Route 66 - Day by Day

Sendoff: Chicago - July 1, 2000

At 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 1, a group of friends, colleagues, and well-wishers turned up at the Hit the Road travel shop on Chicago's north side, to help give a formal sendoff to the Route 66 travelers. Special guests included Laura Jane Hyde from Gilda's Club Chicago, Bob and Murial Novy from USAutoMovers, and the parents of co-traveler Susan Frissell, publisher of Women With Wheels.

By 9:00 a.m., goodbyes had been said, both dogs (Boots 'n' Arl) were in their back-seat spot, and the Chevrolet Tahoe sport-utility vehicle - generously provided by General Motors Corporation - was ready to head westward. Susan Frissell and Linda Elliott intended to drive first to Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago - which happens to be the original starting point of old Route 66. Destination for Saturday evening: St. Louis, Missouri.

Day 1: July 1, 2000 - The Open Road Calls
Hit the Road, Chicago, IL to St. Clair, MO

After nearly eight months of preparation, the big day finally arrived. At the crack of dawn, Linda, Boots 'n Arl and I piled into the Chevy Tahoe sport-ute and headed for Hit the Road on Southport Avenue in Chicago. Maureen and Annice (proprietors) were there to welcome us with coffee, road trip gifts to go, and well wishes.

After a friendly gathering, and a few dollars spent at this great store, we pulled away from the curb at 9:10 am, zig-zagged our way through the city to avoid the crowds for the Taste of Chicago event, and made a beeline for I-55 south. Bound for St. Louis, we had every intention of spending the night there.

Day 1 began slowly. We spent a fair amount of time arranging and rearranging the interior of the car. We thought we'd save room by using the luggage carrier. After hoisting it to the roof, we decided against it. A large sport-utility-vehicle, the Chevrolet Tahoe, we discovered, wasn't big enough to hold all our "stuff." Where would Boots 'n Arl be most comfortable? In the back, with the seats folded flat, the "stuff" stacked behind in the third-row seating area.

After a sudden stop, sending Boots airborne into the front seat, we decided leaving the back seats upright (to provide a barrier against flying stuff) made better ergonomic sense. In fact, it was the only way we could coax Boots into getting into the back seat again.

Our first night on the Mother Road was spent at (or in) the "Tahoe" Motel. At 10:00 p.m., we were still driving, but had hours before given up any hope of finding a room in St. Louis. After being told there probably were no vacancies within 25 miles of the city, we continued south and west.

Somewhere around midnight, we pulled into the parking lot of a St. Clair motel, and tucked the truck into an out of the way space at the far end of the lot, trying to keep a low profile. I curled up in the back with Boots 'n Arl, Linda attempted to make herself comfortable in the front passenger seat. Hiding out, we were inconspicuous until I opened the door. The security system engaged, the Tahoe suddenly came alive honking and flashing. So much for anonymity!!

Around 3:00 a.m., we awoke to thunder and lightning, decided we better pull the gear off the roof rack (that we'd packed in a tarp) and put it inside the vehicle. An hour later, the rains came.

Traveling as much of Historic Route 66 as possible, we found it preferable to the Interstate (44). Far less congested - a Blue Highways kind of thing. Efforts were made to visit many of the noted Route 66 legends and popular sites, including the Gemini Giant at the Launching Pad in Wilmington, IL, Funks Grove, IL, and Our Lady of the Highway in Raymond, IL.

Today's Tip: As early as the 1920s, the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads commissioned the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) to develop a nationwide highway numbering system. Before that time, roads were given names that reflected their purpose and destinations.

Day 2: July 2, 2000 - St. Clair, MO to Springfield, MO

Up at the crack of dawn, we fired up the "Tahoe" Motel and made a beeline for McDonalds, the one establishment all travelers depend on for a restroom and coffee. We left St. Clair a little after 9:00 a.m., headed for Rolla, MO and beyond. Our first stop was at the Meramec Caverns, the "birthplace of the bumper sticker." It's been referred to as the best stop along old Route 66's trek across Missouri. Complete with camping facilities, gift shop and restaurant, the Park is situated along the banks of the Meramec River. Opened as a tourist attraction in 1935, Jesse James hid out here, and even used the underground river to escape.

Following the old "old" Route 66 (1929-1939), we trespassed (it's Sunday) at Route 66 Motors (Rolla, on old Route 66), stopped for a brief "hello" and photo op at the Munger Moss Motel (landmark since 1949), then on through Lebanon, where I-44 has been built on top of the Old Route 66 corridor. This is where one gets a feel for what once has been: dozens of ruins of old motels, motor courts, gas stations and other highway-dependent businesses.

