Bill,

That would have been old US-99, not the Ridge Route. See:
US 99 Photo Gallery: Santa Clarita to Gorman

Pop

 

It would have been the 4 lane version, but was still called the Ridgeroute, according to the link Steve posted. It says there were 3 versions. They still call it the Ridgeroute. It was US 99.

Seems like we used The Ridgeroute and The Grapevine interchangeably. But that site says that the Grapevine referred only to the Northern grade.

I can remember when the Interstate opened, as I'm sure you guys can. I personally drove it within the first couple of years after it opened.

On edit: You probably meant that it would not have been what I called the "old ridgeroute". You are right about that. It would have been the version after 1947, which I assume would not be the windy roadbed shown in the photo above. Would it have been on the same path as the current I-5?

 

I guess I distinguish them as

1) The Old Ridge Route, a concrete two-lane that went from Castaic to Gorman in a very path-of-least-resistance kinda' way. That's where we went hunting as kids.

2) US-99, a much-more direct route, almost all of which was a new alignment, and had a center (suicide) "passing lane". It was widened to four lanes, two in each direction.

3) Interstate 5, which straightened out US-99, and used a good portion of it as the roadbed for one direction or the other.

Pop

 

Hollywood Freeway heading up to Cahuenga Pass, 1953

 

Who says it doesn't snow here?



1st & Spring 1949

 

Wow.

I genuinely can't comprehend having white-stuff on the ground there.

 

We don't have that white stuff any more.

We don't have those over-head street-car wires any more.

We don't have the street cars, either.

Pop

 

Nice!.......and, you dont have the empty streets anymore either!

 

Right.............. except when it snows.

 

But they are talking about putting the street cars back in again.
With the overhead wires.
Economic hopes riding on downtown streetcar plan - LA Daily NewsOr here.
YouTube - lastreetcar's Channel

 

This occured in September (usually the hottest month of the year) 1949. I remember it well. My mom took a pic of us kids cavorting in the backyard with snowflakes fallin' 'round us.

It hasn't snowed in LA LA Land since.

 

Pasadena Fwy @ Ave 50 before & after:




Anybody know what sits at this location now?

 

Is that the one in La Habra? If so, it is a Target Store now. But I think Sundown was a chain, so it could be another city.

NOPE! Scratch that.

That was the Whittier theater, at Washington and Lambert. It is a Home Depot now.

 

I'm pretty sure it's the one that was on Washington Blvd @ Lambert. The industrial buildings in the background would be on the West end of Home Depot, right next to the parking outside of tool rental. The circular drive in front seems to be a familiar feature too.

*edit*: I was typing during your edit.

Do you remember what year they tore the place down? Gotta be what...15 years or so ago?

 

This site has some info and dates:

Roadside Peek : Lost Treasures Sundown Drive-in Theatre

I didn't go to that theater much, but I do remember seeing Vanishing Point there. Would have been 1971, and I was still in high school. I think it was my first R rated movie. I STILL love that movie.