Five days on the last 300 miles of Route 66, from the Colorado River at Needles across the Mojave to the Santa Monica Pier, timed for desert light and led by a Barstow native.
From$2,190per person, double room
Overview
California's Route 66 is mostly desert, and the desert is what this trip is for. From Las Vegas we drive south to Needles, then follow the National Trails Highway west through Goffs, Essex and Amboy, with its cinder cone and Roy's boomerang sign. After a night in Barstow we cross Cajon Pass, sleep in a concrete wigwam in San Bernardino and finish along Foothill Boulevard and Santa Monica Boulevard at the pier. The longest day is about 180 miles.
Sandy Ruiz leads it. She was born in Barstow, has photographed this desert most of her life, and plans the stops around the light: Amboy Crater in the early morning, the bottle trees in low sun, the pier at dusk. You do not need a serious camera; a phone is fine, and she will help you get more out of it. Departures run from October to April, when the Mojave is mild enough to walk out to a crater at midday.
Photos
Itinerary
Meals: B breakfast, L lunch, D dinner. Day 1 is arrival day; flights to the start are optional.
Fly into Las Vegas by noon; Sandy Ruiz meets the group in the baggage hall at 1 pm. The coach heads south on US 95 past Searchlight, about 110 miles and two hours of creosote flats and distant ranges, to Needles on the Colorado River, where Route 66 enters California. Before dinner, a short walk to El Garces, the restored 1908 Harvey House beside the tracks. Welcome dinner in town, then a look at the stars from the edge of the desert.
Out by 6:30 for the low light. The National Trails Highway climbs to Goffs, where the 1914 schoolhouse sits among old mining and ranch machinery. Through Fenner and Essex, with a short hop on I-40 where washed-out bridges still break the old road. At Amboy, walk toward the crater, a black cinder cone about 250 feet high, before the day warms up, then picnic beside Roy's and its 1959 sign. Ludlow and the Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs, where a 1987 film was shot, bring you to Barstow. About 180 miles.
Morning in Sandy's hometown: the Casa del Desierto, a 1911 Harvey House by the rail yard, holds the Route 66 Mother Road Museum. West along the Mojave River through Helendale to Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch at Oro Grande, a field of welded pipe trees hung with colored glass that glows in low sun. Lunch at Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville, open since 1947, and a visit to the California Route 66 Museum. Down Cajon Pass to San Bernardino and a night in a wigwam. About 90 miles.
San Bernardino has an unofficial museum on the site of the first McDonald's, opened by the McDonald brothers in 1940. Then west on Foothill Boulevard: the restored 1915 Cucamonga Service Station, the Aztec Hotel in Monrovia from 1925, and Colorado Boulevard through Pasadena. Across Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard to the ocean. The pier and the End of the Trail sign come at sunset, the light Sandy saves for last. Farewell dinner by the beach. About 90 miles.
A last photo walk at 7 am with Sandy, along Palisades Park and onto the nearly empty pier, when the Ferris wheel is still and the light is soft. Back for breakfast. LAX is about 10 miles south, 30 to 60 minutes depending on traffic, and the group transfer leaves at 11 am, so book flights after 2 pm. We can add nights in Santa Monica or arrange a car for the Pacific Coast Highway north to Malibu.
Pace: RelaxedTwo to four hours on the road on most days, long stops, short level walks in towns and at roadside sights. Every stop is optional; you can always stay with the vehicle.
Route map
Map tiles © Esri, HERE, Garmin, map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Straight lines join the stops; the trip follows the old Route 66 alignments between them.
Route at a glance
Road miles are rounded and include the detours to the stops named in the itinerary.
| Day | From and to | Miles | On the road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Las Vegas to Needles | 110 | Searchlight, creosote flats |
| Day 2 | Needles to Barstow | 180 | Goffs, Essex, Amboy, Ludlow |
| Day 3 | Barstow to San Bernardino | 90 | Victorville, Cajon Pass |
| Day 4 | San Bernardino to Santa Monica | 90 | Foothill Boulevard, Pasadena |
| Day 5 | Santa Monica to LAX | 10 | Airport transfer |
| Total | 5 days | 480 | California |
Where you stay
Rooms by town and style. The exact motels and hotels for your date, these or similar ones, are confirmed in your travel documents.
1 night
Simple motor hotel on Broadway, the old Route 66 through town, or similar
1 night
Comfortable hotel near Main Street, or similar
1 night
Wigwam Motel, concrete wigwams from 1949, or similar
1 night
Hotel a few blocks from the pier and Palisades Park, or similar
Already included
4 nights, 4 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, 1 entries and guided visits
Straight talk
Dates and prices 2026-27
Per person in US dollars, sharing a double room. Group up to 14 guests.
| Dates | Status | Double roomPer person | Single roomPer person |
|---|---|---|---|
| to Thursday arrival | AvailableLast minute: save $200 | $1,990 | $2,630 |
| to Thursday arrival | AvailableLast minute: save $200 | $1,990 | $2,630 |
| to Thursday arrival | AvailableEarly booking: save $150 | $2,190 | $2,830 |
| to Thursday arrival | GuaranteedNo single supplement | $2,190 | $2,190 |
| to Thursday arrival | AvailableEarly booking: save $150 | $2,190 | $2,830 |
| to Thursday arrival | AvailableEarly booking: save $150 | $2,190 | $2,830 |
Guaranteed means enough guests have booked and the departure will run. Seats change every week. Email [email protected] and we hold a seat for 72 hours. All departures on one page.
Optional add-on
Economy on scheduled airlines into Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas (LAS) and home from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), per person including taxes. Add them when you book, or fly on your own and meet us on day 1.
Fares are held for 72 hours with your seat and confirmed when you pay the deposit. Extra nights before or after the trip on request.
Practical
Weather in California
Very hot desert summers, mild sunny winters in the Mojave, cool nights; the coast stays mild all year with fog in early summer
Time zone
Pacific Time, with daylight saving time from March to November; in summer the same clock as Arizona
Where it starts and ends
Start: Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas (LAS). End: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
What to eat
Cold drinks at Roy's, a burger at the Bagdad Cafe, Mexican food in San Bernardino and Pasadena, fish tacos near the Santa Monica Pier
Luggage
One medium suitcase and a small bag per person. Vintage motel rooms are compact and some have no elevator.
Your road captain
California and Arizona
Sandy was born in Barstow and knows the Mojave in every season. She leads the California section and the Grand Canyon add-on, and carries extra water for everyone.
Road captains rotate on some dates; the name for your departure is in your documents. Meet all the road captains
FAQ
Booking, motels, flights and insurance questions are answered on the main FAQ page.
Las Vegas is the nearest big airport to Needles, about two hours away, and it lets us start where Route 66 enters California instead of skipping the desert. Starting in Los Angeles would mean a long drive east before the trip began.
No. A phone is fine. Sandy plans the stops for good light and gives short tips on the spot, but nobody is expected to carry a tripod. If you do bring a camera, a wide lens is the most useful in the desert.
No. We only run from October to April. Midday in Amboy can reach the 80s in October and April, and winter days are often in the 60s, with cold nights in Needles and Barstow. The crater walk is optional and done in the morning.
Most of it is. A few bridges east of Amboy have been closed for years after flood damage, so we use I-40 for those short sections and rejoin the old road as soon as we can.
Yes. Our Arizona and Grand Canyon trip ends at Las Vegas airport, so you can spend a night in Las Vegas and start this one the next day if the dates line up. A trip advisor will match them.
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