Going to California

[PKCSPT]

In looking over our route to California I noticed there are checkpoints at the California border. Looks like they are looking for fruits and such ?

Anybody give me a bit more information on these, will it take hours to get through or is it fairly quick? Are they on all major highways?

Maybe someone knows of a good website, I keep finding DUI checkpoints but will keep looking. That Mojave desert is looking pretty good as our temperatures are staying pretty much at or below zero.

[eamarquardt]

California's farm economy: California agriculture experienced a nearly three percent increase in the sales value of its products in 2012. The state’s 80,500 farms and ranches received a record $44.7 billion for their output last year, up from $43.3 billion in 2011 and $37.9 billion during 2010. California remained the number one state in cash farm receipts with 11.3 percent of the US total. The state accounted for 15 percent of national receipts for crops and 7.1 percent of the US revenue for livestock and livestock products.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/statistics/

The State is trying to prevent unwanted pests from entering the State. So they stop all cars and trucks entering and ask you if you have any fresh fruits or vegetables. If so, they confiscate them. It's no big deal and it only takes a few moments.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus

[PKCSPT]

Yep, sure does. Thanks Gus.
That is exactly what I needed

[Midget]

When we came back from the Falling Tears gathering last fall, they asked if we had firewood. We said no and they waved us through. Took a couple seconds and we were through. That was on US395 heading south towards Tioga Pass. I don't think there is anything on interstate 15 coming from Las Vegas into California.

Bob

[Redneck Teepee]

In looking over our route to California I noticed there are checkpoints at the California border. Looks like they are looking for fruits and such ?

Anybody give me a bit more information on these, will it take hours to get through or is it fairly quick? Are they on all major highways?

Maybe someone knows of a good website, I keep finding DUI checkpoints but will keep looking. That Mojave desert is looking pretty good as our temperatures are staying pretty much at or below zero.

Death Valley weather is perfect this time of the year and worth the visit, if you can find the time be sure and see Scotty's Castle.

[canned o minimum]

MOST major freeways INTO California have "check points" ( I dare say ALL of em)... They hope to "catch" ANY foreign bugs and diseased foods or woods from entering the state that could decimate our "agriculture". Please do NOT bring fruits and veggies or firewood . If you do have these, please TELL the folks at the check point so they can dispose of the incoming material. It only takes a few minutes to surrender such "contraband" and then you may continue on yer journey. If you have no fruit,veggies or firewood, you will be waved thru without delay.

By the way... there IS a check point between Vegas and Cali on the 15 fwy.

[cherokeegeorge]

Most of the time they just wave you through, don't even ask any questions.

[BrwBier]

Driving from Las Vegas to Death Valley there is no checkpoint that we encountered.
Brwbier

[PKCSPT]

I have decided we better eat all our fruit before we hit the border.
Scotty's Castle,,, never heard of it. I will have to do some more surfing.

After this death freeze we are heading into the next few days I am looking forward to Death valley. My son and his wife take great pleasure in telling us they are in the 60's while we plunge into record breaking cold.

I have said it before, the people on this forum are better than google.

[SmokeyBear12]

Scotty's Castle,,, never heard of it.

Blasphemy! That's like saying Paul Bunyan? Who?

[Travels with Yoly]

Scotty's Castle (off the top of my head) is one of the most amazing places to visit in California, let alone Death Valley. Picture a guy building a house patterned after a 15th century Spanish castle. Money (for the most part since it wasn't his) was no object. Imagine what kind of place you could build for $10,000,000 in 1928 ! Imagine a palace built in the absolute middle of nowhere with solar heating and organic air-conditioning. The music room has what was at the time, the largest pipe organ in the world !Large panes of glass allowed the hot sun to heat water. The walls in the house are 17 inches thick* and hollow. There is a cold water stream running below ground under the house with caged structures over-lapped with burlap soaked in the stream water. Large fans then blow air across the burlap and through vents in the walls forcing cold air throughout the house in an environment that commonly sees summer temps above 120 degrees. All the marble was hand picked in Italy, all the china was hand picked from all over the world. Everything was the best that could be found anywhere in the world at the time. It's well worth the trip and I recommend the tour

* might be 11 inches but can't remember.

[stumphugger]

The checkpoints are not open all the time. I was told their budget was cut so they cut back and don't have 24 hour coverage. I haven't been down I-5 for a while but they were not open when I was going in on 101 or from Klamath Falls.

The I-5 one was open when I pulled my little Guy through and they wanted to chat about it more than about any veggies or fruits.

[eggsalad]

Driving from Las Vegas to Death Valley there is no checkpoint that we encountered.
Brwbier

Depends on your route. If you take I-15 south there is a checkpoint at Yermo. If you take US-95 northwest out of Vegas, no, there are no checkpoints crossing in to California.

Even when you pass through the Yermo inspection, passenger vehicles are rarely stopped - usually waved right through. The money crunch in CA has these checkpoints incredibly understaffed.

[GerryS]

Pardon my ignorance, what kind of routine checkpoints? Are we talking grapes of wrath? I can't imagine trying to seal the borders of a state like California could possible be effective...it's just too large of a state...seems like a futal waste of money.

[Esteban]

There are many pests that threaten to damage crops like grapes (wineries), citrus trees, native oak trees, and many other crops. Currently you cannot transport a boat from one lake to another in California without an inspection because of concern for spreading a species of clams that grow so prolifically that they can seriously damage or destroy (clog) water pipes and water filtration systems. Damages can easily get into many millions or billions of dollars and wipe out major food supplies, forests, or damage/destroy water systems. It is an ongoing battle. So being asked not to bring firewood or raw fruits into California is a minor inconvenience, imho.

It's not unlike recent restrictions on bringing your own firewood from out of the area to many campgrounds.

Come and enjoy your vacation in California. It is a big beautiful state.