Day 17 - California Dream'n
- Paul Mullan
- Oct 6, 2017
- 3 min read
The Beach Boys epitomise what the end of the road is in some ways. It was always about that movement from east to west, be it to escape the dust bowl or depression of the 1930s or just the hope of a better life in a better climate by the ocean.
For many it was and for many it wasn't but for us it marks the end of our official journey along one of the most famous routes in the world.
We began at the original site for McDonalds. The story of how Ray Croc took (some might suggest literally) the McDonald Brothers concept and elevated it to a level never seen in fast foods globally, is retold inside a building that sits in the place where the first store once stood.
Of the six franchises of the Wigwam Motel once on Route 66 only two remain. One in Holbrook we stayed in and the other here in Rialto still trading amongst a handful of other vintage motels.
We jumped on the very interstate that caused all the problems on the Mother Road in the first place and high tailed it to Santa Monica. 75 miles through surface streets would have taken at least three hours but we covered the distance in a shade over an hour so we could enjoy time on the pier, soak up the atmosphere and mark the end of the road. We even had a ring in Mustang join our troop for a while.
So it's THE END... of the road... Santa Monica and the official end to our three week odyssey. There's a sign to mark the finish and not at lot else.
No fanfare, just the memories that will hopefully do for quite a while.
Run Forrest Run!... was the encouragement given in the movie, so after dining at Bubba Gumps Restaurant we were back on the Freeway, this time the i405 south to Stillen.
Steve Millen's US based business building aftermarket products for cars and trucks. Steve and Jodie were winging their way to New Zealand but the next generation Millen gave up time to show the guys around and explain how it all came to be.
Although Kyle was born in the states, he has grown up and been indoctrinated with that 'can do, kiwi ingenuity and attitude'... a signature of the company's success...
The girls shopped at Macy's and we all gathered again for dinner at Balboa Island capping of a great final day for this tour, an adventure by all accounts that is highlighted by the people we met along along the way.
Sure the places are what we thought we were coming to see, but it's not until you are touched by the people, especially from the mid west, in their own environment and back yards, that you can begin to understand a little about what makes this place tick. It's a country full of issues, just like back home, but the way in which they had to fight for their freedom from the British a couple of centuries ago has clearly defined them as a people who best represent the word 'independent'.
Tomorrow we'll saunter on down the Pacific Highway 1 to wind down for a bit. We're visiting the USS Midway in San Diego and hopefully slipping into to Mexico to visit the tourist town of Tijuana... that's if Donald hasn't built a wall to stop us... LOL!
