TRIP REPORT: Monterey and Pacific Grove - Part 1

Welcome to Central Coast Week here at The World on Wheels where we'll focus on that part of coastal California that lies south of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles.  Finshing up, it's three articles focusing on Monterey, Pacific Grove, Carmel, and Santa Cruz.  Keep reading, each article follows the other below.  Thanks for joining us for this trip along California's Central Coast...

From Los Angeles, Monterey is just about perfect for a weekend getaway.  Not too far away so that you spend a good deal of your precious weekend just driving to and from your destination but far enough that you really know you’re not in L.A. anymore.

This lighthouse is just down the block from our inn.

Letty and I have a week off from Tim as he goes to camp.  As any caregiver can tell you, these moments of respite are preciously few and far between.  We have to stay close enough so that we can respond in an emergency, so we’re limited to the far western part of the United States.  This time, my wife said she wanted to be near the ocean.

Our hotel for this trip is the Deer Haven Inn in Pacific Grove, right across the street from the back gate of Asilomar State Park and Conference Center.  It’s basically an old motel that’s been renovated and spruced up to be more like a bed and breakfast.  Nice and quiet, the inn also has frequent specials where you can get a room just a block from the beach for well under $100.

The room itself is nicely decorated, has a king-size bed, and decent bathroom.  A light continental breakfast is served in the tiny lobby which you can enjoy on the adjacent deck when the weather is nice.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia

Tony R under CC-BY license

Across the street is Asilomar, an expansive conference center with lodge-like accommodations.  In fact, if you can get a good rate here, this historic hotel would be my preference in the area.  Boardwalks will let you get across the adjacent sand dunes over to the ocean and the beach that separates Pacific Grove from Pebble Beach.

These are not lawn ornaments

Another boardwalk will let you walk south between the beach and the golf course, or north along the tide pools along Pacific Grove’s shoreline.  I particularly like the walk to the north where dozens of resident deer wander along the shore and are almost tame enough to come up to you.  Almost…once they get about ten feet away, their inherent shyness returns.

A curious local

Just a short drive from here is Cannery Row and Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey.  Both have many dining options, but many just don’t try as hard as they might when they already have swarms of tourists flowing through the doors.  Instead, a quick check on Chowhound and Yelp reveal a better option.

Just inland a bit from Cannery Row is the cute little downtown section of Pacific Grove.  On a quiet corner is Passionfish.  Specializing in seafood, this restaurant puts its energy into great food and wine and tries to cut out the fluff of the dining experience.

Let me explain that a bit because it sounds as if I steered you to a food counter with good food.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Passionfish is a beautiful dining room with great waiter service, but they will serve food on plain china that they got at a discount, or put wine in pretty generic stemware…things like that.  What results is extraordinarily good food (and wine) at prices around 20% below comparable competitors in the area.

Letty had the scallops, delicately cooked little critters served in a delicious mustard sauce while I…not a seafood lover at all…had the duck dinner that had the most delicious glaze on it.  Wonderful, wonderful food with a sterling wine to go with it.  The owner made sure to come by, make us feel welcome, and to make sure we enjoyed the dinner.  We did!

After dinner, back at the inn, we hiked across Asilomar…past some of their guests having a dune-side barbecue and bon fire…and over to the beach where we splashed around the tidepools watching the sun go down.

Stay tuned for Part 2...which is just below.

-Darryl
Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

TRIP REPORT: Monterey and Pacific Grove - Part 2

We've had a great, first day in Pacific Grove and Monterey (see Part 1 here), it's time to complete the trip.

In the morning, we went to First Awakenings for breakfast.  It’s nice that the inn has a continental breakfast, but we want the full meal.  This spot, in an old fish cannery just around the corner from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, really hits the target.

We have some really superb omelets, along with their great bacon and sourdough toast to start off our day.  This gives us some good nutrition and energy for our next activity, a hike across the bay to the 17-Mile Drive.

There’s a nice, wheelchair accessible boardwalk across the sand that bisects the beach from The Links at Spanish Bay golf course.  It’s about a half-mile walk across till you get to a little point where the 17 Mile Drive comes out of the woods and a vista point is available.  Since it’s a drive, you can take your car here – for a fee – but it’s an easy walk from our inn and we get some exercise along the way.  It’s also a great way to get up close and personal with the ocean.

