear your story man, thanks!
Pit Row
Not in a million years would I think there'd be a dude posting on vital from Trona. Awesome, small world.
Have you ever been to Ballarat and up through the mountains to Death valley?
If anybody here lives in California and is a jeep/offroad enthusiast, it's one trip you gotta take!
It's a 2-3 day trip starting west of the mountain range, climb up through, and first stop is Charles Manson's ranch! lol
It's basically all in tact, you can walk through the house, even his bathtub is still there outside lol How in the hell he got a school bus back up there is beyond me! We spend the nights in old geological cabins with tents/ sleeping bags etc. Hit elevation and it gets damn right cold. Beautiful valley springs with running streams. Then you go from 75 degree breezy, to 115-120+ degree hell when you drop down into Badwater and through furnace creek. Too fuckin hot to even stop and have a beer. My favorite guys trip by far, we had about 7 Jeeps mostly father/son crews. Great memories!
Anyone else here done that trip? would love to hear it/share stories.
Sorry to get off topic, but we need a new forum or place to post our trips and travels in specific areas. I'd love to hear and see them all, i bet there are plenty!
Good Luck Young Man make it happen!
Can't believe nobody has brought up WATER!!!!!!!!
Were looking like we will have a wet winter, but if we don't SoCal will be lucky to have enough to take a shower.
Here in Central Ca wells are drying up like crazy, 8 to 12 month waiting period to have a deeper well drilled, and hopefully the water is decent, and will not have to be treated before home use.
Man I hope we have a wet year, and several more. If what we have experienced over the last 4 years is the new "Normal", Calif will be a very different place.
Northern Ca has the water, lots of it compared to the rest of the state, which mostly would be desert if it wasn't for the water coming from the North supplying the South, might want to give that a little consideration.
.
Doug S.
Etc., etc., etc...
better than Sac or Bako
Post a reply to: Sacramento/Bakersfield