Monday June 11, 2012
We did the mileage tally and we had only lost about 10 miles a day by loafing on Sunday. It felt good and the
blog was back on track. We now need to travel 135 miles a day on average to get
to the end of the road and have a day left to dub around and get ready to fly
out Friday the 15th. Early in
the trip we started the day with no firm endpoint for the day. In the northern
states even on rural 66 we were never far from an interstate exit that would
have at least one motel to stay at. As we got into the desert states there were
some significant gaps where there were no options for many miles. We also had a
time or two where we snagged on of the last rooms in the area. Considering those 2 situations we had taken
to identifying end of day options if not actually booking a room before hitting the road. When we
looked at where our departure from Kingman would take us we were sort of
surprised that we would have either another short day of driving or a long
haul. In the end, the only real choice as to drive on to Barstow California,
228 miles away. As a day of driving this
is nothing special but when touring and sightseeing it can be quite another
story. Fortunately we didn’t have any cities to get snarled up in and no other
big stops were in sight.
We were rolling out of Kingman by
8:30, about an hour earlier than usual. The road led us into McConnico where as
we left the city of Kingman behind a desert valley opened up in front of us.
This section of 66 is designated as a National Back Country Byway. There was a
kiosk with information and suggestions for making the 42 mile trip through
desert and the Black Mountains. There were scattered communities of people in
travel trailers or beat up mobile homes. There did seem to be some mining
activity. We got some nice pictures of mountains with pronounced peaks, wild
flowers and a small wind farm.
In Cool Springs we stopped to visit
Cool Springs Cabins. There aren’t really any cabins, just souvenirs and a few
convenience items you may want before heading into the mountains. Lorna did get
a few trinkets including a hunk of RT 66 pavement with a certificate of
authenticity. This place was built in 1926 but the stone filling station /
store had crumbled away to almost nothing. Hollywood recreated it as a prop for
the movie Universal Soldier. Afterwards the present owners set to rebuilding
the place once more, to its original state. Much of the work was done by a
fellow from Maine that went down and decided to stay. It’s a nice place on the
edge of the road in the valley. Outside there are the usual vintage gasoline
signs and glass jar punps. The owner tells us that they have the model for Tow
Mater the tow truck in Cars but the owner would not sign a contract with Pixar
so they don’t have official credit. That leaves the door open for the claim 4
Women on the Route had back in Kansas.
Down the road we passed Ed’s Camp, home
of the Kactus Café, all abandoned. From there we began to wind our, way up to
Sitgeaves Pass. The road was narrow and paved with the traditional route 66
guardrails, usually none. In a few areas there were posts and cables but for
the most you got it right or else. The climb was easy, never needing to leave
Drive. The bigger challenge for me was watching around the blind corners.
Trying to crane my neck around the “A” pillar while turning to the left meant
taking my eyes of the road, so I just went slow. We stopped about 3 times at
turnouts to get pictures and to let an occasional local on a mission fly ahead.
Lorna didn’t think much of the experience as she more often than not was on the
cliff edge side of the road. Of course if we went over we’d be together but I
suppose that’s scant comfort. When we made it to the summit pass at 3550 feet
we set up for some timed photos to commemorate the climb. There were still
some stout pipe railings around the summit to protect people in the days when
there was an ice cream stand up there. The trip down was pretty easy with the
usual tight turns. Dropping to 1st or 2nd gear did most
of the braking. We got more good pictures of the mountains and desert plants.
What came next sort of blew my mind.
Some of the signs and Lorna had mentioned running into burros but the next
scene was totally unexpected. As we drove down into the valley with the
mountainsides closing in we rounded a bend and a village began to
emerge. We knew we had arrived somewhere and as it turned out Lorna knew more
about this than I did. The scene was out of an old western with both sides of
the winding street lined with aging sun faded storefronts, raised wood
sidewalks with cover for shade, a burros milling about. We got one of the last
free parking spaces before the village and got out to explore.It was like walking into a movie set.
