After the incident with the car sinking into the sand dunes of Nevada, we quickly found ourselves in California, as we were already close to the state border. California marked the tenth and final state of our journey.
We had departed from Route 66 in Arizona and, passing through Nevada, we arrived at the edge of California. Our plans included visiting several national parks and making a stop in San Francisco before heading towards the endpoint of Route 66 at Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles.
The Scorching Death Valley
Our first destination in California was Death Valley National Park, located just after crossing the state border. As the name suggests, there isn’t much lush life here; the terrain is extremely dry. Following our usual routine, we first stopped at the Visitor Center before continuing to Badwater Basin, a salt flat in the park.
Badwater Basin is an incredibly dry and hot valley, marking the lowest point in the USA at 86 meters below sea level. During midsummer, temperatures here soar around 50 degrees Celsius. Death Valley also features sand dunes, the colorful rocks of Artists Palette, and those famous wandering stones (though they are hard to access and require a special trip with a proper off-road vehicle).
Read more about our visit to Death Valley in its dedicated post ➛
Heading towards Yosemite National Park
From Death Valley, we headed north towards Yosemite National Park. We spent the night in Bishop at the Vagabond Inn – Bishop hotel. The hotel was a convenient choice for a one-night stay, offering spacious and clean rooms with parking right in front.
Continuing from Bishop towards Yosemite, we approached the park from its eastern side. Near Mono Lake on this side lies the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center, where we stopped for tips about the area. The road through Yosemite starts from this corner of the town.
The journey through Yosemite is along Highway 120, also known as Tioga Pass, which is a sight in itself. The road reaches heights of up to three kilometers, offering breathtaking views along the way. This road is only open in the summer and had just been cleared for travel in early June.
Yosemite National Park is undoubtedly California’s most popular national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most visited spot is Yosemite Valley itself, featuring the stunning Yosemite Falls, the majestic El Capitan rock formation, and numerous hiking trails throughout the valley and surrounding mountainsides.
For more details about Yosemite National Park, read our specific post: Yosemite National Park – California, USA ➛
San Francisco
After Yosemite, we embarked on a four-hour drive to San Francisco. We planned to spend a couple of days here exploring the city’s sights.
Naturally, our first stop was crossing the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, a spectacular addition to the cityscape. On the other side of the bridge, along San Francisco Bay, lies the charming town of Sausalito, and worth visiting is the viewpoint with scenic views overlooking the city from this side of the bridge.
Additionally, we visited attractions such as Golden Gate Park, Twin Peaks, drove down the famous, winding Lombard Street, and admired the historic cable cars amidst the city’s hilly landscapes.
For more on San Francisco and its attractions, read our dedicated post about the city ➛
Highway 1 – The Pacific Coast Highway
Following our visit to San Francisco, we continued south towards Los Angeles. Our plan was to drive the stunning Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1), and we had received excellent recommendations on where to stop along the way.
With six days left before returning home from Los Angeles, we couldn’t allocate too much time for this beautiful coastal drive. The journey along Highway 1 from San Francisco to Los Angeles covers about 800 kilometers, which we managed in a couple of days, making stops to enjoy the scenery. The route features charming small towns and breathtaking coastal views with towering cliffs. Ideally, this drive could take anywhere from 3 to 5 days if time permits.
Learn more about Highway 1 and its attractions in our detailed post ➛
Los Angeles – The City of Angles
All good things must come to an end, and for us, it was arriving in Los Angeles. Fortunately, we still had a few days left to explore the city, marking the end of our long journey across the USA.
Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the USA by population, with a metropolitan area housing 13 million people. Given its vast size, a car is almost essential to explore the various parts of the city.
Upon arrival in Los Angeles, we booked our first accommodation in Hollywood at the trusted BW chain, staying at the Best Western Hollywood Plaza Inn Hotel – Hollywood Walk Of Fame La. This hotel offered standard BW quality and a convenient location.
Our second accommodation was also in Hollywood, at The Moment Hotel, a modern and newer option in the area, with easy access by car and ample parking. Also great choice to explore Hollywood.
For our final night, we opted for a more upscale stay in Santa Monica at Le Méridien Delfina Santa Monica, a stylish hotel offering excellent service, parking facilities, and a sophisticated interior.
Hollywood ja Beverly Hills
Arriving on July 4th, Independence Day, we found ourselves near the Hollywood Bowl, which hosted a grand celebration. Unfortunately, the event was sold out, but it would have been an amazing experience to attend.
In Hollywood, we visited key sights such as the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, where celebrities’ handprints and footprints are immortalized. Hollywood Boulevard is lively, bustling with people, shops, cafes, restaurants, street artists, and mascots.
In Beverly Hills, we drove through the streets, marveling at the lavish homes of the stars. Rodeo Drive, known for luxury shopping, was another highlight, boasting a picturesque setting worth strolling through.
From Hollywood, atop the hills of Los Angeles, we visited the renowned Griffith Observatory, offering stunning views over the city to the Pacific Ocean.
Read more about Los Angeles from your own post ➛
Universal Studios Hollywood
One of our highly anticipated destinations was Universal Studios Hollywood. What an incredible place! This theme park is meticulously designed to provide a complete immersive experience, from queueing to enjoying the rides. We even took a studio tour through famous movie sets, recognizing many iconic locations from films.
Buying day tickets also earned us a bonus second-day pass. Initially not planning to return, we were hooked and ended up going back after a day’s break. 😊
During our visit, we experienced an earthquake, a first for us. Although the epicenter was farther from Los Angeles, we felt the ground tremble, with nearby soda machines swaying noticeably.
Read more about our visit to Universal Studios Hollywood in our detailed post ➛
Santa Monica and the End of Route 66
We made a quick visit to Santa Monica earlier and spent our final night here, having grown fond of the area. Our month-long journey across the USA was coming to a close, marked by the definitive end of Route 66 at Santa Monica Pier.
Santa Monica Pier feels straight out of an American movie, bustling with street performers, vibrant crowds, an amusement park, and most importantly, the “End of the Trail – Route 66” sign! What a journey it has been, filled with countless experiences between this sign and the “Begin of Route 66” sign in Chicago. Truly unforgettable!
On our last evening, we wandered around downtown Santa Monica, enjoying the lively atmosphere, decorated streets, and revisited the pier to ride the Ferris wheel, reflecting on our month-long adventure. Santa Monica was indeed a charming and welcoming place. However, with a tinge of sadness, we acknowledged that it was time to head back home the next day.
Homeward Bound
And so, the final day of our journey arrived as we made our way to LAX Airport. We returned our trusty road companion to the car rental and totaled approximately 8000 kilometers on the odometer throughout the month—twice the length of the actual Route 66 due to detours. Every kilometer was undoubtedly worth experiencing.
This once-in-a-lifetime journey is one we would be ready to embark on again anytime, as this road offers so much to see that one drive-through cannot possibly cover.
I’m not sure what would be a fitting conclusion to this journey, but if summarized in one word: Unforgettable! – Perhaps someday again 😊
