Santa Monica and the West End of Route 66

Monrovia: Journey Back in Time
Foothill Boulevard leaves Rancho Cucamonga and travels through the Route 66 cities of Upland, Claremont, La Verne, San Dimas, Glendora, Azusa, Duarte, Monrovia, Arcadia, and Pasadena. Here and there traces of the old Mother Road can still be seen tucked away between more modern strip malls and chain restaurants. Monrovia offers the Route 66 fan some delightful visions from yesteryear. One block north of Colorado Blvd on Shamrock can be seen a vintage gas station left over from an earlier alignment of Route 66.
		Follow Shamrock north to West Foothill Blvd and turn left. Along this early alignment of Route 66 can be seen architecture from the 1920s and 1930s plus older motor courts such as Harding Court. A vintage postcard from 1923 (three years before Route 66) shows an idyllic Foothill Blvd. winding among the orange groves of Monrovia. Soak up the atmosphere of the place today as you move down the road to the one of a kind Aztec Motel on the corner of W. Foothill and Magnolia.
The Aztec is still open, and with the resurgence of interest in the Mother Road hopefully it will continue to be so. The Aztec Motel is as unique a structure to be found anywhere on Route 66, and is a classic of the old highway in California. The Aztec Hotel is a special project of the California Route 66 Preservation Foundation which has been instrumental in helping organize the Friends of the Aztec.

Pasadena Works with its Route 66 Heritage
		Foothill Blvd. becomes Colorado Blvd. as it moves west into Pasadena. The Colorado Street Bridge is another relic of the Mother Road that actually predates Route 66. This gracefully arched bridge was originally built in 1913 to span the Arroyo Seco from Pasadena into Eagle Rock. It was 13 years old when it became a part of Route 66 and continued to be a part of the Mother Road from 1926 through 1940 when the Arroyo Seco Parkway opened.
		The Pasadena historic district has many old buildings still evident from the early Route 66 days. Classic art deco intermingles with 1900s architecture to form a colorful eclectic collection of vintage buildings that hint of the Golden Era of Southern California. An old Pasadena hotel still shows its former glory along Route 66. Route 66 Motels and cafes can be seen here and there, quaint anachronisms amid the hustle and bustle of modern Pasadena.
The Fair Oaks Pharmacy has seen a lot of Route 66 pass by its doors. The Pharmacy originally opened in 1915. Eleven years later it was there for the birth of Route 66 and was on the legendary highway’s first alignment from 1926 through 1934. Today it has been restored as a fully operational soda fountain. Grab an ice cream float and linger awhile in the atmosphere of the place.

Santa Monica: The West End of Route 66
		The Arroyo Seco Parkway opened in December 30, 1940 and became the new alignment of Route 66 from Pasadena to Los Angeles and one of our nation’s earliest freeways to boot. Even today the classic lines and attention to detail can still be seen in the construction of the parkway and it’s beautiful tunnels. You will leave the Arroyo Seco Parkway at the Sunset Blvd. exit to continue on Route 66.
From Figueroa St. to Sunset Blvd. then on to Santa Monica Blvd. you will be following the last alignment of Route 66 to the Pacific Ocean. Santa Monica Blvd. travels through Hollywood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and finally Route 66 ends in Santa Monica at Palisades Park and the famous Santa Monica Pier on the Pacific.

Post card of the Santa Monica Pier has a 1910 postmark ~ 16 years before Route 66 was born . The original pre 1939 alignment of Route 66 ended in downtown Los Angeles. Later that alignment was changed and eventually ended up in Santa Monica. Technically the Santa Monica Pier is not the real end of Route 66. Route 66 ends a block away from the pier at the intersection of Santa Monica Blvd. and Ocean Avenue. The Will Rogers Highway Dedication Plaque is across the street from here in Palisades Park - the real end of Route 66. Ah, but the pier is close enough to count!

NAVIGATION NOTE: Buckle up and hold on to your mouse! These pages are arranged like the map above, Pacific Ocean being West Route 66 and the Colorado River East Route 66. I have set up this site as if you were traveling from EAST to WEST, much like the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath. You can click on the Route 66 shields to "travel" the Mother Road in either direction though. Clicking West Route 66 or East Route 66 will take you to the next town or area on the map in that direction.

Photographs taken between January 2000 and September 2002 Courtesy Western Trails

Santa Monica and the West End of Route 66

Monrovia: Journey Back in Time

Pasadena Works with its Route 66 Heritage

Santa Monica: The West End of Route 66

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