One thing Dale really wanted to do on this trip was to drive on the westernmost part of Route 66. The western terminus is at the Santa Monica pier. We weren’t that far west but on Monday we were able to drive the part of the highway to San Bernadino and then between Victorville and Barstow. It would have been nice to have driven it in our Mustang or even in a rented muscle car, but instead we did it in a base model Nissan Frontier. The views were the same, the vibe wasn’t.
In San Bernadino the big attraction on Route 66 is the Wigwam Motel. It was actually quite a sight – about 20 individual wigwams with their own parking spots around the office and the pool. We parked and Dale went into the office which is also a Route 66 gift shop. He bought some decals and got to talking to the owner. When he heard we were from Canada and had made a special trip down to see the motel, he let us look into the wigwams that weren’t occupied. Now, Dale’s original plan was for us to spend a night there but he never really got around to booking it, maybe based on my lukewarm reception of the idea. Well, after looking into the units, it was a good thing he didn’t. They are tiny! I’m not sure we’d both fit in the bed at the same time. On the other side of the room from the bed is a tiny couch and a small TV. And the bathroom isn’t a bathroom, it’s a toilet and sink room. The pictures tell the story. We laughed at the idea of spending any time there. However, in the 50s it was probably quite a great weekend adventure, even though the cars back then were bigger than the wigwams!
After walking around the motel grounds, we got back in the truck and drove to the freeway. We had to get to the next part of the old route. Of course, we missed exits, or took the wrong exits, but eventually we found our way to Victorville and the Route 66 museum. It was full of interesting artifacts, like a tiny teardrop camping trailer and some original Burma Shave highway advertising signs. There was also a lot of information about the towns and attractions that used to be on Route 66 and about some of the people. Dale bought some more decals and the old guy behind the counter gave us a sheet outlining the things to see on Route 66 between Victorville and Barstow.
When the new interstate highway replaced Route 66, most of the businesses along Route 66 were unable to make a living. The people in the nearby towns left as the jobs disappeared. We saw a lot of abandoned, falling down buildings. In some places only part of the foundation remained. And the sad thing was we could see the new highway from most of the old Route 66. It must have been heartbreaking for the people who could see their customers, indeed, their livelihood driving by on the upper road. Eventually the road we were on ended and we joined up with the freeway. Our next stop – the Route 66 Museum in Barstow.
We followed the signs to the beautifully restored Harvey House building that housed the museum. However, it was closed. We thought it was because of the Veterans’ Day holiday, but the sign said it was only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The railway museum was nearby and so we drove along the road looking at the collected train cars. Then we hightailed it to Peggy Sue’s diner, about 6 miles north.
The diner has been there since 1954. Back then it had 9 counter stools and 3 booths. Now it’s a sprawling building with dining rooms off of dining rooms, a “diner-saur” park with a pizzeria and a kitschy gift shop. Our dining room was covered in artificial flowers, including a wisteria-covered ceiling. Our table was wonky and every time we lifted an elbow or leaned with an elbow, it wobbled. The window and the floor were dirty, and so were the teal blue and pink waitresses’ uniforms, but the food was good. The milkshake Dale ordered, and that I had a good slorge of, was great. The onion rings were amazing. I had noticed some pies in the display case on our long walk in, so I made sure to save some room for a piece. Unfortunately my first choice, lemon meringue, was unavailable so I had the coconut cream. It was okay, but I left more than half of it on my plate. The waitress was upset that I didn’t enjoy it and offered to comp it, but I wouldn’t let her. It wasn’t her fault. Because we were on a road trip already, Peggy Sue’s was worth it, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a destination, there are far better diners around.
We drove back to Palm Springs on Highway 247. At one point we were on a long stretch of straight road that screamed alien abduction. It was exactly like movie scenes where the UFO sweeps in and a beam of light transports the scared people out of their car. The possibility of such an event became more and more apparent as we climbed up into the high desert, farther and farther away from civilization into the darkening night. Thankfully, the aliens must have been busy and we arrived safely back into the Coachella Valley.
Some years back Billy Connolly, the actor and comedian, rode his motorcycle on Route 66 and a camera crew went with him. It’s called “Billy Connolly Route 66”. It’s available online and worth a watch. Episode 4 covers the part we drove on. Our road trip wasn’t TV worthy but we had a few laughs and made some great memories to recall when we’re too old to go on road trips and make new ones.