In Strafford, MO we made an unexpected tourist stop at (don't laugh) the Exoticanimal Paradise. Tourists, just like us, communed with "wild" animals as we drove through nine miles, and a zillion acres of springbok, steer, llama, camels and other unusual wildlife roaming free. The resident ostriches were so friendly, they poked their heads right through the car window looking to be fed. After about five miles, though, we were both ready to speed up the safari and head for the nearest exit. We're still not sure what possessed us to take this detour in the road.

Finally, Springfield loomed in the distance as the sun was setting. The largest city in southern Missouri looked mighty good to these weary 66ers.

Today's Tip: Odd-numbered roads run north-to-south. The lower numbers are in the west. Even-numbered highways run east-to-west, designating southern roads with lower numbers (I-95, east coast; I-5, pacific coast).

Day 3: July 3, 2000 - Springfield, MO to Oklahoma City, OK

As each new day dawns, our first thought turns to being on the lookout for points of interest to write about in the log. If the remaining days play out as today has, it will require little effort on our part. It's true that good stories write themselves.

Fate - Destiny - Karma. Whatever word you choose, the phenomenon is at work on Route 66. One of the web sites running our "Tracing Old Routes" trip log is Route66.com, the first, and truly official, Route 66 web site, started by Christine and David Williams.

Arriving in Carthage, Missouri around 11:00 a.m., we began our search for Red Oak II, located on the northeast edge of Carthage, off Highway-96. Situated three miles from the town center, Red Oak II is an entire Missouri town, moved from its original site 25 miles away and reassembled. The source of the idea to recreate the town of Red Oak, and the person responsible for making it happen, is Lowell Davis, a creative genius.

Lowell grew up in the original town of Red Oak, Missouri, and lived with his family in the back of the general store. Lowell told us he used to spend hours listening to family members and townees talk about the good old days. When grown, he went off to Dallas, Texas to work as an art director for an advertising firm. He returned years later, opened a studio, painted and sculpted wildlife, and hooked up with a distributor who found outlets for his creations. All the proceeds from the sale of his art went back into Red Oak II. Today, there stand 17 buildings on the Red Oak II property, including a house that once belonged to his grandmother, the old general store, a jail, church, school house, restaurant and an authentic Phillips 66 gas station and pump.

As are other Route 66 original attractions, Red Oak II can be hard to find. Look for the propane gas tank along Hwy-96 (some of Lowell's art work), and drive north for one mile. It's well worth the stop.

But I digress. As we exited the Tahoe at Red Oak II, we were greeted by the resident painter who directed us to Lowell for all the history. After talking for several minutes, Lowell asked if we were familiar with Route66.com. The conversation went something like this:

Lowell: "Route 66. com is here."
Susan: "Here?"
Lowell: "Yep, they're here. Staying in my house. Over there."
Susan: "Here in Missouri?"
Lowell: "Yep."
Susan: "Visiting or living here?"
Lowell: "Both."
Susan: "No."
Lowell: "Yep."
Susan: "Is it Christine Williams? I just sent her an e-mail last night. I'm supposed to be e-mailing her a log."
Lowell: "That's her. And David."
Susan: "Then David must be her husband."
Lowell: "Yep."

And so it went.

We spent the next three hours in their delightful company, talking about what Route 66 means to people, a vision for the Road and commitment to its preservation.

Day 4: July 4, 2000 - Oklahoma City, OK to Amarillo, TX

Road Trip Time Line: 1884, Santa Fe Railroad links Los Angeles, Santa Fe and Kansas City.

Where Route 66 is concerned, the state of Oklahoma has more miles of the old Mother Road than any other state. And, this stretch is much easier to keep track of and follow. The Old Route is in better condition, too, with few areas that aren't well-maintained.

We got a much later start than planned. Up late on Day 3, we slept in on Independence Day. There is much to see in and around Oklahoma City, including the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, Oklahoma State Museum of History, Ann's Chicken Fry House, and in Arcadia, the Round Barn. What we did see - a must for all those visiting Oklahoma City - is the Oklahoma City National Memorial, dedicated to those lives lost in the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Murrah Building.

In an odd way, the Memorial is a peaceful kind of place, with its reflecting pool, gates of time, rescuers' orchard and children's area. One can stand in the circular promontory surrounding the survivor tree and look down on the 30,000 square feet preserving forever the place and events that changed the world.

