With just three full days left the plan was going to be Ludlow > Barstow > Pasadena > Santa Monica, but we figured if we barrelled on through to Pasadena we could spend two nights in Santa Monica and have a rest before we fly back. That was the plan.
We drove through Newberry Springs home of the Bagdad Café. Wikipedia: "The film was shot at what was then the Sidewinder Cafe in Newberry Springs, California, 50 miles west of the original site of Bagdad on old U.S. 66. Since then, the café has become something of a tourist destination and to capitalize on the movie it changed its name to the Bagdad Café. A small notice board on the café wall features snapshots of the film's cast and crew.
Through Daggett to Yermo, home of Peggy Sue's 50's diner where we'd had lunch a few years back. The place was chocker so we walked round the gift shop then drove a few miles towards Calico to get some photos of Ghost Road.
Into Barstow and out again, then Helendale to see a giant parrot (not actually that big) and into Owo Grande with it's HUGE Portland Cement factory and on to Victorville where Emma Jean's is home to the 'Brian Burger'. Well, I had to and it was a moderately nice burger (pepper - not hot, sourdough bread, etc.) and a portion far too big for me.
We decided we'd driven enough for the day at checked in to at an Econolodge give us about ninety minutes to drive to the end of Route 66 in the morning.