California Through My Lens - Sunset Over Route 66 - Cajon Pass


Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey

 Many travelers who drive out of Los Angeles and Orange County through the Inland Empire and Cajon Pass to all points east, including Las Vegas, on Interstate 15 don't realize that there are several miles of the old Route 66 that still exist a mere hundred or so yards away.  The old highway that once served as the only road through the pass is now only taken by motorists who want to try and avoid traffic congestion due to accidents or weekend travelers trying to get to Sin City or other desert recreation areas. 

I used to travel off the busy highway quite regularly, not to escape traffic, but instead to relive a bit of history. Way back when, my family used to travel on Route 66 on our way to Texas to visit relatives on Summer vacations and  Thanksgiving.

A trip onto the old highway can be quite relaxing. The area is unusually calm and quiet despite the fact that hundreds of cars and trucks are speeding along just a short distance away. You can actually find yourself alone for a while here. It's a refreshing break from the busy life of Los Angeles or even the nearby High Desert towns of Victorville and Hesperia where I used to live. There are actually several of these peaceful oases in Southern California if you know where to look for them.

On this night I pulled off the busy I-15 and parked where Route 66 ends. Well, it's not where it actually ends, but no one can drive any further due to the road being blocked with concrete barriers. Anyway, I pulled over and was admiring the sunset and the spectacular colors of the clouds in the distance. If you look real close at some of these shots, you can just make out a layer of brown colored smoke coming from a forest fire nearby.  

Fires like this are just a part of life in California.

I don't know if the smoke had anything to do with the spectacular colors in the sky that evening, but honestly it doesn't matter. I just felt blessed to witness the majesty of God's handiwork. The Lord painted it, and I photographed it.


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