First, is this the long stretch of road without any hope for service in the event of car problems? Including cell phone service?I want to make sure I know when to load up on water, as this trip will be in July.

Second, can you recommend any family friendly beaches that are reasonably accessible? I've heard some rumors about Santa Monica going down hill a little bit (with gangs, etc.), but I'd like to get some other opinions/confirmations.

Thank you very much!

Needles to Barstow is about 140 miles without much in the way of services.

Utahtea

It's also quite a long distance to any beach areas except for ones along the Colorado River.

I-40 has a lot of traffic, so you won't have problem getting help from people. Most cellular companies should have service along the interstate. Check your cellular provider's website for a coverage map to find out if yours do or not.

Sorry, I guess I should have been a little more specific on beaches, as i realize there are no beaches in Barstow. We plan to continue our journey to the Anaheim area, and are looking for a family friendly beach for part of a day.

Thanks.

Huntington Beach is a family beach area. From Anaheim, just take Beach Blvd. (Hwy. 39) straight south, cross PCH at the light and go to the left, there is a State Park parking lot that is relatively cheap (few dollars/day).

I completely agree with Huntington Beach as a great beach spot.
If you park yourself near the pier, there's Main St. directly across the street with great beach shops, restaurants, movie theatre etc. Great place to hang out and if you go on a Friday, there's a great little farmers market.
It's very safe and "gang free"! We're well protected by hard bodied beach cops on bikes and ATV's!
Hope you have a great trip!

While at the beach, be sure to stop at one of the beach huts for some "strips 'n sauce" -- but don't let them go soggy on ya.

I have made the drive between Needles and Barstow several times (lucky me). Cell phone service is better now than it was a couple of years ago, but there will be stretches where you won't get service. It's only about 2 1/2 to 3 hours at the most between the two, so it's not that bad and there are a couple of small gas stations and a rest stop in between, but I would recommend stocking up on supplies before you leave because those small places charge a fortune since they are the only things around.


As for the beach, another vote for Huntington. I think it has just what you're looking for.