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NEEDLES
Gateway to California — cross the Colorado River & the El Garces Harvey House
8 stops
Stops in Needles
The original Route 66 crossing of the Colorado River — a historic steel bridge built in 1916 that carried travelers from Arizona into California for decades. Even after its replacement, the old bridge remains a powerful symbol of arrival: you've crossed the Colorado River, you're in California, and the Pacific is 315 miles ahead. A moving, often overlooked stop at the very start of the California stretch.
Broadway St bridge over Colorado River, Needles
A stunning 1908 Mission Revival masterpiece designed by Francis Wilson for the Fred Harvey Company — one of the grandest Harvey Houses ever built along the Santa Fe Railroad. El Garces hosted Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and thousands of Route 66 travelers during its heyday. Closed in 1949 and deteriorating for decades, the building has been meticulously restored by the city of Needles and now functions as a transit center and museum. A genuine architectural landmark.
950 Front St, Needles
A compact but well-curated museum covering Needles' remarkable history as a railroad junction, Route 66 gateway, Colorado River crossing, and Mohave Desert community. Native American artifacts, railroad memorabilia, vintage Route 66 photographs, and mining history fill the collection. Free admission. The staff know their Route 66 history deeply.
929 Front St, Needles
Also in Needles
Needles' Broadway Street retains a wonderful collection of surviving vintage neon signs from the motor court and diner era — the Palms Motel, the Sundowner, and others glow against the desert sky at dusk. A drive along Broadway at sunset captures the faded glamour of California's Route 66 gateway better than any single attraction.
Broadway St, Needles
A tiny, unpretentious six-room motor court built in 1946–47 that's quietly survived nearly 80 years on the corner of Desnok and East Broadway. No frills, no restoration budget — just a hand-painted sign and a low strip of rooms that looks almost exactly like it did the day it opened. One of the last surviving examples of what Route 66 lodging actually looked like before anyone thought to call it “vintage.”
Desnok & East Broadway St, Needles
Built in 1929 at the corner of F Street and Broadway, this dual-purpose building housed a movie theater downstairs and a Masonic Temple upstairs — an unusually grand investment for a small desert railroad town. It opened to the public on March 14, 1930, and operated for decades before a fire in the early 1990s forced it to close. The Needles Area Chamber of Commerce bought the building from the Masons in 1997 and began restoring its facade in 2002; today it still anchors the same corner it has since Needles' Route 66 heyday.
F St & Broadway, Needles
A working smog-check shop that doubles as a roadside art gallery. The mural on its wall nods to a real, if easy-to-miss, Elvis connection: Needles gets a name-check in “Never Been to Spain,” written by Hoyt Axton and famously performed live by Elvis — “I headed for Las Vegas, only made it out to Needles.” The mural pairs that lyric with a vintage convertible, a palm tree, and “Needles Cal” spelled out like a postcard.
115 W Broadway St, Needles
A Route 66 mural featuring Snoopy on his doghouse pays tribute to Needles' most famous former resident — Charles Schulz, creator of Peanuts, who lived in Needles briefly as a child in the late 1920s. The punishing desert he remembered later became the setting for Snoopy's desert-dwelling brother, Spike. A sweet, easy-to-miss piece of pop-culture history painted right on a parking-lot wall.
Broadway St, Needles
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GOFFS
The 1914 schoolhouse on the original pre-1931 alignment — deep Mojave country
1 stop
Stops in Goffs
A beautifully restored 1914 Mojave Desert schoolhouse on the original pre-1931 alignment of Route 66 — the longest surviving stretch of the earliest California route. The Mojave Road Preservation Association has transformed it into a museum and trailhead for the old Mojave Road. Surrounded by Joshua trees and open desert with 360-degree views of the Preserve, the schoolhouse is a quietly powerful stop for those who make the detour.
37198 Lanfair Rd, Goffs
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AMBOY
Roy’s Motel & the Amboy Crater — the most iconic Mojave image on all of Route 66
2 stops
Stops in Amboy
The single most iconic image of California Route 66 — Roy's soaring mid-century neon sign rising from the Mojave Desert floor has been photographed millions of times and appeared in countless films, music videos, and advertisements. Built in 1938 by Roy Crowl, the motel and diner served as a lifeline for Mojave travelers for decades before closing when I-40 bypassed Amboy in the early 1970s. Preservationist Albert Okura bought the property in 2005 and relit the sign in 2019 after years of restoration; since Okura's death in 2023, his son Kyle Okura has continued the work, aiming to reopen Roy's motel cabins for Route 66's centennial in 2026. Come at golden hour. The silence here is total.
87520 National Trails Hwy, Amboy
A perfectly preserved cinder cone volcano rising 250 feet from the flat Mojave floor, formed by an eruption approximately 10,000 years ago. The surrounding lava field stretches for miles. The Bureau of Land Management maintains a 3.4-mile round-trip trail to the crater rim with views deep into the cone. One of the most surreal and beautiful natural stops on all of California Route 66 — and completely free.
