This is the original drive from Los Angeles to Bakersfield via the Historical U.S. Route 99 with the Ridge Route included. If you had to drive anywhere from Calexico to Canada on the west coast during the years of about 1915 to 1932, this is likely the route you would have taken. After 1933, the Ridge Route was bypassed by the U.S. Route 99 Alternate, which used Piru Canyon and went through current day Pyramid Lake. This drive starts near the north end of the Arroyo Seco Parkway, north of the tunnels, at Figueroa and 26th Streets. The U.S. Route 99 then turned northeast onto San Fernando Blvd all the way up to Newhall. On the way up, through the City of Burbank, I had to jump a couple of obstacles using dissolves. The first is Burbank's Village Center Mall, which was built directly on top of old U.S. Route 99, making the alignment no longer passable. Second, I had to jump over the Interstate 5 Freeway from San Fernando Road from Grismer Avenue to San Fernando Road and Empire Ave on the other side of the Interstate. There was once a long existing tunnel there, but construction was going on while I did this video to re-install the underpass (which has since been completed). We then drive Sierra Highway to Newhall Road, then to Railroad Avenue to what is now Magic Mountain Parkway. As we approach the Old Road, we jump past it for a moment onto Feedmill Road, which was the old alignment before the bridge over the Santa Clarita River was washed out by the collapse and subsequent raging flood caused by the San Francisquito Dam collapse up on San Francisquito Canyon and washed things and bodies all the way to the Pacific Ocean, and even to San Diego. We then jump on the Old Road as a sort of proxy for the old alignment, which is really under the Interstate 5 easement. We then jump over Interstate 5 and hook into Ridge Route Road. After passing over the glorious and very curvy Ridge Route, we continue on northward through Lebec, hit a couple of the existing pieces of the old road in that area, and then make our way down to the tiny town of Grapevine and then Wheeler Ridge. Then back on I-5, which covers the old U.S. Route 99 alignment until we split off just past Wheeler Ridge on the original road on Union Avenue north to Bakersfield. Once in Bakersfield, one notices all of the old, run down hotels that once were actively dotted along the old U.S. Route 99 up to what is now signed as Route 204, which bears left and carries us over the Kern River and we then join the current CA SR 99. Like San Fernando Blvd in Los Angeles, the old U.S. 99 went through an older part of Bakersfield east of the current CA SR 99. The newer parts of the city mostly lie to the west of the CA SR 99 freeway. And an important note that U.S. 99 through Santa Clarita after the year 1930 was re-aligned over what is now, "The Old Road," west of I-5 from the CA SR 14 split to the 126. However, much of this U.S. 99 alignment sits under I-5. The Only portions that still exist are from San Fernando Road to Calgrove. And from Magic Mountain Parkway to CA SR 126. All other areas of that re-alignment now sit under Interstate 5.
This is where Dead Man's Curve is, just in case you want to know it's location:
https://youtu.be/FHismtG6Z4Q
Here is the U.S. Route 99/Ridge Route playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLw6lnWsNjt_QfQFDbRb21H8TbJuMrnzwU
If you have the SLIGHTEST interest in the Ridge Route, you MUST read Harrison Irving Scott's Book, "The Ridge Route: The Road That United California." He wrote the most comprehensive and most fascinating book on this historical road. Many of the facts, and the reason I knew where to look for locations, are because of Mr. Scott's great research and written efforts. He is the go-to person for information on the route. I originally shot and assembled this on June 04, 2015 and ran it on one of my other YouTube Channels for many years with differing music. This is one of my favorite video shoots. The high speed aspect of this video is simply a post-production effect and is not mean to encourage speeding. Please always drive safely and prudently.