Route 66 Day 16: Rialto to Pasadena

Because we live in Pasadena, Day 16 along Route 66 was a bit short, but there is plenty to do and see in Pasadena!

We started our morning in a teepee. Since we arrived too late in the evening to take photos, I spent some time the next morning wandering around taking photos. I seriously love these Wigman Motels, this one was Wigwam Motel #7, and I am so glad they are on the National Register of Historic Places. Also, it is really difficult to see as it is extremely faded, but they have a sign that asks “Have you done it in a teepee?”We then stopped by the Unofficial McDonald’s Museum. It is owned by the man who owns Juan Pollo and is located inside the company headquarters offices which is the site of the first original McDonalds. They have a history of McDonalds and I learned that basically McDonalds is as big as it is because Ray Kroc was selling milkshake mixers and the McDonald brothers’ restaurant was using eight mixers, so Kroc thought that if they expanded into more restaurants and each restaurant needed eight mixers, that he would sell a lot of mixers! The “museum” has a few of the old tiles and the french fry fryers of the original McDonalds that Ray Kroc built, so that’s pretty cool. It’s all very bizarre, but it’s free and McDonalds is very much part of California car culture and Route 66, so I definitely recommend it.And then of course we hit the road and started stopping at all of the excellent signage, orange stands, and restaurants along Route 66.At some point along Route 66, you can turn left on Garey Avenue and drive down to Pomona’s Antique Row which I very much recommend. Just be mindful of paid parking lots and cover up your shit in the car to deter theft. You can read more about the Pomona Antique District in my blog post here.Our next stop was a very important stop! The Donut Man! Known for his amazing strawberry and peach donuts, there is always a line at The Donut Man. It’s open 24 hours a day, so even if you’re in town late at night, go for a late night snack!

We were nearing home, but the Mister had never seen the peacocks in the neighborhood of Arcadia, so we pulled off Route 66 for a little detour. And sure enough, there were “peafowl.”We live in Pasadena, so we stopped for the day, but if you’re reading this blog and planning a Route 66 trip then I recommend the following links for things to do in the Pasadena area, not to mention Old Town Pasadena and the Gamble House.