California's Best Trips 2 - Full PDF eBook

 When emergency vehicles (ie police, fi re or

ambulance) approach from either direction,

carefully pull over to the side of the road.

 If a police car is pulled off on the shoulder

of the road, drivers in the right-hand lane are

legally required to merge left, as long as it’s

safe to do so.

 It’s illegal to carry open containers of alco-

hol inside a vehicle, even empty ones. Unless

containers are full and still sealed, store them

in the trunk.

 California has strict antilittering laws; throw-

ing trash from a vehicle may incur a $1000 fi ne.

PARKING

Parking is plentiful and free in small towns

and rural areas, but scarce and expensive

in big cities. You can pay municipal parking

meters and centralized pay stations with

coins (eg quarters) or sometimes credit or

debit cards. When parking on the street,

read all posted regulations and restrictions

(eg street-cleaning hours, permit-only

residential areas) and pay attention to

colored curbs, or you may be ticketed and

towed. Expect to pay at least $2.50 per

hour or $25 overnight at a city parking

garage. Flat-fee valet parking at hotels and

restaurants is common in cities; tip the

valet attendant at least $2 when your keys

are handed back to you.

FUEL

 Gas stations in California, nearly all of which

are self-service, are everywhere, except in

national parks and remote desert and mountain

areas.

 Gas is sold in gallons (one US gallon equals

3.78L). In 2012, the cost for midgrade fuel

ranged from $3.75 to $5.

ROAD TRIP WEBSITES

Driving Conditions & Traffi c

California Department of Transpor-

tation (www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi)

Highway conditions, construction updates and

road closures.

511.org (www.511.org) San Francisco Bay

Area traffic updates.

go511.com (www.go511.com) LA and South-

ern California traffic updates.

Automobile Clubs

American Automobile Association

(www.aaa.com) Emergency roadside assist-

ance (24-hour), free maps and travel discounts

for members.

Better World Club (www.betterworldclub.

com) Ecofriendly auto-club alternative to AAA.

Maps

Google Maps (http://maps.google.com)

Free online maps and driving directions.

National Park Service (www.nps.gov/

state/ca/index.htm) Links to individual park

sites for road condition updates and free

downloadable PDF maps.

Road Rules

California Department of Motor Ve-

hicles (www.dmv.ca.gov) Statewide driving

laws, driver’s licenses and vehicle registration.

F  a n a  3 r R D C

California Playlist

Surfer Girl Beach Boys

( Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay

Otis Redding

California Love 2Pac & Dr Dre

California Dreamin’ The Mamas &

the Papas

California Phantom Planet

California Gurls Katy Perry featur-

ing Snoop Dogg

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CALIFORNIA DRIVING GUIDE

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