In Barstow for the night.

What a day. Thankfully I felt better this morning, and we allowed ourselves to sleep in and get a slow start today. We didn't get on the road until 11. Today we took the longest stretch of original old Route 66. We stopped first in Seligman, AZ at the famed Delgadillo's Snow Cap. This place is truly an awesome piece of history. Angel Delgadillo has been running the barber shop since Route 66 was the only way to go. His brother Juan, who died a few years ago, ran the Snow Cap cafe and his family now keeps it going. This little crossroads town that is far off the interstate was crowded with tourists, which was really nice to see. The greatest part of all was when we actually met Angel and he played with Matthew. He showed us his barber shop and joked with us for a while. He was such a sweet man who obviously is in love with the Mother Road and all it's patrons. You've seen this guy if you have watched the "bonus materials" in the move Cars. They interviewed him for 2 hours in research for the movie. We were so lucky to meet him and hear his stories.

Then it was on to Kingman and a little mining town called Oatman. This was another mining town perched on the side of a windy crazy road up a mountain. It was the coolest little wild west town with donkeys roaming the streets and pretty much begging food off people. You could see the old gold mines and walk the planked sidewalks...looked just like an old western movie...apparently some movie that Ronald Reagan was in was filmed here. Loved it...and the road was much like the one we were on in Jerome, so I was a little less anxious...a little. At this point we were in the Mojave Desert and it sure felt like it. It went from 85 degrees to 105 in a couple of miles....and it was hot. hot. Lots of cactus and sand out in these parts. I've never seen anything like it and I'm totally loving all the different types of environments we're going through.

We made it to Barstow, CA for the night and are a bit ahead of schedule. We only have 180 miles left of our already 3500 mile journey. We plan on getting a slow start again tomorrow and checking out a little ghost town a bit North from where we are now. Then we're going to follow the Mother Road as long as we can in through San Bernadino and then on to Santa Monica. I've read that it's tough to stick with it in the megaopolis that is LA, but we're gonna try. I have to say we've made a pretty good team with Matt's stellar driving and my precision navigation, and of course Matthew's comic relief. Staying on the old Route 66 is really tough to do, but we managed to be on it at pretty much every opportunity. I'm so proud of Matthew for hanging in there with us...he's really been great. We only have one more day of driving, and I'm sure he's ready to not be in the van for a while.

It's kind of bitter sweet to be almost done with our adventure, but I guess in a way it's really just beginning. Our drive has really made quite an impact on both of us, as individuals and as a couple. Being able to step back in time at points was really a treat. Tomorrow we say goodbye to the Mother Road...but we're sure to visit her again some day.