To the untrained eye, there’s not much in the way of scenery along the 270-mile stretch between Las Vegas and Los Angeles—just distant mountains and vast expanses of desert punctuated by the occasional tumbleweed. The monotonous terrain seems a fitting contrast to what awaits at either destination: the promises of money and stardom. An empty stomach and a taste for curiosity, however, can get the best of anyone during the four-hour drive. Luckily, just off the beaten asphalt of Interstate 15, there’s a smattering of roadside stops that prove anything but boring.
Just an hour outside of Las Vegas, Primm is more than meets the eye. The city sits right up against Nevada’s border with California—an imaginary line that felons have long associated with freedom from the law. It happens that Primm is home to the most famous getaway car of all: Bonnie and Clyde’s V8 Ford. Punctured with more than 100 bullets, the battered vehicle sits behind a glass enclosure inside Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino. Nearby rests the torn and bloodied shirt Clyde wore on the morning of his death.
More than 70 miles down the road and safely across California’s border, Alien Fresh Jerky restocks stomachs set on empty with 20 flavors of jerky—not to mention stuffed olives, nuts, candy, and various sauces. A few miles south of the exit for Zzyzx, CA, the gourmet jerky stop gets its curious name from owners who founded it after a failed search for Area 51.
Standing at an impressive 134 feet and visible from Interstate 15, the world’s largest thermometer sits just down the road from Alien Fresh Jerky. The thermometer’s height honors the highest temperature ever recorded in North America: 134 degrees in nearby Death Valley.
The heat and lack of moisture in the desert can help with preservation, which might explain why dinosaurs still roam the earth at Peggy Sue’s Diner and Dinosaur Park. When nobody is looking, the giant metal dinosaur statues that inhabit Peggy Sue’s backyard are said to slip quarters into the giant outdoor jukebox and feed on Peggy Sue’s hearty burgers and sandwiches.
Not far down the road from these towering statues, Casa Jimenez hosts some animals of its own. The Mexican restaurant lines its walls and counters with stuffed antelope, zebras, and wolves. Of course, you don’t need to contend with wild beasts to get your fill of tacos and burritos. Just across town from Casa Jimenez, the world’s oldest operating Del Taco has kept its grills hot and its drive-through open since 1964.
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Things To Do In South El Monte
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Triple B Clays
$125 for a Clay-Shooting Package with Instruction for Two at Triple B Clays (Up to $314 Value)
10 shooting venues launch targets at multitude of angles for clay-target-shooting practice as certified instructors ensure proper safety
South El Monte
$314 $125
Select Local Merchants
The Range
- 10 trap fields with voice-activated equipment
- 9 skeet fields
- 25-station sporting-clay course
- 8 five-stand traps
- More challenging options, including Olympic Bunker and FITASC
The Rentals
- 12- and 20-gauge shotguns
- Demo guns
- Brands such as Winchester, Browning, and Fabarm
At a Glance
Triple B Clays throws more targets than any other club in the U.S. Yet that impressive figure is nothing when compared to the number of clay pigeons that have taken flight on their fields over the past quarter of a century. Over those decades, Triple B Clays has also assembled a team of certified instructors, who work with students of various ages and skill levels.
831 Rosemead Blvd
South El Monte,
CA
US
Whittier Narrows trains and nurtures novice and advanced tennis players with its roster of iTennis lessons, USTA adult league teams, and well-kept courts. Each of Whittier Narrows’ 16 courts are painted U.S. Open shades of blue and green to emulate professional play and increase ball visibility, and are fully lighted for nighttime and solar eclipse play. Tennis center memberships entitle players to complimentary perks such as a one-hour drill clinic, a racket demo program, weekly stroke clinics, and free ball machine rental (during off-peak hours), as well as a 10% discount in the pro shop and discounts on classes. After rinsing away sweat and lingering grunts in the men’s and women’s locker rooms, an airy member lounge invites athletes to relax on a leather couch and enjoy wireless Internet, a flat-screen television, and refreshments.
1201 Potrero Ave
South El Monte,
CA
US
In 2004, four friends who happened to be bowling aficionados lamented the absence of a nearby bowling center. Rather than complain, petition, or stage a protest that involved a cosmic-bowl laser show on the mayor's front yard at 3 a.m., they simply opened their own. Thus Action Lanes was born out of need, but its 32 lanes transcend necessity and border on luxury. To wit, players keep track of each roll on animated scoreboards while jamming to the beat of tunes playing on the sound system. This modern bowling center features all the amenities?a pro shop for gear, a snack bar for eats, and a sports bar to celebrate a win or lament a loss with a drink and a toast. Action Lanes also houses an arcade and separate rooms that can accommodate parties and events.
10534 Lower Azusa Rd
El Monte,
CA
US
When Sunny Williamson’s son couldn’t find a satisfactory airsoft facility, his father decided to create one for him. Opened in 2006, Tac City Airsoft has since expanded to two indoor airsoft facilities totaling more than 60,000-square feet. Under the watchful eye of refs, players duke it out in the Fullerton field’s fully enclosed quarters filled with wooden walls and labyrinthine hallways or the semi-outdoor space in El Monte littered with barrels and haystacks. Personnel update the fields every few months to keep repeat guests on their toes as they compete in scenarios such as capture the flag and follow-up games of set the flag free. In lieu of combatting with Tac City Airsoft’s fully automatic M4 rentals, visitors can purchase their own weapons and gear at the pro-shop.
2208 Edwards Ave
South El Monte,
CA
US
In the unusual parlance of the Hunger Runs 5K, runners are “dedications,” teams are “organizations,” spectators are “assemblies,” and the race is known simply as “the hunt.” The race’s creators, the “huntmakers,” devise a series of obstacles specifically designed to encourage teamwork and camaraderie, and they set up “challenge centers” demanding expert bow-and-arrow skills, simian climbing abilities, and courage in the face of flaming objects. Organizations that finish fastest or with the most points in their designated wave earn bragging rights, awards, and cheek pinches from their proud grandmothers. Dedications are strongly encouraged to wear fun costumes and comfortable sneakers and to come bearing team spirit and the will to win.
9846 Alpaca St.
El Monte,
CA
US