At the vista point, we marvel at the view and have fun watching the many chipmunks that scavenge the area for food before walking back.

In the evening, we head over to Carmel to window shop and have dinner.  We’d never been to the Hog’s Breath Inn, formerly owned by the former mayor of Carmel…Clint Eastwood, so we thought we’d try it out. 

Underneath a jazz radio station and music shop, the restaurant has a large dining room and a pub, separated by a really nice outdoor area with multiple fireplaces, free-form tables, trees, and a large, painted backdrop on the building next door.  Way out back is the very cozy pub that looks like it was lifted from a Tolkien book.

This looks like the perfect setting for dinner!  We tell the maître‘d that we’d like to sit out here and have dinner but he tells us that this is only the bar and just appetizers are served here.  If we’d like dinner, we’d have to eat inside in the dining room.

In we go.  As lovely as the outdoor area is, the indoor dining room has all the charm of a high school cafeteria.  I don’t care how good the food is here, I can’t believe it’s served in such an austere setting so we go back outside and just have a few apps and a couple of drinks.  It turned out very nice but, really, either redo the dining room or ditch the silly “no dinner outside” rule.

The next morning, we get in the car for a drive up the coast.  We head in the general direction  of Watsonville to see what we can find. 

Past the navy’s language school, you come into Marina where you can learn how to hang glide.  Continuing on we get to Moss Landing.

We stop to take a look at this beautiful fishing village.  There are a couple of restaurants and some antique shops but it’s mostly a working fishing fleet here so our time is short-lived.  Eventually, we make it to Watsonville where we buy some freshly picked strawberries to take with us and head back to Monterey.

Back in town, we walk along Fisherman’s Wharf and have free samples of the clam chowder that each restaurant is giving out.  It’s good but I remember coming here in the past and having one of the worst dinners in my life.  After the wharf, we go over to Cannery Row where we have a cocktail at a waterfront lounge with a friendly bartender.  Unfortunately, it has since closed.

Dinner tonight is back in Pacific Grove, this time across the street from Passionfish at International Cuisine where we have a couple of very good pasta dishes along with some good red wine, but still not as good as Passionfish, which will go down as the best place we saw on this trip.

Another sunset with our Watsonville strawberries and champagne, another night in our cozy little inn, and then it’s back to L.A. where we have a couple of days to rest before we pick Tim up from camp.

-Darryl

Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick

All Rights Reserved

CLASSIC TRIP - Monterey, California 2003

Interstate 5 is generally acknowledged to be the quickest route from the southern half of California to the northern half. It’s a no-nonsense, straight arrow, 70 mile-per-hour stretch of freeway through the Central Valley. It’s also one of the more boring drives in the state.

I much prefer highway 99 through the valley or the 101 along the coast where scenery and small towns at least pique your interest now and again. But today, we’re trying to minimize our driving time so it’s up the 5 we go until we get to the pass over to Hollister and then along a busy country road to the coast. Our final destination is Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey and our time to get there is 6 hours, including a gas stop and a Burger King stop in Kettleman City.

Home for the next two nights would be the Doubletree Hotel (now the Portola Hotel - Ed) adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf in downtown Monterey. This would cost us the advertised $89 per night, plus tax and parking...not a bad deal for the location.

It does take some effort to find the driveway to the hotel. The highway dips into a tunnel under it and then offers no place for a U-turn for a mile. Once we double back, the one-way streets that make up the downtown area keep us circling the block until we can arrive at the proper place to turn in. Since the valet only costs an extra two dollars a day, we opt to pull up to the door and let someone else worry about the parking.

I ask, but no accessible rooms are available when we arrive...I was also told this when I made the reservation, but it couldn’t hurt to ask. What we did get was a beautifully decorated room with two double beds, a view of the courtyard, with plenty of room for the chair but none of the usual accessible features such as grab bars. Since it was roomy, we compensated fine. Also, at check in we receive those delicious Doubletree chocolate chip cookies.

The next morning we head over to Cannery Row and have breakfast at the Culinary Center of Monterey, a combination cooking school, kitchen gourmet store, and restaurant. Their all-you-can-eat gourmet breakfast buffet is $12.95 per person with kids paying one dollar per year of their age. The restaurant is on the second floor but the main entrance (in back) is nicely ramped.

