Route 66 Centennial Road Trip in California

On this special on-location episode of the California Now Podcast, host Josh Meyers celebrates the 100th anniversary of America’s most legendary highway with a road trip across California’s stretch of Route 66.

He kicks off the adventure in the Mojave Desert with Kyle Okura, keeper of Roy’s Motel & Café and the desert town of Amboy. Okura shares the remarkable father-son story behind preserving this Route 66 landmark—reflecting on its history, future plans for Roy’s, and why keeping travelers connected to the Mother Road still matters today. Meyers also hikes to the top of nearby Amboy Crater, one of the region’s most striking landscapes.

Next, Meyers heads to Oro Grande to meet Elliot Flag, who carries on his father’s whimsical vision at Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch. Flag walks Meyers through the folk-art forest of colored glass and scrap-metal sculptures, telling the origin stories behind the ranch’s most memorable objects and celebrating the creativity that has made this stop beloved by Route 66 travelers.

The journey continues to San Bernardino for a visit to Mitla Cafe, where Meyers sits down with co-owner Michael Montaño. Montaño shares the rich family legacy behind the restaurant his grandmother opened in 1937—a spot that famously inspired the very first Taco Bell. He discusses how the cafe came to be, his favorite menu items, and why Mitla remains an essential community gathering place along the historic highway.

Finally, Meyers reaches the end of Route 66 sign at the Santa Monica Pier and takes a victory ride on the iconic Ferris wheel.