Day 13 - Kingman, AZ to San Bernardino, CA

Our penultimate day started on the road west from Kingman across the Sacramento Wash towards Oatman. We encountered another (and unexpected, given the remote location) restored gas station nestling under the rocky outcrops of the Black Mountains.  It turns out that this station originally burnt down in the 1960's, but was partly restored for the purposes of being blown up again in the film Universal Soldier, staring that notable Belgian, Jean-Claude Van Damme. It was then properly restored afterwards, now serving as a small cafe and store. Evidently, the store owner is something of a Rolling Stones fan, having a framed copy of what I assume is every album in original vinyl, each signed by the band.

Restored Mobil gas pumps

The drive from here became distinctly more challenging, with many switchbacks, hairpin bends, and a few steep drops off cliff faces to provide an additional incentive for not taking corners too quickly. Alas, the photos can really do justice to this amazing stretch if highway. Moreover, I dread to imagine what it must have been like back when this road was a busy with cars and trucks going both directions, especially at night or in poor weather.

 

 

The long and winding road

This was apparently wild donkey territory - just one more hazard to avoid going around blind corners. In the end we didn't see any.

Having navigated down the other side of the pass and round the base of the mountain, we drove along until we got our third view of the Colorado River on this trip as we crossed into California, and the Mojave Desert. We stopped and grabbed lunch in Needles at a typical Route 66 roadside stop, complete with Route 66 solitaire puzzles.

The Needles Welcome Wagon

The California desert look much the same as the Arizona desert, frankly, though the large valleys we descended into did give us a chance to appreciate how little was out there. Along the long stretch of desert just after Needles, long banks of sand and rock alongside the road for several miles have been decorated with names over the years by hundreds if not thousands of passers-by.  Well, given our history so far this trip, there was no way we could pass this opportunity by.

We apologise for the somewhat rough nature of our addition - it was 97 degrees F, we did it quickly.

All the way through California there has been a resurgence of road markings showing of the route.  As the road couldn't exactly be called busy, we stopped for another mini photo op.

What you don't realise is that this is just an optical illusion, the Minis are actually the same size...

Bridge Alert:  It's been a few days, and we didn't want you to feel we were neglecting you, and thus for your viewing pleasure, a rare Modified Baltimore Truss Bridge, on the way to Victorville.

Every one's favourite truss, no doubt

For our final night on the road, we had to do it in true Route 66 style.  Here was our abode for the evening.

The Wigwam Motel in San Bernadino. Quite frankly - how could one resist? Alas on the inside there is a false roof, so you can't see all the way up the top of the cone.  One wonders what is up there though.