The tables here have a spectacular, if drafty, view of the bay and the food is very delicious. A very subtle chorizo and egg dish (the chef has a secret source in Salinas for the sausage), salmon crepes, cornbread french toast, and a fresh-fruit parfait are just a few of the delectable offerings today. We load up on this great food and head out for our day with tummies full.

It’s a forty minute drive north to the beaches of Santa Cruz. The last classic boardwalk amusement park sits on the sand here (Pacific Park in Santa Monica is a new version of these old beachfront parks but doesn’t count as a classic...yet). Admission is free and crowds of people are taking advantage of it this morning.

Santa Cruz Boardwalk and the Giant Dipper

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Larry Pieniazek under CC-BY-SA license

Our goal today is the 1924 vintage, Arthur Looff built Giant Dipper roller coaster. This classic woody is lovingly maintained and is on many coaster fans top ten lists. It’s also appeared in such diverse movies as The Sting and The Lost Boys.

We buy our tickets and check the access. Wheelchair riders enter through the exit where a button can be pushed to summon a ride operator to let you in. You get your choice of seats...we take the front. As usual, you must bring your own help for transferring out of your chair and into the seat, but the seat was just a bit roomier than most modern coasters and therefore just a bit easier to get into.

On Board the Dipper

Although the ride is exciting, the speed and elements seem quaint and tame compared to today’s monsters but it has one element that’s a doozy. When your train leaves the station, it immediately drops into a pitch-black tunnel featuring two very quick u-turns before coming out into the daylight and engaging the lift chain. No other coaster I’ve yet been on gives you such a quick scare and thrill before even starting up the lift.
The rest of the ride is medium fast (top speed 55 mph), with lots of curves integrated into it’s drops. The head-chopper effects are kind of minimal compared to such coasters as Ghostrider, Scandia Screamer, and the Cyclone. It’s a solid minute and a half ride, with one really all-star element...that tunnel drop out of the station.

Afterward, we munch on a mundane order of garlic fries. Not nearly as good as the garlic fries we got at the Date Festival in Indio or at Cajun Way restaurant in Monrovia, but better than nothing.

That’s it for us and the Boardwalk. Classic amusement park ride fans may also want to check out the circa 1911 Looff Carousel here too where you can still grab for the brass ring and get a free ride.

Next, we head over the hills, inland to the little town of San Juan Bautista.

For California history, you need to start with two things. The Gold Rush had a huge impact on the state (see our gold country and Yosemite reports for more), but before that, the Spanish set up a string of missions that every good Californian must visit at some time or another. Missions are special places for us and our family has visited several of them. Heck, my wife and I even got married in one.

The missions were churches, of course, but since the church and state were pretty cozy in those days, they were also forts with garrisons of Spanish soldiers stationed at each one. Each mission was built one day’s horse ride apart from each other in a string up the coastal side of the state. This mission road is El Camino Real. The padres were there to convert the heathens while the soldiers kept the peace and protected Spain’s interests in California.

History lesson over.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Robert A. Estremo under CC-BY-SA license

Here in San Juan Bautista, the mission still sits in a nice, rural setting across the lawn from the old stage coach stop, the livery, and of course the hotel. The hotel even boasts of such modern conveniences as a two story outhouse (what’s it like to be in the bottom one?).

The mission...still an active parish...is a beauty with wide aisles, an ornate altar, and a lovely garden. We wandered around the grounds and found some barn owls living in a palm tree and a young chicken attached itself to me and followed me around like a puppy until one of the nuns spotted us and put the bird away.  Apparently, it had escaped its coop and she wanted to put it back before it became a meal for the local wildlife.

One thing that always gets me when I visit these old missions is the Indian graveyards inside. Usually, a small plot of land will contain the remains of thousands of Native Americans. Here in San Juan Bautista, a plot about a hundred feet long by about fifty feet wide contains approximately 4,300 natives in the soil. It’s kind of a testament to the devastation wrought among the indigenous population via the European explorers and settlers.

Afterward, we have some ice cream over on the town’s main street while many Harley riders loudly start their machines as they leave town. On a side note, why do so many Harley riders take the mufflers off of their bikes? Why is it that they have to impose such a noisy thing upon everybody else? What is so cool about being so loud? Really, I want to know...if there is no reason, please do us all a favor and be quiet!
Back to Monterey...

