US- 66 – Driving the Mother Road – Needles to San Bernardino

The driving distance between Needles and San Bernardino on US-66 is only about 212 miles and 3+ hours if you drive straight through without stops and assuming you don’t hit any traffic snags (or take wrong turns). Our mileage was more since the route is not always well signed through several towns, and the trip was significantly longer time-wise because… well… we never drive straight through and there were quite a few things to see along the way.We arrived in Needles mid-afternoon and decided to do our exploring immediately to ensure an early start the next morning. Named for the sharp, pinnacled peaks of nearby Mohave Mountains, Needles was established in 1883 as a construction site by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. California welcomed us as soon as we crossed the Colorado River. Approaching from the east on Route 66, the first landmark is the Welcome to Needles covered wagon. The Needles Welcome Wagon I’d read about several murals in town, and we sought them out before…