2023 WB Day 19 - The End.

Riverside Mission Inn is a popular overnight,

and a great way to set up the final day in to Santa Monica.

With 80 miles of built up outer Los Angeles traffic we opted for the freeway and headed west one final time.

Downtown LA city flashed by on the right on a relatively trouble free run.

Our clean run was thwarted though at the final turn, the City of Santa Monica extending the weekend curfew on pier access to Fridays!

But we still found the symbol of The End!

We also snapped a photo of the original sign with Ian Bowen, a doyon of the Mother Road...

And a few more along the pier amongst people who had little idea or interest in our travels of the past three weeks.

Before America's Main Road was extended to the beach it ended at Olympic Blvd where the Googie style Penguin coffee shop once stood.

Recently it's been reconverted back to a diner from the dental practice it had been for a couple of decades.

It's now a great way to take a breath (and a fancy shake!) after dashing across country.

The boys from TV's 'Tanked' had done their stuff at the entrance with a selection of 66 icons submerged amongst the fish.

Back on another freeway we headed south on the 405 before the rush... (even at 1.30pm that didn't work!),

...found the pacific highway south of Long Beach and wound our way down the coast straddled by ocean and donkeys.

Balboa Island was the destination and it didn't disappoint.

Friendly locals welcoming us to their slice of paradise,

including retired money man Lee, relaxing on the tiny foreshore with his wife...

...ex pat Aussie and retired Qantas pilot Tony and his mates who were up for a natter, making us feel right at home as we the wandered around this pretty flash part of the world.

And right as we figured we wouldn't see a Hummingbird, one flittered into the path of Ioana's ever ready Canon and her nature study was complete!

Our final supper was at Wilma's,

something of a tradition with these tours.

Of course no visit to this Island would be complete without a Balboa Bar!

And with that the sun sank, marking the end of the Westbound Down Under On Route 66 tour. Until next time...