Journeying north from San Diego you'll see SeaWorld just off the freeway. The 5 stays a bit inland past La Jolla until it reaches Del Mar, where it hugs the coast to San Clemente before turning inland again. This stretch is beach town land where you can enjoy some of San Diego County's best beaches at Del Mar, Solana Beach, Carlsbad and Oceanside. Just north of Santa Anna, you'll skirt three of southern California's major theme parks: Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm and Medieval Times. When you reach Los Angeles, you'll experience the worst congestion points along The 5 where through traffic is squeezed into two lanes. Once you maneuver the interchanges out of LA, you'll catch a view of Six Flags Magic Mountain's roller coasters near Valencia.
Leaving the Los Angeles Basin, The 5 morphs into 10 lanes until you ascend to the 4,183-foot Tehachapi Mountains at Tejon Pass where it transitions to a rural freeway. Zipping along the remaining 400 miles to Sacramento, there won't be much to see except flat stretches of farmlands and "pit stops" for gassing-up travelers. At Kettleman City, the California Aqueduct passes under The 5, giving a view of southern California's water supply. Further north is Little Panoche Reservoir State Wildlife Area and at Santa Nelta, the O'Neill Forebay State Wildlife Area. When The 5 reaches Sacramento, it passes under I-80 where the bottom of the nearby Sacramento River is actually higher than the freeway, causing occasional flooding. Just off the freeway is the Old Town Sacramento district, the city's original core with shopping and restaurants. At the California State Railroad Museum, you'll find exhibits, films, and a number of restored train cars. You can also take a sight-seeing tour on the Sacramento River aboard the "Spirit of Sacramento." Just 15 minutes north at Woodland, you can catch the Sacramento River Train and cross the longest wooden trestle in the West.
Once you leave Sacramento, most of the towns are tiny historic Sacramento Valley farming towns, such as Williams, Arbuckle, Willows and Orland. There are also many wildlife viewing opportunities. Passing Williams, the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge is just north of Maxwell. Further north at Orland, you can ride the 15-inch gauge train around the fairgrounds. As you approach Redding, you'll begin catching glimpses of Mount Shasta. At Redding, check out Turtle Bay Exploration Park's pedestrian-only Sundial Bridge, crossing the Sacramento River. Just north of Redding, The 5 crosses Shasta Lake, part of Whiskeytown Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. Further north is Cantara-Ney Springs Wildlife Area just north of Dunsmuir. Stopping at Yreka will offer views of Gold Rush-era architecture. The next stop is Oregon.
