Road trip across California on Historic US Route 66



Riding Route 66 Across California

Route 66, the Mother Road, ran southwest out of Kingman through Cool Springs to Oatman, and onward to Golden Shores and Topock where it turned west to Needles, California and San Bernardino County.

Historic U.S. Route 66 in California San Bernardino County Highway 66 sign

 

The Mother Road then passed through cities and towns like these as it made its way westbound across California:

From the Arizona state line to San Bernardino U.S. Highway 66 followed the old National Old Trails Highway.

Leaving Needles, the road ventured a bit north, through Goffs. This railroad town remained a stop on Route 66 until 1931, when a more direct alignment between Needles and Essex was opened.

The road then headed south, through Chambless and Amboy, and then west to Ludlow, Newberry Springs and on to Barstow. There it turned south and traveled through Helendale, Victorville, through the Cajon Pass, and on to San Bernardino. A final westward track through Pasadena took the Mother Road to its final end, near Santa Monica.

In 1936 U.S. 66 was extended from downtown Los Angeles to U.S. 101, at Santa Monica.

In 1940 the first freeway in Los Angeles was included as part of U.S. 66, the Arroyo Seco Parkway, later known as the Pasadena Freeway.

The highway is now mostly replaced with several streets in Los Angeles, State Route 66 (SR 66), Interstate 15 (I-15) and I-40. The route ended near the famed Santa Monica Pier in the Los Angeles area.

Map showing approximate Route 66 location from Needles to Santa Monica, California
Map showing approximate Route 66 location from Needles to Santa Monica

Greetings from California

Highlights of California Route 66

This road trip features some of our favorite places and scenes along the Mother Road.

The route includes all of the best of Route 66, including drivable sections, ghost towns, classic motels and famous roadside attractions like the Wigwam Motel.

Shown below are highlights of a Route 66 trip westbound from Needles to Santa Monica, with both present-day photos and vintage travel postcards.


Needles California

The famous wagon in Needles
Needles, California on Historic Route 66
Welcome to Needles, and Historic Route 66
Welcome to Needles, California, and Historic Route 66


Route 66 Roadside Attraction:
Needles El Garces Train Station in California

Formerly a grand Harvey House Hotel, restaurant and Santa Fe train station. The hotel and restaurant were open from 1908 to 1949. The train station closed in 1988.

Route 66 Roadside Attraction: Needles El Garces Train Station in California

Earlier Lodging Along Route 66 in Needles

Del Rhea Lodge
Del Rhea Lodge, west end, Route 66, Needles, California
El Rancho in Needles
El Rancho in Needles, California
Swains Motel
Swain's Motel at 511 Broadway, U.S. Highway 66, Needles, California

 

Needles on California Route 66
Click to read more about
Route 66 in Needles

Historic Route 66 California Gateway Site

Located approximately two miles west of the Colorado River off Interstate 40, this day use and picnic area memorializes the entryway of Historic Route 66 into California.

The site contains covered picnic tables, an information kiosk, visitor log book, desert plants and trees, and a wind gauge.

Operated by the Needles Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management.

Historic Route 66 California Gateway Site Historic Route 66 California Gateway Site

 

Goffs, California

Goffs, an unincorporated community about 40 miles west of Needles in San Bernardino County, California, is a nearly empty one-time railroad town at the route's high point in the Mojave Desert. Goffs was a stop on Historic U.S. Route 66, and jogged around the White Cottage Restaurant. In 1931 a more direct Route 66 alignment opened between Needles and Essex.

A historic schoolhouse, built in 1914 and almost totally deteriorated by the early 1980s, has since been renovated to its original plans by the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (MDHCA). The Goffs Schoolhouse is a one-room mission style desert school built by the County of San Bernardino to serve the growing population of the area. Through many of the 23 years it served as a school, dances were held in the building and it functioned as a branch of the county library and local community center.

The schoolhouse and grounds now house a museum primarily specializing in the area's mining history. Remnants of Goffs's mining days still dot the town.

