Pasadena, CA
It's the little old lady from Pasadena who's the terror of Colorado Boulevard, which is Route 66 in Pasadina.
As you come into Pasadena, you'll immediately see what a beautiful tidy town it is. Colorado Boulevard is a wide street, with two spacious lanes on each side lined with tall palm trees. There are many vintage and modern motels lining Colorado Blvd, and you won't have any problem finding a nice affordable place to stay. One of the classics is the Saga. The rooms are a cut above those found in many Route 66 motels. If you want a more modern place, there are plenty to choose from.
Just as you come into town, look for R Place Cocktail Lounge on the right hand side of the street. It has been there forever. It has classic turquoise upholstered booths.
The Colorado Lounge also is a good place with a bit of a younger crowd.
The Rite Spot Restaurant claims to have invented the cheeseburger in 1924. Louie's Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut may have an argument there. Louie's, a Yalie hangout for over a century, claims to have invented the hamburger in 1900.
A quarter mile or so past R Place, look for Villain Custom Cycles, which has Harley-Davidson parts and a service shop.
The West end of town is the older section. There is a mix of modern construction that blends in well with the older buildings. There is a lot of hustle and bustle over there, and it is a pretty trendy area. Even so, I got away with wearing my patch in Smitty's, which is an upscale local favorite. The food is terrific and surprisingly well priced.
The Rose Bowl is nestled into a residential neighborhood on this side of town. It's off the beaten path, but worth going to see.
There have been several alignments of Route 66 from Pasadena into LA. The original 1926 alignment ends at the corner of 7th St and Broadway. The current alignment ends on the corner of Lincoln Blvd. and Olympic is Santa Monica. This alignment has more to see than the original alignment, but getting down Santa Monica Blvd. is a real chore. Anyway, we've provided directions for both alignmemts.
Have fun exploring!
Original 1926 - 1931 Alignment
- Head out of Pasadena on Colorado Blvd.
- Go left on fair Oaks.
- Go right on Huntington Drive.
- Follow Huntington Drive to N Mission Rd.
- Go Right on N Broadway.
- Follow Broadway to 7th St.
- This is the original terminus of Route 66.
Current Alignment
- From Pasadena, follow Colorado Blvd all the way across town.
- Cross Marenga and go left on Arroyo Parkway/Hwy 110.
- Take Exit 24B to Sunset Blvd.
- At the Stop sign, go left, cross the overpass, and take an immediate right onto Figuroa.
- Go right onto Sunset Blvd and follow it fopr about three miles through Echo Park in Los Angeles.
- Cross Sanborne, go about 100 feet, then go left on Manzania (be careful: this sign is hard to see).
- Go 100 feet then go right onto Santa Monica Blvd.
- Follow Santa Monica Blvd and cross 9th St.
- Go left on Lincoln Blvd.
- Follow Lincoln Blvd to Olympic.
- This is the current terminus of Route 66.
From Pasadena, follow Colorado Blvd all the way through town (several miles) - Pass Princeton St - Where Colorado Terrace and Colorado Blvd meet, go left at the light staying with Colorado Blvd (Note: These are complicated turns at the end, and its easy to miss Colorado Blvd at the East end of Pasadina; if you get to the Santa Anita Racetrack, you have missed the turn) - Go past a RR underpass and go left onto Santa Anita Ave - Cross under I-210 and go right onto Foothill Blvd - Go about 2.5 miles, cross California Ave and go right on Shamrock Ave
View Route66mc.com - Pasadena to Duarte in a larger map