National Trails Hwy near Amboy, Amboy
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NEWBERRY SPRINGS
The Bagdad Cafe — a cult film pilgrimage site drawing visitors from around the world
1 stop
Stops in Newberry Springs
Made world-famous by Percy Adlon's 1987 German cult film of the same name, the Bagdad Cafe has been drawing pilgrims from around the globe — particularly from Germany and France — ever since. The film was actually shot at this diner in Newberry Springs (renamed from the Sidewinder Cafe for the film). The walls are covered in photographs and memorabilia from international visitors. The pie is good. The atmosphere is genuinely surreal. A bucket list stop for film lovers.
46548 National Trails Hwy, Newberry Springs
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DAGGETT
The Grapes of Wrath inspection station — where Dust Bowl migrants were turned away
1 stop
Stops in Daggett
The site of the famous California agricultural inspection station depicted in John Steinbeck's 'The Grapes of Wrath' — where Dust Bowl migrants from Oklahoma were interrogated and turned back by California border guards. The 1940 film adaptation was shot here. The original building is gone, but the historic marker and context make this a profound stop for anyone who understands what Route 66 meant to the families who fled the Dust Bowl.
I-40 near Daggett, Daggett
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ORO GRANDE
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch — a whistling forest of vintage glass built by hand in the desert
1 stop
Stops in Oro Grande
A wildly unique manifestation of roadside folk art — a dense, metallic forest built entirely from pipes and thousands of vintage glass bottles. Creator Elmer Long began the ranch in 2000, welding his first bottle tree from a collection of desert flotsam his father spent a lifetime gathering. What started as a single structure grew into more than 200 trees, each adorned with old typewriters, street signs, and rusted car parts. As the high desert wind moves through, the installation creates a distinct, echoing soundtrack. Long passed away in 2019, but his family keeps the gates open free of charge.
24266 National Trails Hwy, Oro Grande
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VICTORVILLE
The California Route 66 Museum & Emma Jean’s — a diner unchanged since 1947
2 stops
Stops in Victorville
Housed in the former Red Rooster Cafe — a classic Route 66 roadhouse from the 1930s — this volunteer-run museum is a passionate, personal tribute to California's stretch of the Mother Road. Exhibits include a recreated 1950s diner, vintage neon signs, a remarkable collection of Route 66 postcards and photographs, and a Ford Model T. Free admission. The dedication of the people who run it is evident in every corner.
16825 D St, Victorville
A Victorville institution since 1947 — a genuine diner counter with swivel stools, a short-order cook visible through the pass, and some of the best pie in the Mojave. Emma Jean herself ran it for decades. The kind of place that never changed because it never needed to. A Route 66 stalwart beloved by truckers, locals, and road trippers in equal measure.
17143 D St, Victorville
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CAJON PASS
The dramatic descent from the Mojave into the Los Angeles Basin
1 stop
Stops in Cajon Pass
The dramatic mountain pass where Route 66 descends from the Mojave Desert into the Los Angeles Basin — one of the most scenic and historically significant stretches of the California route. The Summit Inn, a beloved diner open since 1952 famous for its ostrich burgers, was destroyed by the Blue Cut Fire in 2016. The sign survives. The views of the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains from the original alignment are extraordinary.
Cajon Blvd / Old Hwy 138, Cajon Pass
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SAN BERNARDINO
The original McDonald’s, the Wigwam Motel & a 1928 movie palace
3 stops
Stops in San Bernardino
In 1940, brothers Dick and Mac McDonald opened a drive-in restaurant on this corner. In 1948 they reinvented it as a walk-up burger stand with a radical new system — the 'Speedee Service System' — that became the template for the entire fast food industry. Ray Kroc visited in 1954 and the rest is history. The original building was demolished, but a museum on the site tells the full story of how a San Bernardino Route 66 diner changed American eating forever.
1398 N E St, San Bernardino
One of three surviving Wigwam Motels in America and one of two on Route 66 — 19 concrete teepees arranged in a U-shape along Foothill Boulevard. Built in 1949 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the San Bernardino Wigwam inspired the Cozy Cone Motel in Pixar's Cars. Unlike the Holbrook location, this one is right in the urban sprawl — making the teepees even more unexpected and delightful.
2728 W Foothill Blvd, San Bernardino
Also in San Bernardino
A magnificent 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival theater with an elaborately ornate facade that stands as one of the finest surviving examples of 1920s movie palace architecture in Southern California. Still in operation as a performing arts venue, the California Theater is an unexpected and rewarding stop in downtown San Bernardino — and a reminder that Route 66 towns were once centers of genuine cultural ambition.