Attached to the Doubletree Portola is Peter B’s, a brewpub and bar. It was four o’clock and the daily happy hour was starting. Peter B’s has a modern decor with a nice fireplace, a pool table, and many TV’s for the sports fan. We got a cozy table next to the fireplace and ordered some drinks.

The happy hour prices are just a nick lower than the regular prices. A 22 ounce beer was $4.50 compared to $5 regularly, so a screaming bargain this wasn’t. However, the popcorn was good and free and we could charge it to our room so we knocked back a few before dinner. For you whiskey drinkers, they specialize in the stuff along with the very good handcrafted brew.

It’s a very short walk to Fisherman’s Wharf from the hotel. In fact, you don’t have to even cross a street as the hotel sits on a viaduct connecting to the wharf while the highway goes under in a tunnel.

There are several restaurants here and all were gladly giving samples of their food. My wife chose tonight’s place, Rappa’s Seafood, I think mainly because it sat on the end of the wharf offering spectacular views.

Murphy’s rule on restaurants with a view: The better the view, the worse the food. In this case the seafood, at least, was very good with my wife ordering a seafood sampler with many kinds of ocean denizens on her plate. So Rappa’s breaks this rule

Murphy’s rule on seafood restaurants: Other than seafood, everything else will be less than par.

Unfortunately, Rappa’s keeps this rule with a New York steak that needed a healthy dose of A-1 to have any taste at all...a good steak should need nothing else to prop up its flavor. My son’s burger was also a bit less than overwhelming.

After our dinner, we come out to a wharf filled with fire trucks. It appears that the giant trash compactor that serves the wharf has a slow-burning fire deep within. I talk to one of Monterey’s firemen who tells me they will try to get it out but it’s looking doubtful. He’s not looking forward to what comes next: hauling the whole compactor off of the pier and dumping its foul-smelling contents in the parking lot to find the blaze.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the truck, the battalion chief has arrived and is handing out stickers to all the kids wandering by in a bit of impromptu PR.

We walk around the wharf a bit after dinner, checking out the sea lions on the buoys and rocks, a family of otters floating on their backs, and the usual tacky souvenirs on sale at the wharf’s general store.

All those tacky souvenirs makes my head spin!

We contemplate visiting the hotel’s pool and spa but nix that idea when we find it’s in a separate building and we’d have to do quite a bit of walking in the chilly outdoors in our swimsuits to get there. Instead, we visit a jewelry shop where my wife purchases some earrings as a souvenir.

The next morning, we head across the street to the Marriott to have breakfast in their cafe. Due to a quirk in the layout of the land, the Marriott’s coffee shop is actually closer to our room than the Doubletree’s Portola's. After a very nice last meal, we pack it back up and head home down the very scenic highway 101.

Funny, it only took us five hours to drive home on the scenic route when the quick route took longer...

-Darryl
Copyright 2003 - Darryl Musick

BootsnAll: Nine of the Most Wheelchair-Friendly Cities to Visit Now

I just had this article of mine published at BootsnAll.com ...

"Most travelers only worry about getting a decent hotel, finding a place to eat, and maybe getting a deal on a rental car at their destination.  Wheelchair users must also worry about encountering stairways, narrow doors, accessible bathrooms, and transportation. In some places it can be near impossible for a wheelchair user to find an affordable accessible hotel, let alone navigate the city streets and public transport. In others, it’s a lot easier.

Knowledge is power, so with that in mind, here are some of the most wheelchair-friendly cities for travelers..."

To read the rest of the article, go to BootsnAll.com , Nine of the Most Wheelchair-Friendly Cities to Visit Now.

Thanks,

-Darryl

WALKING IN L.A. - More wandering...

Another urban hike through downtown Los Angeles to see what I can find...

Michael Jackson's doctor, Conrad Murray, is on trial for manslaughter.  Before the actual trial was a pre-trial hearing that lasted for weeks.  Here are all of the news vans parked on the sidewalk covering the action.  As a bonus, that parking lot on the other side of the green fence was "Camp OJ," where the news media had a temporary facility to cover the O.J. Simpson trial.  Both trials are/were held in the building in the distance, across the street.

