Grapevine

Also known as the Tejon Pass, the Grapevine is a steep pass south of Bakersfield, the pass which connects the San Joaquin Valley to Los Angeles. Los Angeles is surrounded by mountains and ocean; this is one of the only main passes out of the city. The ascent to this pass is quite steep, especially from the northern side. Although the pass is only a little over 4,000 feet at the top, it is known for extreme weather conditions including random blizzards, torrential rain, hail, dust storms, severe wind, extreme summer heat, 'black ice' on the road in the winter, and dense fog. The road closes a few times every winter during severe storms... when this happens there is basically no way north out of Los Angeles with the exception of highway 101 (or highway 14, if you want to drive through hundreds of miles of desert). Also, there are periodically huge chain reaction accidents here involving 60+ automobiles and several deaths each. If you're traveling highway 5 in this area in the summer, bring lots of water.. during hot days there are literally dozens of overheated cars lining the highway, especially on the north side. If it's storm season, bring tire chains, you may need them.

Grape"vine` (?), n. Bot.

A vine or climbing shrub, of the genus Vitis, having small green flowers and lobed leaves, and bearing the fruit called grapes.

⇒ The common grapevine of the Old World is Vitis vinifera, and is a native of Central Asia. Another variety is that yielding small seedless grapes commonly called Zante currants. The northern Fox grape of the United States is the V. Labrusca, from which, by cultivation, has come the Isabella variety. The southern Fox grape, or Muscadine, is the V. vulpina. The Frost grape is V. cordifolia, which has very fragrant flowers, and ripens after the early frosts.

© Webster 1913.