“The Grapevine” is the name given to the stretch of the Interstate 5 north of Santa Clarita and south of Bakersfield. It’s the area of Southern California highway most likely to be socked in with weather during the winter, but when this photo was taken, potential snow was hardly likely. If this circa 1960s photo is anything to go by, the 5 was hardly the ten-lane behemoth it is today. Apparently the Grapevine Coffee Shop and 76 gas station were the last two buildings that needed to be demolished before roadwork on the freeway upgrade could begin. A shot like this makes me wonder who got that final cup of coffee.

David G says: “Today’s Interstate 5 straightened out and widened the old Route 99, which locals (like my father and mother) called the Ridge Route or the Grapevine.”

For more information on the Grapevine, go here.

This is how the Grapevine looked August 2023.