Leaving Oklahoma City around noon, we headed west toward El Reno and Yukon, driving the old Route 66 a short 27 miles. In Yukon, Oklahoma, the home of Garth Brooks, we stopped for a shot of the Chisholm Trail Mural on Johnnies Cafe on Main St. Moving on to El Reno, we somehow missed the Big 8 Motel where the movie Rainman was filmed (not a great loss, we've been told), and Robert's Grill (home of the "World's Largest Hamburger"). We did, however, catch the first sightings of "Tucumcari Tonight" signs, of which there are dozens covering the next 350 miles.

Onward toward Texola, the state border, we alternated between I-40 and the Old Route 66. We had planned to stop in Hydro, Oklahoma for an interview with Lucille Hamons, the proprietor of Lucille's service station (since 1941), but she wasn't feeling well today; most likely due to the heat (95 degrees). As we walked off her front porch, a local stopped to talk, telling us about the area, and the "great flood" of 1947 when Deer Creek swelled to a mile across and swept a busload of folks off the road. Like other people we've met in the last couple of days, he too grew up along the Route.

We were unable to visit the "official" Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, due to the holiday, but we did go through the Old Town Museum and gift shop in Elk City, Oklahoma. We whizzed by the Owl Drug Store in Sayre, and the home of Roger Miller in Erick. Most towns were closed up for the 4th, and eerily quiet. We wondered where everyone was. We supposed we'd missed the early morning parades.

Arriving in Amarillo at 6:32 p.m. barely gave us enough time to get to a phone for our first interview from the road for WGN radio. As Linda checked us in, I grabbed the key, ran to the room and dialed the station. By the time we got organized, it was already 8:00 p.m. and we headed for the KOA campground to make contact with the folks from Adventure Tours, and their caravan of vintage RVs (Airstreams). They landed in Amarillo yesterday and we wanted an interview. Most of the RVers had spread out, so we just took ourselves over to Ross Rogers golf course and watched some pretty spectacular fireworks.

So ended the First 4th of the Century, celebrated in Amarillo, Texas, sitting in the Tahoe watching the sky light up.

Today's Road Poem:

After the teacher asked if anyone had a sacred place
and the students fidgeted and shrank

in their chairs, the most serious of them all
said it was his car,
being in it alone, his tape deck playing

things he'd chosen, and others knew the truth had been spoken
and began speaking about their rooms,

their hiding places, but the car kept coming up, the car in motion
music filling it, and sometimes one other person

who understands the bright altar of the dashboard
and how far away
a car could take you from the need

to speak, or to answer, the key
in having a key
and putting it in, and going.

- Stephen Dunn

Day 5: July 5, 2000 - Amarillo, TX to Albuquerque, NM

State Mottoes we might like to see:
    Texas: Size Matters.
    New Mexico: Lizards make excellent pets.

We awoke to a beautiful, sunny day in Amarillo: 77 degrees and calm. It didn't take long, though, until temps rose to a high of 95 again; and although the air is getting dryer as we head south, it's mighty hot.

Fate was at work again on the Mother Road this AM. Just as Linda was checking out of our room, the phone in the Office rang. No sooner had the clerk told the caller we checked out, than he looked inquisitively at Linda, asking our room number. The call was from Chris Yelland (pictured at left) of Adventure Tours. We missed him last night. We were at the KOA when he was next door to our motel at the Big Texan chomping on a 72-ounce steak. His group was leaving Amarillo shortly after we were. We made a plan to meet up with them at the Cadillac Ranch.

So began our day as "RV-Chasers." Well, we missed them at the Cadillac Ranch, and at the Midway Cafe (Adrian, TX), and at the KOA in Santa Rosa, NM (first time around). We spent one hour at the Cadillac Ranch (pictured below). Yes, it's really 10 Cadillacs upended in the Texas plain, west of Amarillo. Cadillac Ranch was created by the San Francisco-based Ant Farm artists' and architects' collective in 1974, and funded by helium millionaire (Amarillo produces 90% of the world's supply of helium) Stanley Marsh III. All the cars were bought from local junkyards and used car lots at an average cost of $200 each. Taking the path from the road, we whirled in the Texas wind, took a couple of pictures, and signed our names on a drive train.

