Route 66 - Day #19
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Our first stop today was Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch. Like so many other “art” installations we have seen on this trip, this one is also made up of what most would consider old discarded “junk.” However, because it has a central theme, with the bottle trees, it just seems to work better as true art instead of just a collection of stuff. I didn’t expect to enjoy this one as much as I did.
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Each “tree” consists of a central metal pole for a trunk with small upward slanting branches welded on and each branch holds a bottle. Each “tree” is topped with some random artifact welded to bolted to the top. It really is fascinating.
And there is plenty of just random stuff around; like this old cash register.
Although Elmer is no longer alive, this appears to be where he did his work in creating the art.
From ChatGPT:
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is one of Route 66’s most memorable roadside attractions—a quirky “forest” of more than 200 metal trees decorated with colorful glass bottles, old signs, tools, and found objects. Created by artist Elmer Long in 2000, the ranch grew from his childhood love of collecting bottles with his father in the Mojave Desert. When desert winds blow, the bottles whistle and chime like music. Free to visit, it remains a beloved stop for travelers exploring historic Route 66.
Arriving early in the morning, before the sun was directly overhead, we were able to appreciate the good light as it passed through the bottles.
Looking directly down the barrel of this guys shotgun.
So many random “found” objects, but it just works.
We could have spent longer here just wandering around and taking it all in, but it was time to move on and cover the final miles between us and the Santa Monica Pier.
Next was a visit to the California Route 66 Museum in Victorville, CA.
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Nowhere near as big as the Arizona Route 66 Museum we saw back in Kingman, but they did a nice job nonetheless.
Imagine making this journey living out of a teardrop trailer like this one.
Now in our final 24 hours on the route, it is hard to believe we have covered all eight of these states.
It was interesting to see that this museum in California acknowledged the Dust Bowl and Depression-era history of Route 66, yet gave far less attention to the “Grapes of Wrath” chapter of that story. It turns out that many Californians were unhappy with the way both the state and its people were portrayed in John Steinbeck’s novel, which likely explains why that part of Route 66 history received little mention in this particular museum.
This vintage jukebox with actual vinyl singles is still operational and the museum staff would wander by, drop a quarter in the slot, and tell the nearest patron to pick the song. We picked “Born to be wild” (hahaha) and watched the 45rpm single drop into place and play our selection.
The nice lady at the museum insisted we have our photo taken sitting in the classic Route 66 diner exhibit.
It may have been a small footprint for a museum, but they sure packed in quite a few artifacts!
Next up was a stop at the site of the first ever McDonald’s in San Bernardino, CA. It is now a museum dedicated to the history of McDonald’s and ALL things McDonald’s.
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Who else should meet you at the door?!
They have CASE after CASE after CASE of all the toys McDonald’s ever used to promote their Happy Meals or any other promotion. They don’t only have the ones from the USA, they had a separate case for just about every other country that has a McDonald’s.
Lisa and I agreed that we had not ever seen 95% or more of these collectable McDonald’s toys. However, when we got to the case for the 1970s ear I ABSOLUTELY remember these glasses!! In fact, I am quite sure I had several of these back in the day.
Here, in the case dedicated to the 1970s & 1980s, we were able to recall some of the items; but again, most were completely lost on us.
We absolutely recalled this packaging from the 1980s era; and can only imagine how many millions of these styrofoam containers are buried in landfills across this nation where they will still be recognizable through the next millennia.
It was interesting; but if you are a true McDonald’s fan, I’m sure it would be amazing for the right crowd.
And, thanks for the Hamburglar, we didn’t miss a day of incarceration!!
Not entirely sue how Scooby-Doo fits into the McDonald’s theme, but The Mystery Machine was parked out back.
Same goes for Taz and Sylvester, not sure how they fit in the mix, but we were all for playing along.
Our final stop for the day was a quick visit to the Wigwam Motel. We saw the one in Holbrook already and this is the second one on the route here in San Bernardino. It would appear that of the two, this is the more “upscale” version.
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They were cleaning the rooms, so we got to peek inside one. Not the most spacious accommodations.
And with that, we were off to our own hotel. We called it an early day today, and tomorrow we will be on the road early to make the final push to the pier.
