LOL is that Skip for "stay up north"? 
That is a hell of a haul though, I didn't do the math but I'm thinking 5 hour pull 
GT
Hell no it's not, I say come on down, the more the merrier

but you're right, 5 or so hour pull depending on traffic, if I lived in Sacto and I could hit The Delta, New Melones, Oroville, Don Pedro, or any of the other bodies of water within a 2 hour drive, you can bet your ass I wouldn't be hauling down to Bakersfield.
How's things in GT land? Labor Day this year???