On our way to Santa Rosa and the Blue Hole, we went through Tucumcari, the city of 2,000 rooms and the Blue Swallow Motel. We arrived at the KOA in Santa Rosa around 1:00 p.m., amazingly ahead of Chris and the RVs. After a short jaunt to the Blue Hole (just a 60-ft. wide, 81-ft. deep artesian well that would be really good drinking water if there weren't people swimming in it), just as I finished jotting down a note to Chris, up drove the RVs. We spent a few minutes exchanging "missions": Tracing Old Routes and the Historic Route 66 RV Tour. On the road since May 1, Chris's group will complete a 22-day run on the Mother Road.

As we headed further south and west, the scenery began to change into what we know as the Land of Enchantment. There is less of the actual old route here, so we stayed on I-40 much of the time on the way to Albuquerque. What there is of the Historic Route is fairly easy to follow, much of it draped with remnants of old motels, diners, and auto salvage yards. Texas and New Mexico clearly hold the record for the most automotive salvage yards anywhere in the country. Classic car buffs would have a field day here.

How to Survive When Lost in the Desert:

1. Don't Panic...
2. If on foot, try to backtrack by retracing your steps.
3. If you have completely lost your bearings, try to get to a high vista and look around.
4. Build a smoky fire during the daylight hours (tires work well), but keep a bright fire burning at night.
5. If a car or plane is passing, or if you see other people off in the distance, try to signal them with one of the following methods:
    a. In a clearing, spell out a distress signal (X,I, F, HELP, SOS) with newspaper or aluminum foil, weighted down with rocks.
    b. Make a big triangle; this is the international distress symbol.
6. Rest frequently.
7. Try to find water.
8. Eat cactus fruit, flowers.

    *Adapted from: The Worst Case Scenario Survival Handbook
    (Piven, Borgenicht)

Day 6: July 6, 2000 - Albuquerque, NM to Flagstaff, AZ

Arizona State Motto We'd Like To See: Dehyd-rific!

One needs more than a night in Albuquerque, NM. Coming into town on old Route 66 (Central Avenue, North) are eight miles of original diners, motels and neon signs; some establishments still in operation. Located at the center of New Mexico, Albuquerque spreads north and south along the banks of the Rio Grande and east to the foothills of 10,000-foot Sandia Crest. The state's biggest city, Albuquerque is clean, energetic and multicultural. It's hard not to like it.

We left Albuquerque early (for us, 7:30 a.m.), heading for Flagstaff, 350+ miles farther on. A long day, as we had planned several stops and drive-bys. There is so much to see along this route, including the Petroglyph National Monument, just outside of Albuquerque; the El Malpais National Monument; volcano and ice caves; pueblo ruins, etc. Our first stop of any length was Red Rock State Park, just east of Gallup. Offering breathtaking views, the silence out here is deafening. Standing in the wind, looking out at the vistas, one more beautiful than the next, one wonders why they would want to be anywhere else on earth.

From there we headed west, trying to take all in that time would allow, and making sure not to miss the most important sites, such as the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Along the easternmost 60 miles of I-40 is lots and lots of land, and straight-aways, making it tempting to push your car to its limit. The Petrified Forest is interesting, beautiful and not-to-be-missed. There is the two-hundred and twenty-five million year-old fossilized ecosystem--trees, plants, animals--along with the Painted Desert, all here in its magnificence. Don't just drive by, get out and walk the land, and of course: Pack in and pack out. There are easy and rigorous walking trails, but watch out for snakes and prairie dogs (the latter, of late, are carrying bubonic plague).

Onward, we kept up our pace as we headed for Winslow, AZ and the now-famous spot of Eagles song fame: "Standing on the corner in Winslow, AZ...." to meet with James Good, Editor and Webmaster of AZreporter.com. After a timed stop (and a must photo-op) in Joseph City, AZ at the "Here it is" Jackrabbit Trading Post, we gunned it for Winslow. Arriving exactly on time, we proceeded to head down the Old Route 66 and right out of town, realizing we had overshot our destination.

At 5:06 p.m., we met up with James, exchanged a few words, a 10-minute interview and pictures. He split, we took in Diane Patterson's Roadworks shop of Route 66 memorobilia, then headed for Flagstaff, the end of the trail for Day 6.

Day 7: July 7, 2000 - Flagstaff, AZ to Kingman, AZ (and the Grand Canyon in between)

The Danger Zone: A combination of distance traveled, elevation, temperature and direct sunlight that can easily overwhelm the body's ability to keep itself cool, fueled and hydrated.... It's Hot!!! (The Guide. Grand Canyon National Park)

Surrounding the mountains today, we've been on all sides, starting out from Flagstaff at 7:00 a.m. on the south side, circling around to the east (Wupatki Ruins National Monument), heading to the north side (Grand Canyon), and coming back down the east side of the mountains to Williams, AZ.

