Day 12 Monday, Sept 15 The Home Stretch

I really don't like Barstow or the desert! Even last night when we were going through the desert after the sun went down it was hot.

 I don't know how people live in places like Barstow! Our motel was cute...learned that they use the old truck in front of the office as storage for towels and things! Still, while everyone here seems oblivious to the heat, I can't stand it! 

We went to a beautiful building called Casa Del Desierta (Harvey House) to take in a train/ Route 66 museum but they were closed on Mondays. 

I should uld mention, I have a new appreciation for the importance of trains. We saw so many...even saw old cars converted into garages and I think some people in the desert actually lived in old train cars.

It was very hot today...88 degrees at 9:00 a.m. We were constantly thirsty. We stopped at a small Route 66 museum in Victorville, Ca just to get out of the heat. Nice people and very interesting.

Then it was another white knuckle ride. The pass between the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mts. was another crazy ride. The Cajon Pass seemed to go on forever. I thought it was the scariest ride yet....6 lanes of fast moving traffic with steep grades that seemed to go on for 20 miles!

We finally got to San Bernadino and found our motel. It is the cutest place ever! We are staying in a tee pee...a vintage Route 66 motel brought back to life again. It is so cute and very well kept! The car was parked here temporarily today for a photo op. Les has a million pictures of old cars and trucks but I have to admit, this is a nice one!

After we settled in we went to the very first McDonalds...established by the McDonald brothers and then later sold. According to what I read, Willerd Scott (from NBC) was the very first Ronald McDonald!

We are on the home stretch at last!  I can't wait to get to Santa Monica tomorrow and then on to see Danny and Rosy and the boys. Finally!