itinerary: plan Las Vegas to Morro Bay drive

days/2026-10-03.md

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Oct 3 (Sat) — Las Vegas → San Francisco
+# Oct 3 (Sat) — Las Vegas → Morro Bay
 
 **Stay:** [Rockview Inn and Suites — Morro Bay](../bookings/stays/rockview-inn-morro-bay.md) · 1080 Market Ave · check-in from 3:00 PM PDT
 
@@ -6,19 +6,41 @@
 
 ## Logistics
 
-- Check out of Horseshoe by 11:00 AM
-- KT & VT fly LAS → Sofia at 14:23 PDT; arrive 2026-10-04 at 18:40 EEST, with 2 stops ([flights](../bookings/transport/flights-kt-vt.md))
-- MS/LK start the drive back to San Francisco; target Pismo Beach for the night
-- Scenic/food stops can include Tehachapi Pass, Bakersfield's Basque Block and Paso Robles, but do not let the first day run too late
+- Check out of Horseshoe and depart around **9:00 AM**
+- KT & VT fly LAS → Sofia at 2:23 PM PDT; arrive 2026-10-04 at 6:40 PM EEST, with 2 stops ([flights](../bookings/transport/flights-kt-vt.md))
+- MS/LK drive to Morro Bay: about **417 miles / 8 hours** baseline before stops and traffic
+- All luggage remains in the car. Conceal bags before departure, keep valuables with MS/LK and avoid opening the trunk at stops
+- Caltrans reported no restrictions on I-15, SR-58, SR-46 or SR-41 at **6:46 AM**; navigation and roadside signs control if conditions change
 
-## Working route
+## Recommended working route
 
-- Las Vegas → Pismo Beach: roughly 8 hours of baseline driving before stops and traffic
-- Dinner and a short harbor walk in Morro Bay if arrival is still reasonable
+- **9:00 AM** Depart Horseshoe
+- **Around 11:00 AM** Quick fuel/restroom stop near Barstow; Peggy Sue's and Calico were already visited on Sep 30
+- **1:30–2:15 PM** Lunch at **Kohnen's Country Bakery**, Tehachapi — German breads, sandwiches, soups and pastries; open 6:00 AM–6:00 PM today
+- **2:30–2:45 PM** **Tehachapi Loop Overlook** — brief railway-engineering viewpoint; if no train appears within about 10 minutes, continue
+- **Around 4:40 PM** **Blackwell's Corner** — quick fuel, drinks and road snacks
+- **Around 5:20 PM** **James Dean Memorial Junction**, Cholame — 10-minute roadside stop
+- Continue by SR-46, US-101 and SR-41 to Morro Bay
+- **Around 6:50–7:15 PM** Check in at Rockview Inn; dinner and a short Embarcadero/Morro Rock walk if energy remains
+
+## Alternatives — choose instead of adding everything
+
+- **Seven Magic Mountains:** open with no reservation, near I-15 south of Las Vegas. Allow roughly 45–60 minutes including the detour and visit; use it only if an earlier Morro Bay arrival is not important
+- **Wool Growers, Bakersfield:** more distinctive sit-down Basque lunch; Saturday lunch is 1:00–3:30 PM. Reserve a table and skip Tehachapi Loop to protect the arrival time
+- **Murray Family Farms Big Red Barn:** farm-store fruit, pie and snacks beside SR-58; the store is open 8:00 AM–10:00 PM today. Use the store only—the October farm park would consume too much time
+- **Scenic coastal finish:** after Cholame/Paso Robles, remain on SR-46 west to Highway 1, use only legal signed ocean-view pullouts, then drive south through Cayucos to Morro Bay. This adds about 45 minutes of driving. To reach the coast near the **6:44 PM sunset**, skip Tehachapi Loop and Blackwell's Corner and leave Kohnen's by about 2:15 PM
+
+Forecast checked this morning: Tehachapi around **84°F / 29°C**, Bakersfield around **99°F / 37°C**, and Morro Bay around **65°F / 18°C** near arrival. Keep a layer accessible for the coast.
 
 ## Addresses
 
 | Place | Address | Map |
 |---|---|---|
 | Horseshoe Las Vegas | 3645 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109 · +1 877-603-4390 | [36.11348, -115.16906](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=36.11348,-115.16906) |
+| Kohnen's Country Bakery | 125 W Tehachapi Blvd #D, Tehachapi, CA 93561 | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Kohnen%27s+Country+Bakery+Tehachapi) |
+| Tehachapi Loop Overlook | Woodford–Tehachapi Road, Keene, CA | [35.19506, -118.53485](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=35.19506,-118.53485) |
+| Blackwell's Corner | SR-46 at SR-33, Lost Hills, CA | [35.61489, -119.86777](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=35.61489,-119.86777) |
+| James Dean Memorial Junction | 19215 CA-46, Cholame, CA | [35.72334, -120.29697](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=35.72334,-120.29697) |
+| Wool Growers | 620 E 19th St, Bakersfield, CA 93305 | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Wool+Growers+Restaurant+Bakersfield) |
+| Murray Family Farms Big Red Barn | 6700 General Beale Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93307 | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Murray+Family+Farms+Big+Red+Barn) |
 | Rockview Inn and Suites — Morro Bay | 1080 Market Ave, Morro Bay, CA 93442 | [search](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Rockview+Inn+and+Suites+1080+Market+Ave+Morro+Bay+CA+93442) |

itinerary.md

@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ One file per day in [`days/`](days/): logistics, agreed plan, open notes, addres
 | [Sep 30](days/2026-09-30.md) | Wed | LA → Calico → Red Rock Canyon → Las Vegas |
 | [Oct 1](days/2026-10-01.md) | Thu | Death Valley viewpoints · Las Vegas evening |
 | [Oct 2](days/2026-10-02.md) | Fri | Las Vegas |
-| [Oct 3](days/2026-10-03.md) | Sat | Las Vegas → SF |
+| [Oct 3](days/2026-10-03.md) | Sat | Las Vegas → Morro Bay · 9:00 AM departure |
 | [Oct 4](days/2026-10-04.md) | Sun | San Francisco |
 
 ---
 
-*Last updated: 2026-10-01*
+*Last updated: 2026-10-03*