Exiting at Bill Williams Avenue, in Williams (the last Route 66 town to be bypassed by the I-40 freeway), we rode by several Route 66 landmarks, including Rod's Steak House, Old Smokey's Pancake House, Westerner Motel and the Norris Motel.

Before giving Williams the onceover, though, we detoured some 60 miles north to the Wupatki Ruins Trail and the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. Overlooking the Sunset Crater in Wupatki, we came upon Kent, a guide for RMI Outdoor Adventures, out of Washington state. Sitting on the liftgate of his truck playing his guitar, Kent appeared the picture of contentment. After some discussion, he and Linda discovered they knew some of the same folks in the outdoor adventure business. Originally from New Hampshire, Kent now makes his home - when he's there - in Boulder, Colorado. Pulling away from his little corner of the world, I glanced back in the rearview mirror. The bumper sticker on his truck read: "Think Good Thoughts."

Spending a good part of the afternoon in Grand Canyon National Park, Linda served as tour guide in this part of the world with which she is very familiar. Beyond description, the Grand Canyon is so awe-inspiring it almost seems unreal. Two-hundred miles long, a mile deep, and anywhere from five to 15 miles across. the Canyon appears to go on forever.

Tourist levels were low in the park today - Friday - and we were fine with that. Weather was perfect, 84 degrees by noon. After several stops for pictures and a little hiking, we headed for Williams, Seligman and Kingman.

Our high spot of the day was Seligman and the Rusty Bolt Route 66 gift shop. Fondly referred to as the "town of goofy cars," Seligman isn't much to write home about. We spent much more time there than expected, however, talking with the owner, his wife and a handful of townees. The shop offers about every possible Route 66 item you can imagine, from those seen most often to specially designed and created items, such as sterling silver Route 66 pendants and earrings.

The photo at the left pretty well tells the story of all the memorabilia for sale at the Rusty Bolt. After chatting for the better part of an hour, and meeting the owners' three out of five chihuahuas (Buddy, Lucy and Gizmo), we had to push on.

With another 75 miles to go before we completed Day 7, we regretfully left the folks of Seligman and made haste for Kingman where we docked for the night.

Day 8: July 8, 2000 - Kingman, AZ to Victorville, CA

Before leaving Kingman, we drove through town on Historic Route 66 for pictures, then made a refueling stop and a WalMart run for water. We followed Historic Route 66 out of town and on to Oatman, AZ, via the Cajun Pass. Described as "one of the most demanding, desolate and awesomely satisfying stretches of the old road," it climbs from I-40 along the Colorado River, beginning east of the California border.

There are a few signs of life here, and once reaching Oatman, you know you've made it to civilization with its Wild West stage set, tacky gift shops, and the Oatman Hotel where Carole Lombard and Clark Gable spent their honeymoon on the first night in 1939.

We did stop for a half hour or so, mostly to make the acquaintance of the local wild burros (see photo at left). On our way across the Pass and just before reaching Oatman, we ran into a couple, David and Diane from California, who were on their way across Route 66 toward Chicago. A delightful couple, David related his story of first going across Route 66 in 1946, with his father, mother and siblings on their way to L.A. from Kansas. They were towing a boat, traveling to the L.A. area where they'd rented a home. The man from whom they rented was crossing the Route going the other direction. He met them on the Cajun Pass and gave David's father the key to the house, right there on the road!!

After leaving Oatman, we made our way to Lake Havasu, AZ and Needles, CA where we'd be spending the night. Lake Havasu, a big and beautiful resort area, is the lucky town to have inherited the London Bridge. The Bridge was brought to AZ in 1964 by property developer Robert McCullogh (the name is still evident all over town) for $2.4 million. He shipped the 10,246 blocks of stone and had it reassembled (at the cost of $3 million). Rededicated here in 1967, the ceremony was attended by the Lord Mayor of London.

Upon arriving in Lake Havasu, we drove around town for 20 minutes or so, somehow passing east of the Bridge. Finally after retracing our initial steps, we found it. Surrounded by lake and beach, hundreds of boaters and jet skiers filled the water. A town of 25,000, Lake Havasu is a vacation paradise. New homes, condos, and hotels line the main drag, as do the usual chain stores and restaurants.

