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California place name??
I'm reading an account of the circumstances surrounding the death of James Dean. The author mentions a CA road named, "The Grapevine".
Can any of you Californians tell me where that road is, and if it still exists? ------------------ Doug '81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber") Canada West Region PCA members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm |
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05-17-2001, 04:45 PM
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Doug
The "Grapevine" is a section of Interstate 5 that connects the San Joaquin Valley area with southern California. Specifically it is the section between the valley floor and the top of a mountain range of about 4,100 ft above sea level. Its mostly two lanes in each direction. It's very steep in some areas. In fact, there are large sand pits on the side of the road in some places for semi tractor trailers whos brakes fail. |
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05-17-2001, 05:01 PM
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I'm from Oregon. But I believe that "the grapevine", a road leading up and out of L.A. is NOT where James Dean died. Last weekend, I think I drove by that place? Do you have a California Map? IF so, look south of Monterey, which is South of San Francisco. Find a little town named Cambria on the coast. Then head south, then east toward Interstate 5. You'll find yourself on a couple of California highways, 41 & 46. If memory serves me, that's where it happened, where these two intersect, though the intersection is nothing like it was then, 1957. We passed a little Cafe that had monuments of some sort. We didn't stop. Never felt an otherworld presence, you see...it was just a way to get home.
 [This message has been edited by pwd72s (edited 05-17-2001).] |
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05-17-2001, 05:07 PM
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I live in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks to be exact. There is this little flower shop on Ventura Blvd. in an old gas station building. I've been going in there for years on all the occasions when you need to get your wife flowers (or like when I'm contemplating a new toy). I only recently learned that this was the gas station where James Dean bought gas before that fateful drive. Just a little bit of trivia.
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05-17-2001, 05:15 PM
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I do know where Dean died, I visited the actual intersection and the "cafe" a few times in past trips. Yeah, not all that far from Cambria. Didn't have a Porsche at the time, so felt no spiritual connection
So...would *Bakersfield* be near the part of I-5 that would be classed as the "Grapevine"? (Did some contract work for PG&E near there a few years ago). ------------------ Doug '81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber") Canada West Region PCA members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm |
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05-17-2001, 05:18 PM
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The grapevine is probably 100 miles south west of Bakersfield.
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05-17-2001, 05:23 PM
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Thanks for the geography lesson, guys!
I've got my Rand McNally atlas out...makes me want to get out on a road trip! ------------------ Doug '81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber") Canada West Region PCA members.home.net/zielke/911SC.htm |
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05-17-2001, 05:26 PM
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