Today brings us to the end of the trail. We set out 12 days ago on a journey that would bring us the same route that the Oakies took during the dust bowl and the vacationers of years gone by would have driven. Some happily drove Route 66 taking them on a cross-country trip that ultimately took them to the shores of the Pacific Ocean, others took this route hoping to find the Land of Milk and Honey, jobs, a new beginning. As we decided to plan for this vacation, we kept all those things in mind, we hoped to be able to follow the footsteps of others and see the real America.
As we pulled out of the hotel and turned on to Route 66 for the final day, I felt a little emotionally torn. I was ready to reach the end, but I wasn't ready for it to be over.
Stop number one was just outside of Helendale and before Victorville. As we drove up, we instantly knew it was a must stop. One little piece of property, completely covered in iron trees decorated with colorful bottles and glass insulators with unique toppers for each one. As we stepped into the gate, we could hear a radio playing, we walked around marveling at the artistic value of these trees. Then we turned around and saw an older guy sporting a beard that looks a lot like Si Robertson's, only longer. He walked towards us smoking a cigarette and extended his hand introducing himself as Elmer. We shook hands and the conversations started. Before we knew it we had spent nearly a half hour listening to how this all started. He told us how when he was a youngster, he had made a great friend who lived down the street. When he turned 6, his friend moved away, but they never lost touch. Elmer's dad would take him to visit and those visits turned into entire summers filled with adventure. They found old piles of "trash" left by miners years ago, and digging around found canteens and bottles. His friend started collecting the bottles, it wasn't Elmer's idea at first. As time went on, he got his friend's collection and the spark started. He had to come up with a way to display the collection, and so the bottle trees were born. He said he is never done, he has plenty more to display and still knows where to go to find more. I just don't know where he would put any more of them. To some, I'm sure it could be considered an eyesore, but it made us smile. It also made us feel good to meet Elmer and hear his story. This road is full of stories, the people are what make it what it is, and while we only met a few, they were the heart of this trip. One day they will all be gone, some already are, but they have left their mark.
The road today was honestly, with the exception of the very first stop, a little disappointing. I guess all the lead up to the end was far better than the last 170 miles. I guess when you really think about it, the oddities, the uniqueness and the feeling of middle America stops once you hit the big city. Then it's just another big city with traffic, stop lights and fast food on every corner. Once we got back on the highway headed for San Bernardino, things changed. The traffic was crazy on the highway, and once we pulled off onto the side streets, the feeling just wasn't there anymore.
We made a stop at the Wigwam Villiage there in San Bernardino. The place was manicured, and the Tepee's freshly painted, but the fence around the place sure gave it a weird vibe. I guess the No Loitering signs didn't help, either. They were cool, and the guy who took them over obviously spent a lot of time and money on them, but it just wasn't the same vibe.
We drove on, then we saw the Bono's Orange Stand in Fontana. This was on Jon's wish list, and it was cool, but the traffic on Foothill made it a challenge to pull over and get back out. I am glad it was still there, even though it was boarded up years ago because stuff like this usually doesn't last in big cities.
On we went, through the city of Rancho Cucamonga. Silly name, pretty place, but other than a few 66 signs on businesses and in the median, there wasn't much left of the "old days". We stopped for lunch at In and Out Burger (because a trip out west is not complete without it), and after lunch, we decided to go grab some Crocs for Jon because he took over mine. We found a mall with a Croc store and headed that way. Once we drove around looking for a space to park, ran in, got the shoes, and left, we made the decision that 3 more hours in this traffic, stopping at every light at every cross street, through both the nice neighborhoods and the "not-so-nice" areas, was just too much. So, we jumped on the interstate.
Yeah, we cheated a little, but really, the Route 66 we wanted to experience was behind us. Even Elmer at the bottle ranch agreed, it was better going the other way from his place than to the coast. On the interstate, we were in Santa Monica in no time. We got to the end of I-10, where it either dumps you into downtown or you can branch off to the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway).We drove around the blocks aimlessly looking for a place to park. We finally managed to find a place about 5 blocks from the beach and off on foot we went. Reaching the park, the first thing we saw was the Will Rogers Highway marker.
Then as we continued to walk, the pier came into view. This was it. The end of our journey, but not the end of the vacation. It was only the halfway point for that. On we went, checking out the crowds along the pier and the shore. Tony wanted photos of the sign saying the end of the trail, and Jon wanted to put his feet in the ocean. This was the first time he had ever seen the ocean.
After we got our fill of the crowds, we headed on to our hotel. We had another full day to spend in Los Angeles/Hollywood. Jon had his wish list there that we had to fill. Tony and I, on the other hand, were counting down the hours until we were out of this crazy busy city! We capped the night off at our hotel, the Beverly Garland, with a movie by the pool. Jon loved watching Toy Story 3 while floating in the water!
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