As it turns out this was an old gold
mining town that 66 ended up running right through. This must have been on heck
of a bottle neck. The gold mining
eventually ended in the 1940’s, a more expeditious route diverted the traffic
in the 50’s and by the 60’s the place was virtually abandoned. In recent years
with the international interest in 66 it has boomed into a tourist stop with
plenty of gift shops, eateries and snack stops, all with that rustic, always
been here feel, no neon, no glitz. It’s like walking into a real life “Six Gun
City”. On some weekends they even have shootout reenactments. Many other weekends are busy with car
rallies, bikers and the 4th of July fry an egg on the sidewalk
contest. They expected 105F the day we visited.
We did the usual wandering around
collecting a few souvenirs and the inevitable Route 66/Oatman/Burro T shirt. Lorna
got nipped in the leg by a curios burro
who left a patch of donkey snott behind.
It was a fun place to visit, something I never expected to find outside
of a theme park. After an hour or so knew it was time to get going, we still
had a big day of driving ahead of us.
The road wound gently through old
trails where we found an local memorial to Korean war veterans up on a rocky
ridge. There as a lot more loose rock here perhaps disturbed by the mining work
of long ago.
In Golden Shores the diner had
burned. Talking to a local it sounded like a gas explosion while the owner was
staring the place up one day last year. The fatal event put an end to what he
called one good greasy cheeseburger. However on this guy’s garage we did find
the Route 66 mural inspired by and dedicated to Bob Waldmire. Remember Bob? We toured his school bus turned
home/studio/RT 66 information center back in Pontiac, Illinois. More and more
things like this seem to be knitting together. If you’re driving through the
mural is on the blind side of a beige and red former service station with a
Phillips 66 sign. The place is fenced in but the owner was welcoming.
Topock was the last we would see of
Arizona. Here and back in Golden Shores we began to signs of campgrounds and
boating on the Colorado River. We were leaving the desert behind but the
landscape was still largely barren, complete with tumble weed.
Arizona Spit us out on to the
interstate for lack of surviving Route 66 and delivered us to Needles
California. Here we found many signs of 66 including our lunch stop at the
Burger Hut. The patty was probably the thinnest I have ever seen with paper
thin crisp edges. It was good eats on a picnic table under the awning. The place was
doing a steady business for our after 1:00 arrival. Needles has many murals
around town so this folk art renaissance does extend in to California. It is
also home to one of the last surviving Harvey House structures. This handsome
structure is fenced in gutted and said to be under restoration.
There is plenty you can read about
the Harvey Houses but in short they were grand hotel & restaurant
operations built to serve the railway traffic. They became especially known for
their Harvey Girls, well bred, educated, white, conservatively uniformed,
ladies with a 10:00 curfew. They served to bring a sense of civility to the travelers’
existence. While many did end up finding husbands these were reputable
operations. The structures including this one were often grand rambling stone
or masonry building more in the style of a courthouse or grand hotel, an amazing
legacy.
Beyond the murals and Harvey House
were a potpourri of vintage motels like the 66, Sage, Ranch Road resort Motel LeBrun
Relax Inn and Needles Inn plus a nice old theater building still in use. About
½ of the Motels were dormant.
Needles sent us out into the Sahara
Desert where we stopped at the Sahara Oasis, a convenience store / filling
station. We needed a pit stop and this place was cool with pools of water,
fountains and pink flamingos. The road led us to Essex, a desert ghost town.
In Essex we found the remains of the
Wayside Market with the circular sign frame just empty loop. The building is
all white with no discernible lettering. The small stone Post Office is closed
and replaced with about 3 dozen outdoor lock boxes like you see for trailer parks.
The old stone well that travelers would use for fresh water is now dry but remains at the roadside. The Essex Café is standing by, Good Food, Breakfast,
Lunch, Dinner – Air Conditioned. Behind most of these desert buildings you can
see elevated water tanks for apparently self sufficient water systems. The Café
is now closed, the pump island devoid of pumps and only the framing of the
canopy remains.
Across the road stands a white weathering clapboard building.
The elements are slowly peeling the roof away. On the front at the far right
STUDIO can still be read. Another one to research latter.
Essex is also the start of the folk
wall. On the north side of the road running to Amboy, about 50 feet from the
pavement runs a sand & gravel berm, perhaps the desert equivalent to a snow
fence. People have taken to creating art or at least leaving their mark
generally with local stones arranged on the slope but some have used bottles,
painted stones or what looks like marble chips. This runs for many miles and is
a desert version of the murals seen in the towns.