The Dennis G. Casebier Library houses the Mojave Desert Archives. It is a replica of the historic Goffs Santa Fe Railway Depot (1902-1956). This climate-controlled repository was built in 2008 with funding from a California Cultural and Historical Endowment grant and donations from the membership of the MDHCA.

Goffs today is accessible off Interstate 40 at U.S. Highway 95 north. A left turn onto Goffs Road, the pre-1931 alignment of US 66, becomes a desolate forty-mile stretch that served as home to several towns that have mostly vanished, including Bannock, Ibis, and Homer. Continuing west on Goffs Road brings motorists back to I-40 northeast of the town of Essex.

Website of the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association and MDHCA on Facebook

Entering Goffs, California
Goffs, California sign ... Established 1883, Population 23
Dennis G. Casebier Library
The Dennis G. Casebier Library and Mojave Desert Archives, Goffs, California
Route 66 Roadside Attraction: The Old Schoolhouse
Goff's Schoohouse, Essex, California Route 66 Roadside Attraction: Goff's Schoohouse, Essex, California


Amboy California

Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy, California, on Route 66
Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy, California

Roy's Motel and Cafe

Roy's Motel and Café is a historic site on U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert town of Amboy in San Bernardino County, California. It functions as a 24-hour gas station, gift shop, and famous tourist attraction, due to its 1950s Googie-Style neon sign that can be seen for miles approaching the town.

For more information, visit the Roy's website

Roy's Motel and Cafe ... sign in Amboy, California

Route 66 Roadside Attraction in Amboy
"Founded in 1858, Amboy provided a vital rest stop for weary sun-drenched travelers seeking a better life in California"
Route 66 Roadside Attraction in Amboy

Time for a stop on a hot day of bike riding ... at Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy
Time for a stop on a hot day of bike riding ... Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy, California

Bicycle rider on Route 66 near Amboy, California
Bicycle rider on Route 66 near Amboy, California

An area attraction: the Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark
The Amboy Crater is an an extinct, 79,000 year old volcano, located about 1.5 miles south of Route 66.
Amboy Crater National Natural entrance area on Historic US Route 66 in California
Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark sign
Amboy on California Route 66
Click to read more about
Route 66 in Amboy

 

Ludlow, California

The Ludlow Cafe ... breakfast, lunch, dinner ... next door is the Ludlow Motel

Ludlow Cafe on Route 66 in California Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark

Earlier days in Siberia, California ... seen here is a Texaco service station and post office between Ludlow and Bagdad

Siberia Texaco service station and post office in Ludlow, California

Newberry Springs, California

Route 66 Roadside Attraction: Bagdad Cafe, Newberry Springs, California
Originally built in the 1950s, this world-famous restaurant was the location of the 1988 film "Bagdad Cafe" which became the new name of the restaurant in 1995.

The Bagdad Cafe in California The Bagdad Cafe in California

 

Barstow, California

Greetings from Barstow, California

 

Several major highways including Interstate 15, Interstate 40, California State Route 58, and U.S. Route 66 converge in Barstow.

Barstow California on Historic Route 66
The city is located in the high western Mojave Desert at the entrance to the Mojave National Preserve. Among its attractions is the Western America Railroad Museum.


Harvey House in Barstow, California

Harvey House in Barstow, California

Route 66 Mother Road Museum

For those interested in the history of the old road, we recommend a visit to the Route 66 Mother Road Museum at 681 N. First Street in Barstow.

Website of the Barstow Route 66 Mother Road Museum

The Mother Road Museum, Barstow, California
Barstow on California Route 66
Click to read more about
Route 66 in Barstow

Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch

The Bottle Tree Ranch created by Elmer Long is a forest of colorful bottle trees hanging from large metal vertical pipes. It also features a variety of random collectibles such as windmills made of bicycle wheels, old signs, jeeps, typewriters, bed springs, car parts, and other assorted items. Many of the bottles were originally collected by Elmer's father. As time progressed, Elmer himself started collecting bottles and other old relics he found in the neighboring California deserts.

