Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ging westward in beat-up old jalopies painted with 'California or Bust' signs,
Grapes of
Wrath
-style. After WWII Americans took their newfound wealth and convertible cars on
the road to get their kicks on Route 66.
As traffic along the USA's post-WWII interstate highway system boomed, many small
towns along Route 66, with their neon-signed motor courts, diners and drive-ins, eventu-
ally went out of business.
In California Route 66 mostly follows the National Trails Hwy, prone to potholes and
dangerous bumps. From the beach in Santa Monica, it rumbles through the LA basin,
crosses over the Cajon Pass to the railroad towns of Barstow and Victorville and runs a
gauntlet of Mojave Desert ghost towns, arriving in Needles near the Nevada stateline.
In larger towns, Mother Road relics may require a careful eye amid more contemporary
architecture, but as you head toward Nevada, wide open vistas and the occasional land-
mark remain barely changed from the days of road trippers.
NAVIGATING THE MOTHER ROAD
For Route 66 enthusiasts who want to drive every mile of the old highway, free turn-by-
turn driving directions are available online at
www.historic66.com
. Other useful sites are
Los Angeles to Barstow
Route 66 kicks off in Santa Monica, at the intersection of Ocean Ave and Santa Monica
Blvd. Follow the latter through Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, turn right on Sunset
Blvd and pick up the 110 Fwy north to Pasadena. Take exit 31B and drive south on Fair
www.fairoakspharmacy.net
; 1526 Mission St; mains $4-8; 9am-9pm Mon-Fri, to 10pm Sat,
10am-7pm Sun; )
, a nostalgic soda fountain from 1915. Turn around and follow Fair Oaks
Ave north, then turn right on Colorado Blvd, where the vintage
Saga Motor Hotel
(
GOOGLE MAP
; 800-793-7242, 626-795-0431;
www.thesagamotorhotel.com
;
1633 E Colorado
Blvd, Pasadena; r incl breakfast from $85;
)
still hands out quaint metal room keys to
its guests.
