3/23/2026 - Needles, California (Route 66)

 I am doing something different.  I know put up a couple of post for Route 66 in Needles, CA but here is the rest of the buildings I saw.

The Old Trails Inn used to be The Palms Auto Court aka The Palms Motel.

It was at one time a cabin court built in the 1930's.  It has several separate "cabins" as units for its guest.  "It promoted itself being "Clean, Air Cooled, Modern - Reasonable - The Home of Friendly Service."

It is a two-story complex with stucco plastering with an L shaped layout. Imperial 400 was a motel chain in 1959, and its buildings had a characteristic "Gull Wing" shaped roof (like this motel has) with Space Age connotations.  It went broke in the mid 1960's and sold out to new owners.

"Imperial 400 Motel on Highway 66, Downtown, 644 Broadway Needles, California, Air Conditioning, TV, Room Phones, Kitchenettes, Heated Pool, Free Coffee, Free Advance Reservations, Major Credit Cards Accepted."

Here is just a random Route 66 sign on one of the buildings along the route in Needles, CA.

This building is located in Needles, CA.  This building was Claypool's Hardware store opened in this elegant Art Deco building in 1930 and closed in 2002 after being in business for 70 years.  This was the largest building in downtown Needles at the time it closed.

Claypool family donated the building to Palo Verde College that opened in 2009.  The Claypool & Co. sign is still on the front of the building.

In 1929, this building was built.  The main level is the Needles Theatre, two shops, a real estate business and a sweet shoppe.  In the theater there was 700 seats when it opened.

This was a random monument that is in the park area of where the train was.

The El Garces Hotel and Depot opened in 1908 and was considered, "The Crown Jewel" of the Fred Harvey chain.  The lunchroom had two horseshoe shaped counters that could serve 140 people.  In 1949, El Graces closed as a Harvey House but was still used as a Santa Fe Railway office until 1988.

The corner building is the Needles Regional Museum. What is important about the building it use to be J.C. Penny store across the street from the railroad.

In this picture you can still see the J.C. Penny sign.

This is Snoopy's older brother Spike.  The creator of the Peanuts comic strip and its characters, Charles Schulz and his family lived briefly in Needle's in the late 1920's.  This is where Spike is from.

Route 66 sign near the old train station.

The Sage Motel was an independently owned.  Six room established 1946-47 that closed in 2009.