Soap opera fans may recognize that building way in the distance as "General Hospital," a name we also used to call it many years ago.  The real name is USC-Los Angeles County Medical Center.  The old building is no longer used, a new replacement hospital was build next door.

A view looking up the Hollywood Freeway with the cathedral on the left and the new high school on the right.

This is a monument to Fort Moore which stood on this hill back in the early days of the city's history.  When I was a kid, there was a waterfall pouring over that wall.  The water hasn't flowed for at least 30 years now.

When the film industry is in high gear, these yellow signs are a familiar sight.  They point out the parking area that the crews are supposed to use for the shoots.  The one on top is for the show "Common Law." The other two must be for commercials or pilots that haven't been picked up yet.

If you'd like to see more, check out our first Walking in L.A. post.  If all this walking has made you hungry, check out our Three Meals a Day...All Across L.A. video report.

-Darryl
Copyright 2011 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

ROUTE 66 Landmarks and Historic Downtowns- San Bernardino to Pasadena

It's Route 66 Week here at The World on Wheels.  We're going to focus on the Western most section of this highway that is mostly unknown and will also have links to reports on the other sections of the Mother Road.  We have an extended trip report for you, landmarks to watch out for, historic downtowns to visit, not-to-miss places to eat, and...of course...a bit of music to drive by.  By the end of this week, you'll have all the information you need to plan a trip to this historic patch of road.  Enjoy!

-Darryl

Here are some Inland Empire and San Gabriel Valley Route 66 landmarks not to be missed, again from east to west...

Picture courtesy of Flickr

Keith_Rock under CC BY-ND 3.0 license

Glen Helen Park, Devore - As you exit the Cajon Pass via Interstate 15, you're gonna go west on Interstate 215.  That large park in the hills just south of the freeway is Glen Helen Park.  It was here on two weekends, Labor Day in 1982 and Memorial Day in 1983, that Steve Jobs' partner Steve Wozniak spent a good deal of his Apple fortune to stage two huge rock concerts, the Us Festival.  Up to 375,000 people packed the huge lawn for acts such at The Clash, Tom Petty, Van Halen, The Ramones, The Pretenders, David Bowie, and many more.  The lawn quickly turned to dirt, then mud.  The heat was pretty much unbearable but misters and free-flowing water helped to keep things cool.  The area just over the hill is where much of the audience camped out for each of the three-day festivals.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Cogart Strangehill under CC-BY-SA license

Original McDonald's Restaurant, San Bernardino - Actually the second restaurant the McDonald brothers started but the first one using their name.  The owner of the Juan Pollo chain has bought the property and turned it into a museum.  A modern functioning McDonald's is just down the street.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Marcin Wichary under CC-BY license

Wigwam Motel, Rialto - As Route 66 heads into Rialto, the iconic Teepee shaped rooms appear with the inn's slogan, "do it in a teepee."

Bono's Restaurant and Deli, 15395 Foothill Bl., Fontana - Old locals sometimes call it "Fontucky," but it's here you'll find one of only six orange shaped juice stands left in the state.  The owner plans to put it back in business but for now it's just for looks.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Cliff Hutson under CC-BY license

  -  Downtown Upland - Turn left on Euclid then left again on 9th Street.  Old timey village with a gazebo in the middle.  Not the most lively place at night, though.  Try Caffe Allegro for some really good Italian food or come to the Lemon Festival in May.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Binksternet under CC-BY-SA license

Heritage Park, La Verne - This area was once covered in orange groves.  A small one is preserved here.  Saturdays, from January through March, you can pick oranges for $5 for a large bag.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Phu "Son" Nguyen under CC-BY license

Old Town, La Verne - Dating back to the 1890's, this little downtown...originally called Lordsburg...was the heart of a Brethren community.  It's surrounded by the University of La Verne, which dates back to 1891, and is Tim's alma mater (see below).

  -  Downtown San Dimas - Cute, Western themed downtown.  A ghost town at night.  Turn left on San Dimas Ave. to Bonita.

  -  Downtown Glendora - mid 20th century type of downtown, coming back to life with new restaurants, shops, and entertainment.  Turn right (north) at Glendora Ave...at the retro Route 66 Arco station.

