10 Stops on Route 66: From Los Angeles to Las Vegas Road Trip

Road trips are more fun when you know you’re about to travel places that you only imagine in your dreams. Places that could be part of a futuristic or a cowboy theme movie. The road trip through the historic Route 66 in USA, between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, is the adventure that every travel lover should do. With so many exciting stops, such as a Ghost Town, a Bottle Tree Forest or an Alien Jerky Store, it becomes a hard task to know which stops to go to, but don’t worry, because I have the perfect 10 stops that will leave you mesmerized.

The Route 66 in USA, built on 1926, from Chicago to Los Angeles, has become famous by its unique and quirky stops that inspired different movies and songs. Nonetheless, Route 66 have been removed from US Highway System, it stayed as a Historic Route known as the Main Street of America or the Mother Road by the National Scenic Byway Program.

On my holidays last month to US, my husband and I decided to go from Los Angeles to Las Vegas by car. It was a fascinating road trip because we embarked on the popular Route 66. We stopped many times, since there was so much to visit and obviously we lost track of time. If you visit all the stops that are recommended online, the trip of 4 hours will become a trip of two days. So, what is it worth visiting? I selected 10 stops on Route 66, between Los Angeles and Las Vegas that will turn this road trip into the most mesmerizing trip you ever made.

1.FIRST ORIGINAL MCDONALD’S MUSEUM

The first stop from Los Angeles to Las Vegas it will be The First Original Mcdonald’s Museum in San Bernardino, California. The Mcdonald’s Museum is where Mcdonald’s has started. This was the first Mcdonald’s restaurant and it was also the house of Richard and Maurice Mcdonald, the two brothers who founded Mcdonald’s, before it got franchised by Ray Kroc. In the museum, you can see all the merchandising and the different happy meal packages and toys throughout the years, in different locations of the world.

2.SILVERWOOD LAKE

With the high temperatures of San Bernardino, California, the stop of Silverwood Lake will be much needed. The large reservoir is suitable for a dive or camping. You can camp for just $10 a night. The peaceful surroundings will recharge your body to continue the road trip.

3.OUTPOST CAFE

After the relaxing stop in Silverwood Lake, nothing better than a stop to eat. In Outpost Cafe you will find the most tasty American food! I definitely recommend the french toast and the cherry pie (pictures above). American cafes are the best in sweet pies. Outpost Cafe’s sweet pies looked so yummy! I don’t remember eating scrumptious pies in Europe like in US and especially in California.

The typical American Cafe interior that Outpost Cafe has, it’s exactly like you see it in American movies. The funny quote frames that they have hanged on the walls add the right cozy and chill out atmosphere when you’re in a road trip.

4.ELMER’S BOTTLE TREE RANCH

Did you ever imagined visiting a tree park made by glass bottles? If it sounds strange, then you need to visit Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch. The heat of the desert reduces the chances of finding a natural park, but Elmer Evan Long had the pioneering idea of creating a different type of park with antiques and glass bottles. The effect of the sunlight on the bottles it spreads the light as if you’d be in a natural park. If you like taking pictures whilst traveling, this will be the perfect spot for pictures.

5. DIVINE’S MARKET AND LIQUOR STORE

After so many miles on the road, you will need a pit stop to buy some drinks and get some snacks. You can do that by stopping at Divine’s Market and Liquor Store, at Barstow, California. The reason I included this store as a stop at Route 66, besides getting some drinks and snacks, it’s because some products are completely unusual, like the anti-stress supplements on the picture above. I never saw something like that, but also never tried before spicy gummies as they have. Can you imagine spicy gummies! Their snacks are unusual for that reason: most of their snacks are spicy. Luckily the drinks are free of hot chilly!!!

6.CALICO GHOST TOWN

The lost western town of Calico was once a busy area in the 1880’s, when there was a rush for silver mines. The town got deserted some decades after and in 1950 it was put back up as it was initially to become a fun roadside attraction. In Calico Ghost Town, you can relive the American western lifestyle. They have restaurants and gift shops, everything with a western decor.

7. THE WORLD’S TALLEST THERMOMETER

To mark the weather record of 57^o degrees in 1913 close to the Death Valley, the landmark of the World’s Tallest Thermometer was built in 1991. It has 41 meters high and it can display the maximum temperature of 57^o degrees, which is the temperature that inspired the monument.

8. ALIEN FRESH JERKY

Alien Fresh Jerky is the funniest and most amusing attraction in Route 66 for me. I never imagined a store where you can eat jerky meat, that could be made under an Alien theme. You might think of Alien Fresh Jerky as a restaurant or a museum, but it’s just a store with an Alien futuristic decor that sells quirky snacks and fresh jerky beef.

9.BONNIE AND CLYDE’S DEATH CAR

At Primm Valley Resort and Casino, you can visit Bonnie and Clyde’s Death Car. Some websites say that the car is at the Whiskey Pete’s Casino, but the correct place is Primm Valley Resort and Casino. It’s awkward to see the car that inspired so many movies so close by, and with so many bullets! The shirt that Clyde was wearing on the fateful day, it’s also exposed and strangely its design doesn’t seem from 1934, but from nowadays.

10.SEVEN MAGIC MOUNTAINS

Last stop is the colourful artwork of Ugo Rondinone: The Seven Magic Mountains. The seven locally-sourced limestone boulders stacked vertically in groups, represent the creative expression of human presence in the desert. The artwork is beautiful and for travel lovers is the perfect last stop before arriving to Las Vegas. The monument is a hour away from Las Vegas.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Historic Route 66 has many more places to be visited, but one day it’s not enough to see everything, so I hope this list will help your road trip to be fun and memorable, without losing too much time visiting everything.

It’s important to leave early in the morning to have time to visit the 10 stops I recommend. My husband and I left at 11am from LA and we got to Vegas at midnight! We didn’t even had time to visit the Seven Magic Mountains. We had to go the next day to visit them.

Take lots of water with you, since the desert temperatures will dry your body and sometimes you won’t have a gas station nearby.

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