562 W 4th St, San Bernardino
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RANCHO CUCAMONGA
The oldest service station on California Route 66 & a stagecoach-era steakhouse
2 stops
Stops in Rancho Cucamonga
A landmark steakhouse in a setting of genuine antiquity — the Sycamore Inn has been welcoming travelers on this stretch of road since 1848, when it served as a stagecoach stop on the Mojave Road. Rebuilt and expanded over the decades, the current inn retains its warm, historic character with dark wood, stone fireplaces, and impeccable service. One of the oldest continuously operating hospitality establishments on the California Route 66 corridor.
8318 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga
The oldest surviving service station on all of California Route 66 — a 1915 structure from before the road was even officially designated. Built as an automobile service garage in the early days of motor travel, it has been preserved as a local historic landmark. A remarkable physical link to the very origins of automotive culture in Southern California.
9670 Foothill Blvd, Rancho Cucamonga
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MONROVIA
The Aztec Hotel — one of only a handful of Mayan Revival buildings in the United States
1 stop
Stops in Monrovia
Built in 1925 in a flamboyant Mayan Revival style — one of only a handful of such buildings in the entire United States — the Aztec Hotel is one of the most architecturally extraordinary structures on all of Route 66. Designed by Robert Stacy-Judd with Mayan carved stonework, murals, and mosaics throughout, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The ground-floor bar and restaurant welcome visitors. A genuine one-of-a-kind landmark.
311 W Foothill Blvd, Monrovia
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PASADENA
Colorado Street Bridge & Old Town — Route 66’s most beautiful urban stretch
1 stop
Stops in Pasadena
Route 66 followed Colorado Boulevard through the heart of Pasadena — home of the Rose Bowl and the Rose Parade — past the magnificent 1913 Colorado Street Bridge arching 150 feet above the Arroyo Seco. Old Town Pasadena's Colorado Boulevard is lined with beautiful Craftsman and Arts & Crafts architecture, independent restaurants, and boutiques. One of the most pleasant urban stretches on the entire California route.
Colorado Blvd & Arroyo Seco, Pasadena
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SOUTH PASADENA
Fair Oaks Pharmacy — a 1915 soda fountain serving phosphates for over a century
1 stop
Stops in South Pasadena
A genuine 1915 soda fountain operating continuously for over a century, serving hand-mixed phosphates, cherry Cokes, ice cream sodas, and sundaes from an original marble counter with swivel stools. One of the oldest operating soda fountains in California and a perfectly preserved piece of pre-Route 66 American pharmacy culture. The Green River phosphate is the thing to order.
1526 Mission St, South Pasadena
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LOS ANGELES
The Original Pantry & Olvera Street — where Route 66 meets the city that built California
2 stops
Stops in Los Angeles
While You’re in Los Angeles
Worth extra time
Route 66 threads through the heart of one of the world’s great cities before reaching the ocean. These stops sit just off the historic alignment and deserve a dedicated detour — the oldest street in LA and a diner that has never once closed its doors in over a century.
Open every single hour of every single day since 1924 — the Original Pantry has never locked its doors in over a century of continuous operation. Route 66 travelers heading into downtown Los Angeles have been fueling up here since the road's earliest days. The massive breakfast portions, the sourdough bread, and the counter service are unchanged. Owned for decades by former LA mayor Richard Riordan.
877 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles
The oldest street in Los Angeles, dating to the city's founding in 1781, sits just off the original Route 66 alignment through downtown LA. The brick-paved street is lined with Mexican craft stalls, restaurants, and the city's oldest surviving structures. The Avila Adobe (1818) is the oldest surviving building in the city. A profound counterpoint to Route 66's 20th century America — this is where California began.
125 Paseo de la Plaza, Los Angeles
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SANTA MONICA
Mile 2,448 — the End of the Trail, the Pacific Ocean & the finish line
3 stops
Stops in Santa Monica
Mile marker 2,448. The end of Route 66 — where the Mother Road finally meets the Pacific Ocean after crossing eight states, three time zones, and the full breadth of the American experience. The End of the Trail sign on the pier is one of the most photographed spots in American road travel. Take your shoes off, walk to the water's edge, put your feet in the Pacific, and let the weight of the journey settle. You drove Route 66.
200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica
A bluff-top park overlooking the Pacific Ocean just north of the pier — the actual geographic end point of Route 66 before the road's terminus was moved to the pier. Walk the palm-lined path above the beach as the sun drops into the Pacific. The views from Palisades Park at sunset are among the most beautiful in Southern California and a fitting close to the greatest American road trip.
Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, Santa Monica
Built in 1916, the hand-carved wooden carousel on the Santa Monica Pier is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest operating carousels in America. Ride it after completing your Route 66 journey — it appeared in the film 'The Sting' and has delighted Californians for more than a century. A joyful, luminous, and completely appropriate way to celebrate reaching the Pacific.
200 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica