Route 66 - San Bernardino to the 'End of the Trail'
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How many people get to spend their birthday overnight in a concrete wigwam?
A night in a concrete wigwam? Weird, right? It wasn’t as weird and novel as I figured it would be. It was, indeed, a concrete conical structure that resembled a teepee, and the inside was tiny and roundish, but we were so tuckered out from a long day of Route 66-ing, it didn’t really register that we were in an unusual, iconic Route 66 accommodation. We didn’t even manage to go out for dinner for David’s birthday as planned. We supped on Wheat Thins, hummus, and chips and called it good. But I did take a few pics, so you can peek inside in case you’re interested in staying or just curious.
We were up early and back on the Mother Road by 0700. The route today would be less than 100 miles, but you know how we travel… slowly… and there were lots of iconic sights to see, starting with the very first McDonald’s not far away.
The very first McDonald’s opened in 1940. The brothers Dick and Mac McDonald originally offered BBQ served by carhops, which particularly appealed to local teenagers, and the place became a hangout for the younger crowd. Though the restaurant was a success, the brothers opted to change the menu in 1948 and instead offered basic ‘teen’ fare… burgers, shakes, and soda. They got rid of the carhops and reorganized their kitchen to be more streamlined and efficient. Ray Kroc convinced the brothers to franchise in 1954 and later bought them out, and the rest is history. The property was purchased by Albert Okura, an entrepreneur and founder of the Juan Pollo chicken restaurant chain. In 1998, Okura acquired the property and converted it to the Original McDonald’s Site and Museum. The Museum is not affiliated with McDonald’s Corporation.
Remember when hamburgers were 15¢?
Admission is free, but the museum doesn’t open until 10 AM. We stood behind a fence and took pictures from the sidewalk—no time to waste. We had lots of things to do today, the most important of which was finding an actual McDonald’s and buying our morning McCafe and topping up the Ioniq.
US-66 changed names frequently as we passed through multiple towns along the route… Foothills Boulevard, Huntington Drive, Colorado Boulevard, Arroyo Seco Parkway… we looked for Historic 66 signs as reassurance we were still on the right road.
We stopped for a walk and a snack in Monrovia. Wandering through its Old Town, we spotted the Hot Tub Bear statues randomly along Myrtle Ave, so-named for Samson, a 500-pound black bear that liked soaking in people’s hot tubs.
I visited with Mark Twain sitting in front of Library Park reading a book. The Paris Baguette offered decadent but delightful treats and coffee that we just couldn’t pass up.
In Arcadia, Denny’s maintained the windmill theme that was once the Van De Kamp building. We also passed the Santa Anita Park/Racetrack, but there wasn’t much to see. We whizzed through Pasadena (no Rose Bowl parade at the moment). Many of its points of interest were off Route 66, and we were reluctant to doddle too long.
Heading west on the Seco Arroyo Parkway isn’t all that impressive, but missing a turn and heading back east was another story. One of the oldest freeways in the United States and the first limited-access, high-speed thoroughfare in the West, it was considered an engineering marvel of its time. According to the National Park Service, “Upon its completion in 1940, it was designated an alignment of Route 66, becoming the first stretch of the Mother Road to run over a modern, limited-access highway in the nation. “
Seco Arroyo Parkway - the first freeway in the West
We took the Figueroa Street exit off the parkway to stop in the Highland Park Neighborhood of LA to see Chicken Boy, one of the iconic ‘Muffler Man’ statues that were all the advertising rage in the 1960s. Dubbed the ‘Statue of Liberty of LA’, this fowl guy once stood atop the Chicken Boy Fried Chicken Restaurant, but was removed in 1984 when the owner died.
He was given to a local artist who moved it to a reinforced rooftop location on North Figueroa Street, where he stands proudly gazing out over the neighborhood. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger paid homage to this well-known fiberglass giant in 2010 with the Governor's Historic Preservation Award.
Then we were heading down Broadway to 7th, which was the original end of US-66, but amidst the heavy traffic, we didn’t spot the historical marker. An extension was approved from LA to Santa Monica in 1935, and the official terminus was designated at the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic Boulevards in 1936, which connects to US Highway 101 and California SR1… the Pacific Coast Highway. We followed the Mother Road to its official end… no big deal.
Then, we headed to Ocean Boulevard to the traditional end of US-66… the Santa Monica Pier. We were surprised to find on-street, metered parking ($2.50/hr) immediately. We walked along the pathway through Palisades Park and took pics from above the beach with a great view of the pier.
Palisades Park Walkway… green and shady
View of the pier from Ocean Boulevard
Why has the Pier always been the traditional end? It makes sense. Since it was built in 1916, the pier has been a place of celebration with a sensational backdrop of the Pacific Ocean sprawling endlessly over the horizon. After traveling 2,448 miles to complete the Mother Road, this definitely seems like ‘the end of the trail’. For sure, it’s a more dramatic and fitting end to the Mother Road than a rather nondescript city street intersection.
The Santa Monica Pier Bridge is undergoing massive renovation and reconstruction. Originally built in 1939, it no longer meets safety or seismic standards, and it’s considered structurally deficient. So, a temporary pedestrian bridge was constructed so that the pier and all its restaurants, shops, and entertainment can continue unimpeded.
The temporary entrance to the Santa Monica Pier during construction.
We found the ‘End of the Trail’ sign immediately in front of the 66-to-Cali shop. We chatted with Ian, the shop’s manager at length. The original End of the Trail sign appeared in the 1935 and disappeared sometime in the 1960s. For Route 66’s 83rd birthday in 2009, a new sign was installed on the pier.
Postcard from 1935 showing the end of the trail sign
We had a late lunch of clam chowder bread bowls and cold draft beer at The Albright. This restaurant holds the title of the longest-running restaurant on the Santa Monica Pier, owned by the same family since opening nearly half century ago.
We walked the length of the pier to the end, checking out info kiosks, the Arcade, and the Pacific Park amusement rides. The place was teeming with tourists.
I was disappointed to learn that Looff’s Carousel was closed the two days we planned to be there. Looff’s Hippodrome was built in 1916 by Charles I.D. Looff and his son Arthur and opened the same year as the Looff Pleasure Pier (now Santa Monica Pier). Inside was the beautiful carousel. I love merry-go-rounds, especially the artistry of the Looff carousel animals. The best we could do was peer through the windows for a peek of what might have been.
Maybe another time? Because the carousel at the Arcade just didn’t cut it.
This carousel just didn’t meet my expectations!
We returned to 66-to-Cali and bought an official Route 66 t-shirt from Ian who offered to take pics in front of the shop.
We ended our road trip with a meeting with an old friend, John from ‘Active Transport ‘. Unlike us, John still lives aboard his boat in a Marina del Rey Marina and rode his bike to meet us for lunch. We caught up as best we could in a couple of hours, then he made us an offer we couldn’t refuse. No spoilers here, but we will be returning to LA sometime in mid-August for a special event. Stay tuned.
We returned to Las Vegas the easy way, whizzing along I-15 at 70mph… when the traffic wasn’t snarled. We’re now looking forward to heading to Chicago in September, when we plan to follow Route 66 from its eastern terminus on South Michigan Avenue and drive west back to Kingman, Arizona, completing our 100th birthday celebration of the Mother Road. So much to do!