Mother Road to the Mother Lode

Up early in Prescott, AZ to see Persephone at Denny's in Prescott Valley - she is a musician and songwriter, a children's entertainer, booked for Rocket FM.
Then north to Ash Fork where we rejoin old Route 66 heading west through Seligman, Peach Springs, Barstow and Kingman. We leave 66 as the pavement disappears, and divert via Bullhead City, on the Nevada border. We can see Laughlin, Nevada on the other side of the Colorado River and the usual array of casinos.
We lunch at "Earle's at the Castle", asking about the Mojave crossing. The waitress said it is OK to cross in daylight - "just get to somewhere cooler as soon as you can!"
We reach Needles, CA at four o'clock and launch out across the desert. The engine temp on the car reaches 100 degrees C on the inclines (four pips lit on the smart). We tune into Mojave Radio which lures travellers to Las Vegas. The Dave Mason Band (ex-Traffic) is playing Laughlin Casino. After 2½ hours we are clearing the desert and we reach El Cajon where the traffic charges down the mountain from 4,000 feet.
We are in SoCal "proper" at last. We bypass San Bernardino, destination of my Willmett relatives in 1921 who drove from Brantford, Ontario in a 1919 Chevrolet, before the mother road was built.
Overnight at the Lemon Tree motel in Pomona, CA. Breakfast at Johnny's Famous Hamburgers (overwhelming portions) then to the Wally Parks NHRA Museum of Drag Racing at the LA Fairgrounds. This is a fantastic collection of old race cars - many of them featured in Hot Rod Magazine in the 60's and 70's. I buy a remaindered 'T' shirt (30% off) and the lady at the till comes out to photograph the smart outside.
We pickup 66 again and ride through Pasadena, with the San Gabriel mountains on our right, onto Sunset Boulevard and the Strip, past the Hollywood sign and the Beverly Hills Hotel. We hit the ocean north of Santa Monica, which is a mistake, but we cruise into town and the end of the road.
Santa Monica is a letdown as there is little indication that the road is ended. We cannot see a plaque in a park on the seafront as we cannot park the car. Beachfront parking is $6 and up so we decide to lunch in Malibu where parking is free. They say it is better to travel hopefully than to arrive.