Day 18-19 Kingman-Oatman-San Bernadino-Pasadena-Santa Monica Pier

Day 18-19: I stayed at a great Harvest Hosts location in Kingman, Arizona, last night, where Keith was incredibly accommodating. After arriving in Kingman along Route 66, I quickly realized it did not disappoint! The town’s Main Street is actually called Beale Street, which immediately reminded me of Memphis and the “real” Beale Street. Kingman was a fun stop, and Mr. D’s Diner was especially good. I also loved their homemade root beer—it was definitely worth trying! From Kingman, I continued on to Oatman, a historic Route 66 town famous for the wild burros that freely roam the streets. I’ve included some notes on the photos to highlight a few of the sights and characters along the way. Even the mayor of Oatman is a burro named Walter! 🫏 The real thrill, however, was getting to Oatman. The drive takes you through the mountains along a stretch of road with 191 turns in just 8 miles—and no guardrails! Let’s just say I’m feeling pretty confident that I’m ready for the Indy 500 or Daytona 500 now! 😂 After spending some time walking the streets of Oatman and visiting with the burros, I headed back out toward the California state line. By then, it was getting late, so my final two planned stops were a little different. The Wigwam Motel in San Bernardino was still open, but it was too dark to get any good pictures. Pasadena was essentially shut down for the evening, and since the area I wanted to visit the next day was downtown—with very limited RV parking—I decided to continue on into Los Angeles. And just like that, Day 19 brought my incredible Route 66 adventure to an end at the Santa Monica Pier! Would I do it again? Absolutely! I loved every minute of traveling back in time through all of these unique little towns, discovering the history, characters, roadside attractions, and unforgettable experiences that make Route 66 so special. Now I’m in Long Beach, where I’ll be hanging out with cousin Corey and Ramon for a few days. Then, on Monday, I’ll be heading out toward Colorado for the next chapter of the adventure! What an amazing journey Route 66 has been! 🚐🌵🫏🛣️