Needles California and Beyond

 

 Monday, June 23 – Needles, California & Beyond

We finally made it to Needles, California! We stayed the night there, but the next morning Peg realized she was out of her arthritis medicine. The nearest CVS we could find was across the border in Nevada—thankfully only 13 miles away—so we took a little detour to pick up her prescription.

After that, we continued heading toward the end of Route 66. Along the way, we made an important stop in the desert to take part in a long-standing tradition: writing our names in rocks. It apparently started after WWII, when soldiers would come home and leave their names along the roadside. Over the years, others followed suit—spelling out names and messages in big letters using stones. Even though we’re both seniors (citizens, that is!) and it was a scorching 97 degrees, we had to join in. Our original plan was to spell out “Roaming Relics 25,” but the heat (and, let’s face it, our age) got to us. So we settled on “Roaming 25.” Still, mission accomplished—and totally worth it.Peg tossed a rock to Janet to add to the rock writing but accidentally hit her hand. First bandage of the trip.

We also passed by the Wigwam Motel—always a favorite. It was cute and clean, and we got a peek inside one of the rooms thanks to a kind cleaning lady. Each room had two beds and a little bathroom in the back, though we didn’t go all the way in. The Arizona Wigwam location still takes the cake, though—it has more vintage cars and is styled like an old-town setup.

From there, we couldn’t resist a quick detour down Chevy Chase Drive—because, hey, when you’re in Beverly Hills, why not? We passed a cheerful sign that read “Blessed,” which felt like a good omen. We also admired a massive, beautiful tree on the roadside in Hollywood. And of course, no trip would be complete without a drive up to see the Hollywood Sign in all its glory.

In Barstow, we stopped at a powerful 9/11 memorial—a giant fire hat dedicated to the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the Twin Towers. The city also had Route 66 markers decorated with vintage cars, and we loved seeing all the murals along the way. We passed the Al Rancho Motel, and also made sure to stop for a photo at the famous Roy’s Café.

On top of all that, we had a few unexpected wildlife sightings! We saw two roadrunners cross the road—managed to get a picture of one—and finally spotted Wile E. Coyote in a perfect mural featuring both him and the Roadrunner.