Day 16 - San Bernadino to Santa Monica

Last day of the drive today - Much easier drive than I thought it would be and really just lost the route a bit between Pasadena and Sunset Blvd. Some rain in the air this morning (only the third time since I landed in Chicago - rained in Kansas and a storm at the Grand Canyon).

First stop - Hollywood - nothing special - just wandered along Hollywood Blvd and no time to do anything else.

 

 

Second stop - Beverley Hills. The Bugatti Veyron was in its usual parking spot outside the Bijan store on Rodeo Drive.

 

Route 66 officially ends on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd and Ocean Ave and is marked rather underwhelmingly by a plaque on the cliff top.

The commercial 'tourist' finish is on Santa Monica pier around half a mile further along Ocean Ave.

 

Well that is it.

Was it worth it - yes, absolutely

Would I do it again - no. It was an interesting experience and I saw parts of America I would never have seen had I not been following the 66. Chicago was great and I will return. Arizona was fantastic. The small part of Utah I saw at Monument Valley makes me want to come back and see more. Other sights were one off and I have 'done' them - the blue whale, Cadillac Ranch, the Arch in St. Louis, even the memorial to the Oklahoma bombings and many more.

I saw much and I am sure I missed a lot. I lost track of the miles covered at the time I changed the car in Las Vegas but it was many more than the official route mileage due to getting lost, doubling back and the various detours. But that was all part of the experience.

It was great.

 

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Day 15 - Needles to San Bernadino

The guide books make it sound as though you are attempting to cross the Sahara. In reality the drive across the Mojave desert was no more trying than any other drive on the route. Yes, it is hot, but the road is quite good, well signposted and follows the railway line rather than the interstate. Long straight stretches of road but more to see than I expected, frequent huge freight trains, ghost towns and even a couple of extinct volcanoes.

 

Passed the film location of the 1980's movie 'Bagdad Cafe' as well as the famous Bottle Ranch

Last day on the road tomorrow and I suspect following Route 66 through downtown Los Angeles is going to be a lot more difficult than today was.

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Day 14 - Vegas back to Kingman To Needles

Left Vegas fairly early and stopped off at the Hoover Dam. The bridge by-pass completed a couple of years ago is now open to sightseers and gives the most impressive pictures of the dam, with Lake Mead in the background.

Labour day in the USA so a lot of traffic on the main road down to Kingman but the towns were empty. Kingman is another town that plays up to its route 66 history.

The road from Kingman to Needles was probably one of the most scenic encountered on this trip. It winds it's way along narrow steep old roads into the Black Mountains. Very few cars and well away from the interstate. I had changed the car in Vegas as the engine /automatic gear box seemed as though it was giving up and given the heat and the state of the road today it was just as well.

Oatman is an old gold mining town high in the Black Mountains but now a pleasant tourist trap. 'Wild' burros roam the streets - I guess a bit like the New Forest but hotter.

Needles is a small desert town just inside the Californian state line. Very, very hot - 110 degrees F which is around 40C.

Big day tomorrow - the drive across the Mojave desert - stocked up on water and planning to make an early start.

 

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Day 13 - Vegas

 

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Day 12 - Williams to Kingman (and then detour to Vegas)

Williams is a great little town that plays up both to its Route 66 history and the fact that it is the gateway to the south rim road to the Grand Canyon and the starting point for the steam railway trip to the Grand Canyon.

Great driving today and Route 66 stayed well away from the interstate through high ranch land. Very picturesque. Although much smaller than Williams, Seligman also keeps itself on the map with a host of 66 gift shops and attractions.

 

At Kingman diverted to Vegas for a couple of nights of rest and relaxation..............

 

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