Foothill Drive In Theater, Azusa - The theater's long gone...its land being used for the expansion of Azusa Pacific University...but the college has preserved the marquee.

  -  Downtown Azusa - At the corner of Azusa Ave. & Foothill (Route 66).  A couple of good spots here, the city has been trying hard to revitalize but got knocked back during the recession.  Try Max's for some great margaritas and enchiladas.

San Gabriel River, Irwindale/Duarte - Usually dry, this river drains Azusa Canyon (or San Gabriel Canyon) to the north.  The bridge that is a quarter mile to your north is an old Pacific Electric trolley bridge.

The cities you're now driving through have roots back to the Spanish land grant days...Rancho de Azusa, Rancho de Duarte, and Rancho Santa Anita which mostly became Arcadia and Sierra Madre.  A land speculator named William Monroe developed what became Monrovia in 1886.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Flickr user Living in Monrovia under CC-BY-SA license

  -  Old Town Monrovia - Turn right (north) on Myrtle.  Pretty and lively downtown area dating back over 100 years, probably second only to Old Pasadena right now.  Many restaurants, a movie theater, and shops.  A large variety of ethnic foods in a three block stretch: Mexican (Rudy's, Enrique's, Los Gerros, La Adelita), Cuban (Marengue), Lebanese (Sam's Deli), Greek (The Monrovian), Italian (Bonasera), French (Cafe Masilia), Chinese (Wang's) and more.  Every Friday night is Festival Night here.

Pottery Ranch, Monrovia - At the corner of Huntington Dr. (rt. 66) and Magnolia.  In business at this location since 1940 but you can get better deals elsewhere.  Just use it as a landmark to make a right turn and follow Magnolia north to Foothill Bl. and turn left.

Photo coutesy of Wikimedia

Flickr user living in Monrovia under CC-BY-SA license

Aztec Hotel, Monrovia - A well preserved old hotel, now mostly used for apartments.  The lobby and gardens are very beautiful.  There's a bar and restaurant here but I can't vouch for them.  Tim and I used to get our hair cut here at the barber shop but he's gone now, I don't know what happened to him.

Past the Aztec, turn left on Mayflower and return to Huntington Drive and turn right, as you turn, notice the diner style McDonald's on the corner.  A plaque inside has a letter written by Dick McDonald  telling the story about how their first restaurant was actually here in Monrovia (approximately at Huntington Dr. and Shamrock Ave, by the Albertson's you passed along the way)  It was called the Aerodrome and was moved to San Bernardino and renamed McDonalds.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

TheBluZebra under CC-BY-SA license

Santa Anita Park, Arcadia - One of America's premiere horse racing facilities.  Home of the Breeder's Cup and the Santa Anita Handicap.  Seabiscuit raced here.  So did Spectacular Bid, John Henry, and many others.  It's not uncommon to run into trainers watching their horses run during breakfast at Clocker's Corner.  Racing in October and late December through April.  One of my favorite places to go.

  -  Downtown Sierra Madre - Turn north on Michilinda then right again on Sierra Madre Bl.  Quiet and quirky old section.  Probably the only city in Los Angeles County without a traffic light.  They have an old fashioned playhouse that puts on some pretty darn good shows.  Try Lucky Baldwin's on the corner of Baldwin Ave. for some great Belgian beer and pub food.  This is where the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers  was filmed.

Tournament of Roses, Rose Parade, Pasadena - Continuing along Colorado Bl. into Pasadena, once you pass Sierra Madre Bl., you're traveling on the Rose Parade route until you get to Orange Grove Ave. in Old Pasadena.

  -  Old Pasadena - One of the great urban renewal success stories.  Wildy popular with tons of restaurants, night spots, shops, and theaters.  Huge area.  Metro's Gold Line runs right through it.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Mike Dillon under CC-BY-SA license

Suicide Bridge (Colorado Street Bridge), Pasadena - Beautiful arch bridge at the edge of town that, yes, has been the scene of a few jumps.  It will turn 100 years old in 2013.

We'll end the landmark list if you look to the north of the bridge...

Rose Bowl, Pasadena - This New Year's Day landmark has seen many classic games.  It can hold around 110,000 fans because most of the seats are wooden benches.  You can take a look when no games are scheduled by going through the south entrance.  UCLA now uses this stadium as its home field for football.

