Hi fodorite experts! Please help with this leg of our july cross country road trip.

Anything to do when we leave wally world (anaheim) and drive to RT 66 arizona (topock)? We're open to anything.
I know its desolate and will be HOT but we've been there done that for eight summers in excessive heat and we're prepared. (and actually love it)

Fun places for lunch? Ghost towns? What about the museum at Rancho Cucamonga - worth a stop? Or the Mohave National Preserve, where you can supposedly observe ranching, historic and modern mining operations -- is that possible mid july? Should we go via palm springs, maybe do the tram or windmill tour(missed it last time) We've explored joshua twice but thats always an option.

Also need lodging that night -
Twenty Nine Palms - seems to have the best lodging?
- Needles - closer to old rt 66 which we will begin exploring next day
- Barstow (would really prefer not there...)

Please don't say to drive right thru, DH clark will do that unless i have a plan!

Thanks in advance.

topping for ANY kind of suggestion....??!!! Please?

From Anaheim I would head east on Interstate 10 and drive though Joshua Trees National Park and spend the night at Twenty-Nine Palms. This will give you time to explore Joshua Trees.

The next day head east on Hwy 62 and cross over to Arizona and drive up to Lake Havasu and see the London Bridge.

Old Route 66 between Topock and Kingman is my favorite section of the Old Route 66. Oatman is a real kick! If you are lucky you will be there during the staged "Gunfight" in the street.

Utahtea

Thank you Utahtea! You're the best.

Should we take AZ 95 thru Havasu / London Bridge to Topock, then the 'historical road' that goes directly to Oatman, or hop on the 40 to Oatman? Approximately what are we looking at for drive time?

Thanks again Utahtea!

Sorry, I'm not an expert on this area (have only done the grin and bear it kind of drive through this stretch), but can recommend the Ramada in Barstow should you wind up there. I, too, did not want to stop in Barstow, but circumstances dictated otherwise. The hotel really was surprisingly pleasant with a clean, comfortable room, friendly staff and a nice pool which my kids enjoyed.

Have a great trip!

Not sure where you're starting from, but from Twenty Nine Palms to Lake Havasu is 150 miles and about 3 hours driving time. Yes, I would take AZ 95 up to Lake Havasu. When you reach Interstate 40 drive a few miles west to Topock and exit before you cross the Colorado River again. You'll start out on Hwy 95 going north. I can't remember if this is labled Old Route 66 but it's called the Oatman-Topock Highway. It will Y off and take Hwy 10 to Oatman. This section is just nice. After Oatman keep traveling on the Old Route 66 over Sitgreaves Pass and into Kingman. This is the section that makes me feel like I'm on the old route 66! This route between Lake Havasu and Kingman is 85 miles and approx. 2 hours driving.

Kingman has a good museum on Route 66.

Utahtea

Thanks Kathryn, and i DO know what you mean. DH often thinks the 'grin and bear it' way is best, eww

Utahtea, thanks for the clarification. I hope we can go that way but, to confuse things further, if we're leaving from Simi Valley, what route would be best to avoid LA traffic - (a.k.a. the moving parking lot)?

Thanks in advance!

any advice from anyone on the left coast

please??

OK, Simi Valley instead of Anaheim makes a BIG difference. I would cut across on Hwy 138 and take I-40 to Barstow. Just outside of Barstow is Calico Ghost Town. This was once an old ghost town, but now it's more of an amusement park, but fun to walk around. There is an admission charge.

From there head to Topock. If you still wanted to go to Lake Havasu it would be 60 miles round trip out of your way.

It might help to know what your destinations and how long you had for this trip.

Utahtea

Palm Springs will be pretty far out of your way if you're leaving from Simi Valley and don't want to fight your way across the entire LA Basin to get there.

I would take CA-14 to get into the desert as soon as possible, then take 18 and I-15 to Barstow, then I-40 to Ludlow. From there you could take that little bit of highway that loops down from I-40 and back to it at Essex, with Amboy in the middle. See that? That's California's Historic Route 66. There's a natural volcanic crater at Amboy that looks like a huge pile of asphalt dumped on the desert floor. You can climb it if you like. North from Amboy a road heads into the Mojave National Preserve and leads to the Kelso Dunes, largest sand dunes in some area, I'm sure, anyway they are worth a stop and a climb.

ellen_griswold

Can you and Clark look for my favorite polka-dot pillow on Route 66, between Needles and Anaheim? It blew out the back window of our Rambler station wagon....in 1966!

Sorry ellen, I can't help with any tips for your journey, but your post brought back fond memories of our summer vacation in 1966, when my parents and two older brothers drove from Philadelphia to Orange County and back.

Although I was only 8, I remember hanging in Needles until the temperature dropped below 100 degrees, so we could begin our trip across the desert. We had a "Desert Bag" strapped to the front of the car, in case the engine overheated. We didn't have air conditioning, so we were riding with ALL the windows down, and before I knew it, my favorite polka-dot pillow flew out the window. No amount of crying would get my dad to turn the car around to retrieve it. To this day I mourn the loss of my "favorite polka-dot pillow".

Anyway, this has nothing to do with your trip, its just a little relection on my youth. Thanks for allowing me to have the memory. Peace.

Robyn >-

Neither Barstow now Needles is great, but Barstow is probably marginally better for an overnight stop, unless you like the idea of being near the river in Needles.

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Utahtea - This is just one part of our 3 week cross country trip, after being in the LA area, the last full day being spent at disneyland / california adventure. We're considering a return visit to Reagan / Simi Valley that morning before heading towards arizona (if we can't work it in before then).

sequoia370 - Thanks for the tip on the craters & dunes, we'll definitely check them out, even if its 120!

Also, how would you suggest we get to Simi Valley from Anaheim -- any backroads to avoid traffic gridlock? It will be a friday morning.

robyn - loved your sweet story! I too remember crossing the desert in the late 60s with no a/c, just a little balmy! And i'll definitely keep an eye out for your pillow

underhill - anything specific about being on the river, places with a good view, activities etc?

Thanks again all! Any other ideas?

Trying again...

Any secret round-about or back ways from anaheim to simi valley, to avoid traffic gridlock?

It will be on a friday morning.

Thanks.