The "Ranch" is located at 24266 National Trails Hwy, Oro Grande, CA 92368

Read more at the Bottle Tree Ranch website

Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande, California on Historic Route 66 Welcome ... come on in to Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande, California on Historic Route 66
Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande, California on Historic Route 66 Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande, California on Historic Route 66

 

Victorville, California

Old Town Route 66 in Victorville, California
Old Town Route 66 in Victorville, California

California Route 66 Museum

The California Route 66 Museum is devoted to the representation of U.S. Highway 66 in both historic and contemporary exhibition. It is an interactive museum with over 4500 Sq. Ft. of floor space. The museum offers many photo opportunities for visitors to share memories in such settings as a 50’s diner and the VW Love Bus complete with hippie wigs and sunglasses for that perfect shot.

Located at 16825 South D Street in Victorville, California

Website of the California Route 66 Museum

California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, California

Mural at the California Route 66 Museum
Mural at the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, California

Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe

Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe is a Route 66 icon that has been serving up meals to locals and hungry travelers on the Mother Road since 1947. The building was built by Bob and Kate Holland from cinder blocks manufactured at the old Fiber Tile Plant. Emma Jean worked at the cafe as a waitress, and her husband bought the cafe and named it after her.

The cafe remains a family-owned institution, and because of its nostalgic Mid-Century ambiance, it has been featured in a number of movies and TV shows.

Emma Jean's is located at 17143 N D Street, Victorville, CA 92394 - Phone 760.243.9938

Read more at the Emma Jean's Website
Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville, California

Cajon Pass

Earlier days of Route 66 through Cajon Pass ... the highest point on CA Route 66

The pass is located south of Victorville between the San Bernardino Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains. Rising to 3,777 feet, it is known for high wind, turbulence and fog. Today, Interstate I-15 parallels parts of the original Route 66.

Read about the famous rest stop on the National Old Trails Road ... Camp Cajon on Facebook

Earlier days of Route 66 through Cajon Pass in California

San Bernardino, California

Wigwam Motel

In 1933 Frank Redford started developing the Wigwam “Villages” by designing teepee shaped motel units.

This was the last of seven Wigwam Motels built across the country; only three survive today, this one, another in Kentucky and the third in Holbrook.

The San Bernardino motel was opened in 1949, at 2728 E. Foothill Boulevard.

WigWam Motel in San Bernardino, California, since 1949

 

WigWam Motel in San Bernardino, California, since 1949

Driving down Route 66, this San Bernardino motel immediately grabs your attention with its one of a kind roadside architecture.

Website of the Wigwam Motel


 

The Original McDonald's

Not far from Route 66 in San Bernardino is the site of the original restaurant of fast-food giant McDonald's.  A local fast-food franchise company now owns this site and has turned it into a museum, at 1398 North E Street. The museum features an array of memorabilia, menus, toys and other McDonald's artifacts. Also, there is a mural of Richard and Maurice McDonald (below).

The address is 1398 North E Street at West 14th Street in San Bernardino. Admission is free.

The original McDonald's in San Bernardino, California

Mural at the original McDonald's in California ... founders Richard and Maurice McDonald

Site of the original McDonald's in California

San Bernardino on California Route 66
Click to read more about
Route 66 in San Bernardino


Earlier Days on Route 66 in San Bernardino

Motel 66
Motel 66 at 1400 No. Mr. Vernon Avenue on Route 66 in San Bernardino, California
Mt. Vernon Auto Motel
Mt. Vernon Auto Motel in San Bernardino, California on U.S. Highway 66
White Motel
The White Motel at 3701 "D" Street, U.S. Route 66 Business, in San Bernardino, California
Santa Fe RR Depot
Santa Fe Railroad depot in San Bernardino, California
Mojave Motel
Mojave Motel at 1495 Mt. Vernon Avenue (Route 66) in San Bernardino, California
Travel Lodge
Travel Lodge, 746 "E" Street, U.S. Highway 66, San Bernardino, California

 

Rancho Cucamonga

The Cucamonga Service Station is a historic gas and automobile service station located in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Located on Historic Route 66, it was built in 1915 and today serves as a museum. The official address is 9670 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730.

