Orange You Glad You Stopped Here?

I had the chance to squeeze this stop into my Route 66 journey -- Bono's Giant Orange in Fontana, California. When it opened up in the 1920s, Bono's offered Route 66 travelers "All The Orange Juice You Can Drink For 10 Cents." Even though the juice stand is no longer in business, it is still a popular photo op for tourists, and even dogs!

Route 66 Corridor

Like many cities along Route 66, Fontana, California does its part to highlight the historical significance of the highway by posting Route 66 signs and emblems on buildings and on the pavement as part of the Route 66 Corridor. Fontana is also the birthplace of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.

The Real Cozy Cone Motel

Have you slept in a teepee lately? I've now slept in two! I stayed at the Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino, California, which happens to be the inspiration for the Cozy Cone Motel in the movie, Cars. The motel was built in 1949 by Kentuckian Frank Redford, and was the final of 7 Wigam Motels constructed across the United States. The 30-foot-tall teepees are made out of concrete, stuco, and wood framing, and each has its own individual parking spot next to it. The 19 wigwams are lined up in a village-style arrangement with a swimming pool in the middle. Only 3 of the Wigwam Motels remain, and I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at the 2 that are located on Route 66 (San Bernardino and Holbrook, Arizona). The third Wigwam Motel is located in Cave City, Kentucky.

Route 66 Big Mac Attack

A stop off of Route 66 in San Bernardino, California will give you your fix of fast food history. That's where Maurice and Richard McDonald perfected their burger-making fast food joint and sold their McDonald's restaurant franchise in 1961 to Ray Kroc. The original building was demolished, but an unofficial McDonald's Museum was built in its place, complete with an Officer Big Mac playground, a purple Grimace seesaw, and a jailed Hamburglar who lurks over your shoulder. Oh, and just imagine if burgers were still 15-cents apiece!

Sprucing Up Route 66

The City of Victorville, California is trying to spruce up the "Old Road" by putting up new "Old Town Route 66" signs like this gateway to remind drivers that they're passing through a historic Route 66 town. You can also grab a bite to eat at one of Victorville's historic points of interest, Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe.

Ostriches on Route 66?!?!

As I was driving on Route 66 through Oro Grande, California, I saw a small sign on the side of the road that said "Ostrich Farm," and I said to myself, "No way!" So I took a turn down this old dirt road, and lo and behold, there was an ostrich farm with dozens and dozens of ostriches! The farm was closed that day, so I wasn't able to ask anyone about what they use the ostriches for, but there was a sign on the gate that said ostrich eggs were for sale. I collected some large ostrich feathers to share with my classroom, and I took a few pictures of my new feathered friends. Mu Shu was also very interested in these large and strange-looking birds.

Gas: $1 per gallon?

Oro Grande, California might not be a ghost town, but there are many businesses along this stretch of Route 66 that have been abandoned for a very long time. I found this gas station with the price of $1 per gallon still on the front sign...the last time gas was that cheap was in the early 1980s! There are also several rows of abandoned buildings that I can only imagine were once booming businesses back in the day when Route 66 was the main stretch of highway before the interstate was built.

Bottle Tree Ranch

One of the more unique sights along Route 66 is the Bottle Tree Ranch in Oro Grande, California. Elmer Long began putting old bottles on custom-made metal Christmas tree stands in his front yard back in 1987. He told me that back in the 1950s when he was a kid, he used to collect old bottles with his dad, but after he passed away, Elmer began putting the bottles on display as a tribute to his father. There are thousands of blue, green, brown, and clear glass bottles adorning Elmer's 2 1/2 acre lot, and he says collecting bottles and showcasing them for the world to see is his passion. Elmer told me people from across the country and around the world now ship him glass bottles, and his goal is to put up every bottle he receives. Cheers, Elmer!

California, Here I Come!

Needles, California is the first stop crossing the Arizona border into California on Route 66. The city was founded in 1883 as a result of the Santa Fe Railroad being built through the town. Some of the oldest stretches of Route 66 still exist in Needles, with signs showing pre-1930 sections of the historic road, parts of which are closed to drivers. Needles is also one of the hottest places in the United States...since it's located in the Mojave Desert, temperatures can get as high as 120 degrees. Fortunately, there was a cool spell during my stop -- the temperature was only 106 degrees. ;-)

Driving through the Desert

When you drive through the western part of Arizona on Route 66, it is all desolate desert. You drive for miles and miles and miles in 100+ degree heat and all you see are the clouds, the sky, and the desert sands. I had to make a stop and take a few pictures to show you the view.

Rainbow Over Route 66

I spotted a rainbow over Route 66 in Western Arizona, even though there wasn't any rain where we were driving, and the temperature outside was over 100 degrees. I thought maybe it was a mirage, but then I took a picture of it. The photo looked so beautiful that I had to share it with you!

New Friends From England

While I was in Oatman, Arizona, I met some new friends from Kent, England (about an hour from London), Grace and Katie, who actually started their Route 66 trek from Chicago to Los Angeles about the same time as I did at the beginning of July. We laughed that we didn't see each other until near the end of our journey, but better late than never. Cheerio! :-)

They're Still Following Me

It seems that my Austrian friends, Markus and Bianca, continue to show up just about everywhere I've been stopping along Route 66. But I have to admit, this time I actually followed them to Oatman, Arizona...that is, until Markus started flying through the mountains and left us way behind on the steep and winding roads. Markus told me that the roads through the mountains in Austria are much more steep and winding, and that this stretch of Route 66 was like driving a go kart through some hills. ;-)

Cruisin' on Route 66

Oatman, Arizona became another reunion point on my Route 66 journey. I ran into Chris and Jenn from St. Louis, who were leaving as I arrived. They told me they were having a blast cruisin' on Route 66 in their 1965 Pontiac Parisienne. Chris was also happy that I was wearing the Route 66 necklace he gave me. Chris actually makes the necklaces himself and is marketing them to souvenir shops along Route 66. Thanks, Chris! You rock!

Wild Burros!

Aside from being an old Wild West town with saloons and souvenir shops, Oatman, Arizona has some very unique residents -- wild burros! The animals walk up and down the streets as if they own the place, and you can pet them like a cat or a dog. Logan had a lot of fun playing with the wild burros!

The Long and Winding Road

The drive to Oatman, Arizona on Route 66 from Kingman is only about 30 miles west on the map, but you have to go through the Black Mountains of Mohave County, enduring extremely steep climbs and descents, sharp curves at 10 miles per hour or less, and dropoffs from the narrow cliffs that leave you very little room for error. While it's a treacherous and nerve-wracking stretch of road, it is also one of the most beautiful segments of Route 66. And the payoff for making it through this challenging drive along the long and winding road is arriving in this charming old mining town that makes you truly feel like you're in the Wild West!