Already an hour behind schedule (par these days), we grabbed something to eat and got back on SR 95, headed for Needles, CA, where we picked up old Historic 66 again. Founded in 1883, Needles is one of the hottest places in the country. It comes alive, they say, in winter when the snowbirds come to escape the cold temps. It also has a strong Route 66 heritage.

From Needles, we traveled 76 miles on Historic Route 66, driving through the heart of the Mohave Desert. This was a very special route, and one not to be missed. Temps started out at 98 degrees and rose ... and rose, to 103 degrees, then fell again. The highway here is 42 miles long and paved. It takes 1 1/4 hours to complete, without any stops. Land ownership is combined: Historic Route 66 twines between public and private lands, wilderness and Main Streets. The artifacts within are protected. Vehicles longer than 40 feet are not allowed.

Entering the portion of the road that travels through the Mohave, we pulled into a "rest stop" (Ha!) and completed the necessary reading before risking our lives. As the sign states, these are words to live by when driving across the Desert:

1. In mountain driving, always expect a vehicle around the next bend and yield the right of way to uphill traffic.
2. Be on the lookout for wild burros and bighorn sheep in the road.
3. Caution: when exploring by foot! This section of Historic Route 66 is riddled with open mine shafts, which can be deep and dangerous.

Day 9: July 9, 2000 - Victorville, CA to Santa Monica, CA (and north to Salinas)

Web site of the day: www.besttoilets.com (solved: the search for a decent restroom in Chicago, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Boston ... more cities to come).

Leaving Victorville, CA at 10:30 a.m., we took I-15 for a few miles, then exited at Devore to drive Old Historic Route 66 into San Bernadino.

Before leaving Victorville, which could have been as early as 7:00 a.m. because we were up, we stayed around to go through the Roy Rogers/Dale Evans Museum. Well worth the visit, the Museum is a living memorial to Roy and Dale and their family. What a great place. I went ape in there. Display after display of Roy's clothes, boots, saddles, guns, wild game trophies, from as far away as Africa. And, of course, the real Trigger, Trigger Jr., Bullet and Dale's horse Buttermilk--stuffed.

We spent our first night in the Victorville KOA Kabins, a great arrangement. Big enough for 2 beds, it was quiet and comfortable. We brought our dinner back to the campsite, ate there and retired early, before the day went dark. Figuring we would sleep well, instead, we both awoke around 5:00 a.m. Unable to get back to sleep, we packed up, found breakfast and killed a couple of hours to stay around to see the Museum.

At 10:30 a.m. we pulled out of Victorville on our way to Santa Monica and the end of Route 66. On the way, we passed through San Bernardino, the home of the Wigwam Motel on Foothill Blvd. Parts of Route 66 do go over the Cajun Pass, but it's not a through route. The main road is I-15. Descending from the Pass, Route 66 follows Foothill Blvd./National Old Trails Highway into San Bernardino and Fontana, in the San Gabriel Valley. There are still some survivors of the old historic route from here to the end of the road.

Passing through Upland, we took a picture of the "Madonna of the Trail" statue in town, the official mark of the terminus of the National Old Trails Highway - the predecessor of Route 66. On through Azusa and the Foothill Drive-In and one of the first McDonald's restaurants.

Foothill Blvd. still follows the old route to Santa Anita (took a picture of the famous race track), which then becomes Colorado Blvd to Pasadena. As "diehards" we took the Route across Los Angeles, which is still intact. The traffic wasn't too bad, as it was a Sunday, so we chanced it. It isn't to be missed. It's pure California: the people, the stores, the ambience.

The Route deadends at Ocean Blvd. We elected to make a left turn, cruising along the Boulevard, and hunting for that ever-elusive parking spot. A few blocks down, we did manage to land a spot in a lot near Muscle Beach. We spent the next three hours walking the bike path that runs adjacent to the beach and the very active Santa Monica Pier. Much like Key West, Florida at night, the Pier has all kinds of activity, food and items for sale. You can get a henna tattoo, or a portrait done, among all the hub-bub of the crowd. And the crowd itself offers its own entertainment. Great people-watching.

By 2:30, we realized we really needed to hit the road since we weren't even sure where we'd be spending the night. So, on the way, we made the decision we would attempt to make it to Salinas, which we did. Never mind that it was 11:00 p.m. by the time we pulled into the Motel 6: a real dump, we might add.

Up at 5:00 a.m., a quick shower, pack the car and we're off for Anderson, CA. And that's another story.

Roy Rogers Riders Rules:
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your parents.
4. Protect the weak and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and never waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.

Click here for reports from the return portion of the Women With Wheels Road Trip: July 10-15

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