April 24, 2024
Miles: 42.3
Climbing: 1.0K ft
Total: 564 miles
Song in my head: "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan
The day began with a sendoff from the urban peafowl of Arcadia, followed by the Tour de Adorable Towns: Pasadena, LaVerne, Claremont, Pomona. They reminded me of cute Peninsula towns like Palo Alto and San Mateo, but with more greenery and fewer Teslas.
The Route 66 marking (and marketing) began in earnest. I regretted not getting photos of the official start of the route back in LA, and so started making up for it here. When I stopped for a smoothie, a fellow cyclist struck up a conversation and showed off his mountain bike, on which he had just completed a 67 mile race with 9K feet of climbing (zoinks!).
I had every intention of camping in the Glen Helen Regional Park, but angry clouds were gathering in the direction I was traveling. Although I am not made of sugar, the prospect of hauling heavy wet gear over Cajon Pass the next day did not appeal. So I ducked into a Comfort Inn before the clouds broke.
May you always have a Comfort Inn nearby!