i guess i live close to the airport--9 miles... it takes me about 20 minutes to get to San Jose International... i typically get dropped off by family, friend or Uber... it's never taken me even an hour total to check-in... i drop off my luggage at the curbside... go through security... find my gate... go to the bar and order a double shot of tequila... wait to board... easy peasy... less wear and tear on me... no wear and tear on my car... some roadtrips are better than others... last month my husband and i took a trip to Tahoe... about a 4-hour drive... not bad... nice drive--beautiful scenery... but driving the the Mojave Desert? blah...
Driving to Tahoe is a much more daunting task for me. The shortest way is across the Mojave Desert up Rte. 395. It’s a scenic route as the desert gives way to the Sierra Nevada mountains, but the road isn’t that great. The other way, up Interstate 5 through the San Joaquin Valley is freeway all the way unless you take the Grant Line Road cutoff to Rte. 50, but it’s longer.