|
|
|
|
Cajon Pass: Gateway to the L.A. Basin |
||
The Summit Inn is a Route 66 landmark. It has been serving travelers since 1952, providing a welcome break before or after navigating the treacherous Cajon Pass. Route 66 travelers could get out and kiss the earth after reaching the summit of the pass safely. Or if going down the pass, could get one more cup of coffee and steel their nerves for the descent. It is nice to see it is still in business with all the feel of the old road. They serve a nice lunch, and for the adventurous there is even an Ostrich Burger to feast on. Yep, you guessed it - tastes a lot like chicken! |
|
|
|
Cajon Pass, the famous gateway to San Bernardino and Southern California has long been an important natural route. Desert Indians had come this way for centuries, followed later by Mountain Men and early Spanish and Anglo explorers. In the early 1800's it was the southern end of the Old Spanish Trail which led to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Pegleg Smith used this trail for massive horse stealing raids in the 1840's. It is said that the infamous mountain man had a profitable business of stealing horses in California then selling them in Santa Fe. In 1861 a 12-mile toll road through the pass was built. The road linked San Bernardino and the coastal cities to the booming mining communities of the high desert. Cajon Pass was a natural route for the railroad when it came in 1885. In the late 1920's the old trails over Cajon Pass became Route 66. Portions of the old road can still be seen by taking the Cleghorn Exit off I-15. Route 66 in this area has the distinction of being one of the first divided highways in the United States. |
|
|
As you drive the old section of Route 66 off the Cleghorn exit (going west) you will cross over a great old 1930's Bridge next to the RR tracks on Route 66. That is your que to be on the look out for Swarthout Canyon Road on your right. Just around the corner behind a row of boulders is the site of an old Federal camp used in the 1930's to provide a safe haven for the Dustbowl emigrants or "Oakies," who were facing much bitter harassment from the locals. | |
|
|
|
| Just a little farther down the road past the
Swarthout Canyon Road there is a field stone wall on your right separating the road from
Cajon Creek. This is the site of the Blue Cut Rest Area, a once popular stop on Route 66,
there is a historical marker located here. Rest for awhile and watch the Santa Fe trains
roll by. The photo opportunities are great because the railroad tracks are so close. NOTE: The severe drought of summer 2002 spured wild fires across the west. Cajon Pass fell victim to one of these. We can only hope that in a few years it will once again be the beautiful place it once was. |
|
|
|
Another mile or so down Route 66 are some more ghosts of the old road. A lonely "EAT" sign pokes out from the thick growth. Once long ago it held the promise of food for the hungry traveler. Now there's no restaurant to been seen anywhere. Nearby an abandoned cabin speaks of a time when this stretch of Route 66 saw the passing of a nation on the move. Unfortunately this stretch of Route 66 comes to an end and it is time to rejoin the Interstate at Kenwood Ave. The old road still continues on over the rolling hills, but it is closed to traffic now. |
Foothill Blvd. and San Bernardino. |
||
| Route 66 starts out as Cajon Blvd. then becomes Mt Vernon Ave. then turns into 5th Ave. before turning into Foothill Blvd. It can be a little confusing the first time through. There is much to see of old Route 66 along Foothill Blvd. Go slow and be on the lookout for the relics of the road tucked here and there between newer buildings. Old signs stand here and there next to vacant lots - hinting at what once was there. There are quite a few old motels and cafes along this stretch of Route 66 in San Bernardino, Rialto and Fontana. The Wigwam Motel is one of the most interesting ones. The Wigwam Motel opened in 1950 for the traveler on Route 66. It is still in operation today. We can only hope it stays that way and doesn't succumb to "progress". |
|
|
|
San Bernardino was founded in 1851 by Mormon pioneers. Later this area became an important junction point for railroads and transportation to and from Los Angeles. The area also proved to be ideal for citrus growers. By the early 1900's orange groves spread across the landscape from the mountains to the coastal plains making up what became know as the Inland Empire. | |
| These orange groves became a welcome sight for the traveler on Route 66. Orange juice stands dotted the landscape of old Route 66 in San Bernardino once now they are all gone. One of the last remaining Orange Juice Stands is preserved at Bono's Restaurant in Fontana. These orange juice stands were once a common site along this stretch of Route 66 - a very refreshing stop for the traveler on the old highway. |
|
|
|
Foothill Blvd. passes under I-15 going west through Rancho Cucamonga towards Los Angeles. This once was wine country back in the Route 66 days. There still were a few scraggly vineyards tucked between the strip malls and new housing developments, but it looks like they are on the way out. The area has become a suburb of Los Angeles and pretty much has lost its rural roots from the Route 66 days. The trip is worth it though because in the midst of all the new development there are great leftovers of the days when Rancho Cucamonga was really in the country. Can you imagine the Model T's pulling in for a fill up at this great 1920's era gas station and garage? | |
Click anywhere along Route 66 on the map below to go there ... |
|
 |
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
Vintage Post Cards Courtesy PostCards From the Road
(c) 2003 GRandallWebDesign 
