Barstow to Pasadena

Leaving Barstow involved just heading along the main street and out of town so we ambled around a little visiting an antique store (buying nothing) and then down to the fancy looking building off on a side road. Turns out it was the old railway station (should have guessed given the number of trains around) and the size of th building. It is now a n information center with trains there for enthusiasts to see phtotograph and climb on... which we did.
The road stretched out in front of us although unlike driving in out of the way places there was still some traffic. However there were tumbleweeds sharing the road with us ever so briefly!








Our trusty guide book highlighted the things and places along the way including the bottle trees.

Elmer Long's bottle trees are a forest of trees in his front yard affectionately known as the Bottle Tree Ranch.It's quirky!

It is fabulous to stand in amongst and hear the sounds and experience the colours.

The contrast as we drove over the San Bernadino mountains and into the valley was remarkable. There were many more examples of wealth and propserity than along the segments of the road we had been traveling. The San Gabriel mountains dominated the area as we found our way along Route 66 through places like Duarte and Rancho Cuccumonga- love the names.
We arrived at the Best Western Royale in Pasadena and sent Helen and Jude in to do what has become traditional and known as the"sniff test". It was our final "sniff test" for the whole trip as the remainder of our accommodation is pre-arranged. The "sniff test" is a very technical operation- one walks into the foyer and breathes in and decides if this particular location is using cleaning products that have a lingering odor that offends. If the place passes this early stage then the next stage is entered and involves negotiating the best rate for the rooms. Helen enters this phase with great gusto- if this phase is successfully passed then the more detailed "sniff test" is undertaken and requires access to the proposed rooms so that detailed and intensive sniffing of those rooms can be undertaken. A number of places along the way have not passed these required tests although on a few occasions when the places have been rejected Helen has still manged to acquire cookies or lollies (candy) from them.
The accommodation in Pasadena passed the test and we settled in with great enthusiasm- the sun was shining and we were finally warm! Sue even went so far as to don Jude's bright colored shirt while Jude and she went to gather provisions.