California Steamin'

September 17 - Victorville

We traveled in or near the Mojave Desert all day.  It started out a brisk 74 in Needles.  By 10, it was over 95 and it stayed that way all day.

The Mojave is different from the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona.  It has no color; everything is essentially a shade of brown.  In some towns, there were palm trees.  But for the most part, there was low yellow brown brush as far as the eye could see -- all day.

After a leisurely breakfast, we left Needles at a little before 10.  (We are on vacation, after all.)  Once we were a little west of Needles, we spent the rest of the day well away from I 40, occasionally crossing over or under it.  We followed the National Trails Highway.  The route of that highway predated Route 66 and the common use of motor vehicles.  Nothwithstanding the longstanding existence of this road, we were almost literally in the middle of nowhere for most of the day.  Until we got to Barstow around 3:30, we saw more trains than cars.  Each train was long and led by four bright orange "BNSF" engines.

Unlike some other days, our plans for today were not particularly ambitious.  They got less so as the day wore on.  Our first change in plans came around 10:30 when we entered Essex.  A small sign (that we almost missed) marked the turn to Mitchells Cavern, a state run park reportedly with a nice set of caves.  As we approached the park, there was a sign noting that tours for the cavern would be taken at 1:30.  Given that the park was another 20 miles away and that we didn't want to wait 3 hours, we passed on the caverns and turned around to meet up with Route 66.

After Essex came Fenner which, according to our guidebooks, was the last gas for many miles.  Apparently, the folks at Fenner had been reading the guidebooks.  The price of gas was ridiculous. 

Gas prices in Fenner, CA

From Fenner, the road climbed through the Clipper Mountains to Cadiz Summit.  Once at the summit, the view west was a very large, very flat light brown plain, rimmed by mountains in the far distance.  The first town past the summit was Chambless, the site of the old RoadRunner's Retreat.

Roadrunner's Retreat near Chambless, CA

The next town was Amboy, which was solely marked by Roy's Cafe and Motel. 

Roy's Cafe in Amboy, CA

The only break in the flatness along this part of the road were two volcanic cones.  The first was the Amboy Crater, about 15 miles past the summit.  We had planned to go there and see what we could see.  The crater is 250 feet high and about 1500 feet in diameter.  We got off the road and took a pristene one lane asphalt road (if there is such a thing) to a parking lot.  The crater, which could be seen at least ten miles before Amboy, loomed across a field of mounds of black lava rock.  Although we found the head of the trail going to (and to the top of) the crater, there were no signs telling us how far the crater was (we judged at least a mile).  Given that it was about 11:30 and the temperature was 98 degrees, we discreetly went back to our car and headed down the road - the second amendment to our agenda for the day.

On the way to Amboy Crater

Amboy Crater from parking lot (note lava field in foreground)

Sign at trailhead to Amboy Crater

The road traveled north and west of Amboy through a series of towns that were about 30 minutes apart from one another.  Each town, it seemed, was once the home of a cafe or motel, including the Bagdad Cafe that was featured in the movie of the same name. 

Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs

Old Whiting Bros. station near Newberry Springs

Along this stretch, there was a bank on the right that ran parallel to the road for many miles.  People have taken to using this bank as a canvas of sorts, arranging rocks and other debris into letters or other symbols, noting their travels along this route.

"Public Art" on the side of the road on the way from Chambless to Newberry Springs

The second volcanic crater, called Pisgah Crater, appeared just before Newberry Springs.  Although not as dramatic as Amboy Crater, the lava flow from Pigsah was impressive.  It's lava field stretched for several miles to the west.

Pisgah Crater (right) and lava field on the way to Newberry Springs

The towns of Daggett and Barstow were next.  The early histories of these cities were intertwined.  Daggett was founded first and flourished in its early years because of its proximity to a number of silver strikes.  The Santa Fe Railroad was planning to build its track through Daggett.  When these plans leaked out, land speculators purchased the land around Daggett and jacked their asking prices up so high that the railroad company decided to revise its plans and build its tracks through then sleepy Barstow.  Once the tracks were built, Barstow flourished while Daggett stagnated.

R.M Campbell Garage in Daggett, CA

Desert Market in Dagett

Barstow, as the bigger city along Route 66, had more to offer travelers taking the highway as well.  We ate lunch at one of their establishments, Rosita's, which, as you might guess from the name, featured Mexican food.  Martha had flautas.  David had BBQ chicken quesadillas.

A well named establishment in Barstow, CA

Welcoming truckers at the Desert Inn in Barstow

The Sands and Cactus Motels in Barstow are open for business

A "home away from home" at the Stardust Inn in Barstow

El Rancho Barstow near city center

The Torches and Route 66 Motels on the strip in Barstow

Sage Motel for sale in Barstow

Barstow has a museum in its former railroad station.  The museum, which has no admission, is a collection of Route 66 memorablia and artifacts, as well as some information about the history of Barstow, including a collection of Barstow high school yearbooks.  Rutgers University was sponsoring a survey about travelers on today's Route 66.  Survey forms were at this museum.  We took some time to fill it out.

The train station in Barstow - home of the Route 66 Museum

'60's era Mustang in Barstow's Route 66 Museum

Across from the museum was the Mojave River, a large dry ditch.

The road from Barstow to Victorville had more traffic on remote highways than any that we had experienced since leaving the suburbs of OKC.  This stretch had a number of things to see.  At Helendale, there was an old sign for "Polly" gasoline with prices listed -- "Reg 18.9  Ethyl 21.9."  Ouch.

Polly's gas prices

A few miles later, there was the site of the Sage Brush Inn, now a private residence.  The Inn was a roadhouse run by a character by the name of Sage Brush Annie.

Former site of the Sage Brush Inn west of Barstow

A little later, we saw the Bottle Tree Ranch, a truly unique collection of metal poles arrayed with (what else?) bottles and other knick-knacks.  It either consciously or accidentally pays tribute to something called "Hula-ville," a collection of road art by Miles Mahan formerly located west of Victorville.

Bottle Tree Ranch on the road to Victorville, CA

Victorville, which bills itself as "the key to the High Desert," did not make a good impression.  It appears to be a city surrounded by huge piles of dirt.  This makes sense given that Victorville is the home to at least three cement companies.  We crossed into Victorville on a 1930's era steel truss bridge.  Just down the road from the bridge, we found Emma Jean's Holland Burger and then the New Corral Motel.

Emma Jean's Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville, CA

The New Corral Motel in Barstow

A few miles later, we found Victorville's California Route 66 Museum.  Although we got there a little before closing time, the folks running the place told us to take our time.   It was one of the better museums on Route 66.  Having seen the Bottle Tree Ranch just an hour or so before, we especially appreciated the exhibit on Mahan's Hula-ville.

California Route 66 Museum in Victorville

Hulaville exhibit at California Route 66 Museum in Victorville

Miniature model of Hulaville (note bottle trees in left foreground, giant Hula Girl in left background) at Victorville's California Route 66 Exhibit 

Having gone through our list of fun for the day, we found our hotel, a Hilton Garden Inn, for the night.  Ate at Johnny Reb's Southern Roadhouse.  Had BBQ.  'Twas tasty.