Cucamonga Service Station in California on Historic Route 66

Route 66 overpass in Ranch Cucamonga

Route 66 overpass in Rancho Cucamonga, California


Arcadia, California ... Earlier Lodging and Dining on Route 66

Round Up Motel
Round Up Motel at 412 E. Huntington Drive, U.S. Highway 66, Arcadia, California - Includes kitchens and garages, two minutes to Santa Anita
The Frontier in Arcadia
The Frontier, 250 West Colorado, across from the Santa Anita Race track, Arcadia, California
Derby Motel
Derby Motel, 326 E. Huntington Drive, Route 66, downtown Arcadia, California

 

Stops on Route 66 in Pasadena, California

California Street Bridge

With its majestic arches rising 150 feet above the deeply cut Arroyo Seco, the Colorado Street Bridge was proclaimed the highest concrete bridge in the world upon completion in 1913. The bridge connected Pasadena to Los Angeles, and traffic on the new bridge was heavy. Only two lanes wide, the bridge was considered inadequate as early as the 1930s. The bridge remained part of Route 66 until the 1940 completion of the Arroyo Seco Parkway. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Arroyo-Seco Bridge: Vintage View
Vintage view of the  Arroyo-Seco Briidge, U.S. Highway 66, between Pasadena and Los Angeles, California
Arroyo-Seco Bridge: Recent View
Current day view of the Arroyo-Seco Bridge, between Pasadena and Los Angeles, California
Clark Motel
Clark Motel at 3019 E. Colorado Street, U.S, Highway 66, Pasadena, California
Arroyo-Seco Parkway
The Arroyo-Seco Parkway, U.S. Highway 66, between Pasadena and Los Angeles, California
Downtown Pasadena
Downtown scene in Pasadena, California, circa 1940s
Gwinn's Restaurant
Gwinn's Restaurant and Drive-In, 2915 E. Colorado Boulevard, U.S. Highway 66, Pasadena, California - One of Pasadena's Finer Restaurants
Grand Motel
Grand Motel, 3321 E. Colorado Street, Pasadena, California
Bella Vista Motor Court
Bella Vista Motor Court at 3438 E. Colorado Street, Highway 66, Pasadena, California

 

Santa Monica, California

The original terminus of U.S. Route 66 was at 7th and Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. However, over the years, and decades, Route 66 has had several “official” and “unofficial" ending points.

The route was later extended to the intersection of Lincoln and Olympic boulevards in Santa Monica, about one mile from the Pacific Ocean. This is often referred to as the official ending point of Route 66.

Earlier Days in Santa Monica
Earlier view of Santa Monica, California, the ending point of Historic Route 66 Santa Monica Auto Camp: Cabins and Trailers

Map showing the "official" and "unofficial" ending points of Route 66 in Santa Monica, California
(click image to open in Google Maps)
Map showing the "official" and "unofficial" ending points of Route 66 in Santa Monica, California

Since this locale can be disappointing after the long journey from Chicago, the Route 66 Alliance partnered with the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation in 2009 to mount an unofficial “End of the Trail” sign on the pier, seen below in 2020. Santa Monica Pier in California

The End of the Trail ... Santa Monica, California (Staff Photo)
The End of the Trail ... Santa Monica, California

 

MORE CALIFORNIA ROUTE 66

Route 66 road trip across California

Route 66 road trip to Needles, California Route 66 Road Trip to Goffs, California Route 66 road trip to Amboy, California
Route 66 road trip to Barstow, California Route 66 road trip to Victorville, California Route 66 road trip to San Bernardino, California
  Route 66 road trip to San Santa Monica, California  

Travel Guides for Other States Along Route 66

Planning a Road Trip on Route 66? Here are trip planners for all eight states on The Mother Road ...

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