-Darryl
Copyright 2010 - Darryl Musick

ROUTE 66 - Southern California Roadhouses

It's Route 66 Week here at The World on Wheels.  We're going to focus on the Western most section of this highway that is mostly unknown and will also have links to reports on the other sections of the Mother Road.  We have an extended trip report for you, landmarks to watch out for, historic downtowns to visit, not-to-miss places to eat, and...of course...a bit of music to drive by.  By the end of this week, you'll have all the information you need to plan a trip to this historic patch of road.  Enjoy!

-Darryl

Duarte Recreational Trail - March 7, 2010

Two blocks north of Route 66 (Huntington Drive)

Duarte, California

There are great landmark restaurants along this stretch of highway that runs from San Bernardino County into Los Angeles.  Here are some of our favorites, going from East to West...

Photo courtesy of the Sycamore Inn

The Sycamore Inn, Rancho Cucamonga - Delicious and expensive steaks served in the classic style.  This place has been here since 1848.  I love the location, on a few wooded acres in the middle of suburban sprawl.  An inexpensive ($10-$15) menu is served on the veranda and in the bar if you don't want to go with the expensive, fancy dining room.

Photo courtesy of Flickr

Chuck "Cavman" Coker under CC BY-ND 3.0 license

The Magic Lamp, Rancho Cucamonga - Across the street, this rambling and quirky tile roofed building is stuck in the 70s...in a good way.  The sign is a kitsch classic with the Aladdin lamp belching flames into the night sky.  Red leather and steaks are the order of the day but save some room for the delicious crab cake appetizer.  A lower priced pub menu is served in their bar, with couches arranged around a circular fireplace.

The Buffalo Inn, Upland - An outdoor venue, since 1929 this has been a great place to go on a sunny day.  An inexpensive burger and beer joint, sometime live entertainment serves to attract the biker crowd on weekends.  Definitely have their buffalo burger, the best I've come across with this very lean meat.  Also, get their homemade potato chips on the side.  There is also a small indoor dining area, but save this place for a sunny day so you can sit outside in what should not be rare...a great al fresco dining area...but somehow is in this sunny place.

La Paloma, La Verne - Decent but uninspiring Mexican food in this adobe building.  Come instead for their lively and fun happy hour in the dark and cave-like bar...every day of the week!

Photo courtesy of Flickr

savemejebus under CC BY-SA 3.0 license

Pinnacle Peak, San Dimas - Cowboy steak house in Bill and Ted's hometown.  Suprisingly good, inexpensive, and very casual...most excellent, dude!  Be prepared to wait on busy weekend evenings and don't wear a tie!

Clubhouse 66, Glendora - A new roadhouse has opened up along the stretch of Route 66 in Glendora.  Very good, nice drinks and the best outdoor patio of the bunch.  While they've got great steaks, fish, and chicken, I really like their Tijuana Tacos appetizer.

Golden Spur, Glendora - Another good red leather steakhouse.  Not quite as good as the Sycamore Inn or Magic Lamp but they do have some great early bird specials.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia

Lee Stranahan under CC-BY-SA license

The Hat, Glendora and Upland - Though, not technically roadhouses, historic locations or even fancy restaurants, The Hat is a southern California food landmark, starting from a still-standing greasy spoon stand in Alhambra in 1951, it has expanded in the last couple of decades into a mini-chain in the area.  Not to be missed are their juicy and messy pastrami dip sandwiches.  Be aware that a "small" order of fries here will feed a small family.  The burgers and chili here are also top-notch and a very good deal.

The Derby, Arcadia - Another installment of Route 66's high-end, expensive steak houses.  I've yet to eat here, but hear it's really good.  It was opened by Seabiscuit's jockey and contains a wealth of horse racing memorabilia due to it's location just down the street from Santa Anita racetrack. For The Derby on a budget, come in for their happy hour in the bar or for lunch.

Tops Burger, Pasadena - A year younger than The Hat, nevertheless Tops is..as their web site says...a bit of an institution here.  Your basic Greek burger joint, the food here is good and inexpensive.  Worth a stop by itself is the incredibly delicious Kobe bistro burger.

Don't go hungry along the Mother Road...stop in at any of the places above and have a delicious bite of history.

-Darryl
Copyright 2010