Danby has a broken down service
station that is in descript save a mural painted on the front wall. Out in the
open is a turnout for a former picnic area that included tables and shade
canopies in the day when travelers used this road. A panorama of text panels
tells of Route 66, the former picnic area, the desert and its inhabitants. You
can still see the footings that anchored the tables and canopies. As I stood
there the air was calm and I heard silence, complete total silence like I don’t
remember hearing in a long time. The temperature was running around 108F and it was hot but comfortable, at least for small sight seeing excursions
In Chambles stands an old store,
Soda Pop, Food, Ice, Snacks And Beef are lettered. A big CHAMBLES sign has been erected in
front so you know where you are. A historic marker across the street tells the
history. Further down the road is the
Road runner Restaurant and adjacent filling station. They offered fountain
service and it says it’s in East Amboy It’s all boarded up now but the towering
sign and giant roadrunner at the apex is a sight. The station is marked as
“Official Garage”. Did that mean something in the day? We have seen a few
real roadrunners on the trip, no Beep Beeps though.
In Amboy we passed the school. A
significant building now abandoned, testament to what must have once been here.
Just past the school is Roy’s Motel & Café as the sign says. A restaurateur
has bought this place and is slowly reviving it. The filling station pumps are
back in service and the store and fountain have been fixed up quite nicely.
Walking into the place is like a time warp with a long fountain running most of
the width of the place. There isn’t much happening for lack of traffic, a few
snack and souvenir items are on sale but food’s not being served. Unfortunately
a hired hand was tending shop and he was more interested in his daytime TV
show. It would have been fun to meet the owner who must has a passion for this
project.
We wandered next door to see what
was happening with the motel section. It looked pretty nice from the road but
it seems that the desert conditions are quite kind to buildings. Up close it
was aging and somewhat weathered, not freshly painted as I may have guessed.
The rooms were emptied but intact. One was left with the door open. A lot of
work will be needed if they are ever again to be occupied but there is hope.
The mind blower was the office
building up in front. The building had a full width glass lobby with a a
residence out back. The roof line projected far beyond the front ending in a
point providing plenty of sun shade. The inside is an amazing time capsule and
should be memorialized. An Orange counter sits on a beige carpet. The counter
has lamps I would expect from 1960, old copies of McCall’s and Time magazine
are in a rack. Plastic apples are waiting in the coffee table basket that sits
in front of a bug cushy tan couch. Against the back wall sits a 1950’s HI-FI
with at least 5 feet of wooden cabinet with the turn table open. This probably
was for back ground music when the adjacent grand piano wasn’t being played.
Lest this sound austere a colorful carousel pony is front and center in the
window. Through the door is a dining room with table service for 5 set in the
blue floral wall papered room. All of this is sitting behind glass with light
dust like they left it when they closed the doors years ago. Restrooms are in a plumbed outbuilding though
it looked like the motel rooms were also equipped. Camping may have been
offered.
Out back is a smaller vacant
building with a windsock that seemed to be frozen half filled, pointing south.
Across the street is a white church with a weather toppled steeple.
Down the road was something we had
seen coming for some time. These vast desert spaces play some weird tricks with
your mind and sense of distance. Things seem close but you just don’t seem to
get closer as you drive on and on. Eventually we came to the turn-off for the
Amboy Crater. It is a volcanic cone that last erupted about 500 years ago. The
250 tall crater can be climbed but in the 108F heat we thought better though it
was tempting. The access road is paved and rolls organically with the terrain
as it tries to blend in with the ground and lava field. From the big parking
lot the leads a trail to the mentioned crater climb and another to a viewing
area under a canopy on a rise. We went up to the viewing area looked at the
crater, took some pictures including Lorna posing with the crater, another
first for her, and me too. If you want
to make a day of it there are restrooms and picnic canopies down by the parking
lot. It was a nice, unattended, free stop courtesy of the U.S. Department of
the Interior.
The trip from Amboy to Ludlow
brought us from isolation back to the side of the interstate. Being on an exit
a few businesses have survived here. The Ludlow Café, a white block building is
closed. Between the café and I-40 stands a big high in the sky sign and arrow
shows where they tried to lure interstate drivers in for a bite to eat. The
sign panel is blown away with the frame and arrow left to tell the story.
