2006 November Trip toSouthern Califonia

     Today we where driving up to my brother’s house who lives in Apple Valley. Of course being the travel nuts we are and the fact that we are trying to cover old Route 66 all the way from Barstow to Santa Monica on this trip it meant we took longer that most people would but then again…getting there is an adventure.

     While my wife checked out of the hotel I took some pictures in the atrium but they did not come out that well since I was trying to avoid using the flash and did not have my tripod with me. After checking out and getting our car we headed down Broadway to Huntington Drive so we could complete our 66 tour.

      We stopped at the Soto overpass so I could take a couple of pictures. This overpass used to carry the cars of the legendary Pacific Electric and is slated to be replaced soon so these are probably our last pictures of it. From there we drove along Huntington Drive with a small detour along Via Marisol which is an area on the east side of Highland Park that I have not ventured into so we had to explore. It amazes me that we me being the explorer there is actually an area that has not been explored in Southern California.

      Next we headed up Fair Oaks and past the Junior High School that I attended 9^th grade at. We crossed the Pasadena Freeway and stopped at Winchell’s donuts for breakfast. I had a friend from high school that worked here for a few months so I knew it well. I was really disappointed with there selection of donuts but we did get here at the tail end of the breakfast period (9:00AM).

      After having our donuts we continued up Fair Oaks and then headed down Interstate 210 over to the Rosemead Blvd exit so we could continue on our Route 66 adventure. Of course being in Southern California that has to rank second to Las Vegas for destroying its history in the name of progress there is not a whole lot left along 66 in this area.

      We did find an old motor court hotel in Arcadia that we took pictures of but that was about it for a while. We took a slight detour down to take pictures of the Santa Fe station in Monrovia and to take a look at some places I knew the in the area when I lived here. We then headed back to old Route 66 and continued our journey. In Azusa we headed north for a few blocks so I could take a picture of the Santa Fe station in Azusa. I have travel many times along these tracks when they still hosted passenger trains and hopefully will be able to ride them again when they host an extension of the Gold Line from Pasadena to Claremont.

       Before leaving Azusa we encountered an old Drive Inn sign so I took a few pictures of that. After that the ride was pretty ordinary. We did see a couple of old motels along the way but for the most part it was all suburb sprawl and nothing else. When we arrived in Upland we turned on Euclid and passed where the Pacific Electric used to cross. This was a branch line of the Southern Pacific for many years but is now a bike path. There has been a little independent grocery store next to where the tracks where for as long as I can remember but its looking pretty old.

      A friend of the family lived in a little old apartment just a half block off of Euclid and a block from the old Santa Fe tracks here so we stopped by to see what it looked like now. The apartment is still there but the neighborhood looks like it is getting pretty run down. About this time my wife was starting to need a restroom bad because she wasn’t feeling well so I found a newer looking convenience store and she used the restroom there. We also got a couple of drinks to hold us over.

      After she spent some time in the restroom we headed back out again. Before her husband died the friend of the family that lived in the apartment had a house and we tried to find that but I could not remember the exact address. In addition the houses looked so different I could not figure out which on it was. On the way back from Upland’s downtown area my wife saw a Scrapbook store so she went into the store while I went down to the Metrolink station which is right where the old Santa Fe station was and waited for the Metrolink train that was due. At this point I remembered that the signals at Union Station were being redone so trains were running late but soon the train came in and I took some pictures. After that I headed back to the scrapbook store and waited about a half hour for my wife to finish.

       After she finished in the Scrap booking Store we continued our drive down Euclid Avenue until we reached Ontario. We stopped on B Street so I could take a picture of the store front my Uncle used to rent out for his furniture refinishing business. The last time we came by here in 2002 the place was looking really run down but they have fixed it up pretty nice now. I also took pictures of the old Mule Car they have on display on Euclid. The mule would pull the trolley up Euclid to Upland and then the mule would ride in the back of the car on the way down. After all that excitement it was time to head back onto Old Route 66 which is Foothill Blvd.

     At the corner of Foothill Blvd and Campus used to be a restaurant called Martinez’s which my parents and our friends would go to many times. I had a couple of birthday parties here in addition to other trips. In 2002 that the restaurant was replaced by another Rite Aid drug store but now even the Rite Aid is gone. Our next stop was at the Sycamore which is a big restaurant next to a big Sycamore. Just east of here is a overpass that used to carry the legendary Pacific Electric Railway. My parents along with my brother and our friends have eaten at the Sycamore many times. It has been around from many years. In fact it has been around so long it actually started out as a stage coach stop and has bullet holes in several places near the bar and other places from gun fights during the early days.

     After taking some pictures there we continued down Foothill Blvd. Since much of this area was undeveloped even when US 66 was decommissioned there is not a whole lot to see unless you like the look of Big Box Retailers, Suburban Sprawl and not a whole lot of character. By this time my wife and I where starting to get hungry so it was time to eat and wouldn’t you know it we just happen to stumble upon a new In N’ Out burger with inside seating. No trip down here is complete without a trip to Rick’s in Pasadena (sad that it’s coming to an end) and In N Out. We keep hearing rumors that they are coming to Salt Lake City but we shall see.

     After our terrific lunch we started back on our journey. We took another slight detour to take pictures of the former Pacific Electric station in Fontana before hitting Foothill Blvd again. Next we stopped and took some pictures of the Wig Wam motel in Rialto that has had a beautiful restoration. From here through San Bernardino we continued along old Route 66 but the neighborhoods are in bad shape. We did stop and take a few pictures of old buildings but then by passed a lot due to the neighborhood. From Foothill Blvd you turn north on Mt. Vernon Ave which becomes Cajon Blvd and pretty much parallels the BNSF/UP railroad tracks  all the way to Cajon Junction.

      After leaving San Bernardino we took drove along all the portions of former Route 66 that are still open. You do have to enter Interstate 215 an exit before the Interstate 15 interchange and get off the next exit after the interchange to keep on your Route 66 journey. This part of the journey travels through CajonPass that I journeyed to many times in my life to take pictures in the area. In addition the BNSF and the Union Pacific have rail lines in the area so you are likely to encounter railfans on this section of the route.              

     The only town that was on this stretch is Blue Creek but it is very run down, has a fence around it and has been a site of criminal and other activity that many do not want to be around. After you pass Blue Creek there is a couple of nice curves and you can just imagine what it was like to drive this road back when it was Route 66 and there wasn’t the luxuries we have now.

      Just before Cajon Junction you have to turn onto Interstate 15 to head over Cajon Summit. From here to Victorville US 66 is under Interstate 15 so we just drove along the Interstate until 7^th Avenue which is the start of the Victorville section of Route 66. Route 66 then turned onto National Trails Highway to head to Barstow. My wife and I stopped at the Victorville Intermodal Depot so we could call my brother and get directions to his house. As it turned out the Intermodal depot was also a voting location and since it was a major election day the place was packed. I wanted to get bus schedules for the local transit system but they had them blocked off so once my wife got the directions to my brother’s house we headed over to his and his wife’s house.

      The drive over to Apple Valley and his home only took a few minutes so we had time to relax before we headed to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant. After dinner it was back to their house where we had time to spend together and get to bed early.