Next door a filling station with a
long canopy jutting out and up is stripped down, fenced in and being used by
someone as a storage lot. A fairly new truck stood near some fresh looking
wooden crates.
Next was a repair garage building.
The 2 bay structure has lost its roof but the lettering on the walls offers 24
hour towing, welding, Generators, Regulators, Water Pumps and Fuel Pumps. Just
the list of specialties makes me think
of the family with the struggling jalopy trying to make it to the west coast.
Across the street is a green building with a
vacant round rimmed sign by the road. If someone told me it was a general store
I’d probably believe it. Off to the side a white building says Post Office to
me but who knows. One more vacant filling station with Ludlow Tire lettered in
the window completes the scene on the east end of the exit.
Across the road the road is the
Ludlow 66 Café, an odd sort of building with a lot of 1950’s touches. We were
getting hungry but the few cars in and out of the lot just couldn’t convince us
to trust the place. In the first quarter
of the 20th century Ludlow had something of a boom supplying borax.
A rail line was extended to the town but the whole thing crashed by the 40’s
and was torn up. A plaque and some model rail equipment in front of the Café commemorate
this period. Another plaque commemorates project CARRYALL. This involved
underground nuclear tests designed to clear mountain passes for I-40 and rail
lines through the Bristol Mountains near Ludlow.
Still another dormant service
station with 2, 1950’s trucks under the canopy lies between the Café and the
Ludlow Motel which appears to still be tidy and operating. Across the street is
a modern convenience store / filling station where we got a snack to tide us
over. All things considered this little place had a lot to say.
Newberry springs had more surprises.
An Old Whiting Brothers service station was fenced in. They were a big player
in the fuel business on 66. The fading yellow shield is still visible on the
sign atop the canopy. On the façade of the building large fading lettering suggests
an eatery may have operated. It’s not all visible but the pictures do show. Tony’s,
Italian And American, Dish. The way the canopy obscures some of the lettering
makes me think this was prior to the filling station use of the building and
paint chalking is revealing history. In any case 3 little old gas pimps still
stand on the island. Sitting benches are in front of the air conditioned
building. It’s all retired behind a security fence. I seem to be seeing much
more fencing around these places in California. Perhaps they have tighter control
over derelict properties. I’d like to think they are trying to preserve history
but it’s probably public safety. I have observed in prior states that these
places do become crash pads.
Just down the road is a retired 3
unit motel with an attached home. The name is gone from the sign but for
$125,00. OBO it on 3-1/2 acres could be yours. I have no idea how old the sign
is but I bet they’d take less if there is even a remaining owner of record.
A little farther in Newberry springs
we came to the Bagdad Café made famous in the 1988 movie of that name. At the
time it was the Sidewinder Café but in 1995 they changed the name to capitalize
on the movie fame. They’re open from 7-7 and were just short of that so passed
on going in at closing time. Through the windows I could see that chairs were
already up on the tables. It earned a Hampton Landmark sign. We had spotted the
old side of the original Bagdad Café back in the desert, now marked by a
foundation remnant and a big lone tree.
This got us into Barstow, our home
for the night. This is a railway town where the Santa Fe has a big presence.
Around the 1920’s the main street was actually moved back to make more room for
the rail yards. This may account for a long stretch of the street that has a
very consistent appearance. We checked into the room and Lorna noticed a pair
of wrapped earplugs on the night stand. Wondering if these were standard room
equipment or left behind I just had to ask the desk clerk about them. It turns
out they do provide them since some customers are concerned about the nearby
trains, we slept soundly sans plugs. Driving through town I began to see why
Johnny Carson used to pick on Barstow. Dinner options were slim pickings but a
small Denny’s chicken salad hit the spot. More will follow on Barstow tomorrow
when we get to look around.
It was a memorable day on the road,
from crossing the Black Mountains, to Oatman’s burros to the desert ghost towns
and natural wonders it all played out at a nice pace and puts us on schedule to
complete this journey as planned.
Tomorrow morning we will decide
where to stay for the rest of the trip. We should get to the end of the trail
on the Santa Monica Pier on Wednesday. Thursday is set aside to do odds and
ends and get ready to fly out Friday morning.
