Sunday, October 27
The drive to Newberry Springs could be described as desolate.
Newberry Mountain RV Park
There was hardly any sign of civilization once we passed Needles, CA. When we got to the Newberry Mountain RV Park, we were surprised to see that they had two ponds and a swimming pool.
Bagdad Cafe
Once we got set up, we rushed to the Bagdad Cafe a few miles down the road. It was used in a movie that became a European cult classic in the 1980s-90s about a German woman who gets dropped off at a motel/restaurant along Route 66 in the middle of the Mojave desert. When we arrived, a couple of restaurant workers lounged on some beat-up chairs at the front of the door. When we went inside, it looked like a beat-up, old diner with a lot of stuff attached to its walls and ceiling. When we sat in a booth, we could see various country flags, movie posters, soccer club flags, postcards, and just about anything else you could imagine. These were all gifts from multiple foreigners that had passed through. From previous conversations with other Route 66 attractions, at least a third of the travelers on Route 66 were foreigners; you can tell it here. We ordered some lunch while vowing that we had to see the movie as soon as possible.
Semi Truck Crash
When we left the Bagdad Cafe, we drove east along Route 66, labeled the National Trails Highway in this area. Suddenly, while we were driving on a portion that paralleled the highway, we came across a semi-truck sitting across the road, blocking it. It appeared to be blown off the highway and across this side road. The driver was standing outside the truck calling for a tow truck, so it had not happened that much earlier than our arrival. I checked with the driver to ensure he was okay before we had to turn around and backtracked about 20 miles to an earlier highway exit.
Ludlow Cafe
Once we got back on the highway and passed the accident, we returned to the National Trails Highway. We stopped at the Ludlow Cafe and were going to get some ice cream, but we stood there for about 10 minutes waiting for someone to acknowledge us and realized we would probably lose too much daylight because of the slow service if we stayed.
National Trails Highway / Route 66
The road veered away from the highway, and we could clearly see the Amboy Crater off in the distance for most of the drive. It would be fun to check out on future trips, and I read that we could even camp for free in its parking lot. Unfortunately, just past Amboy, Route 66 was closed for maintenance, so we had to detour back to the highway. It was getting late, so we just headed back to the trailer.
Evening
I found the Bagdad Cafe movie on the internet, so we watched it that night. It was a pretty stupid movie, but I could see why it might have a cult following.
Monday, October 28
Barstow
Today, we continue our Route 66 exploration toward Los Angeles. Our first stop was Barstow, where we saw dozens of vintage motels and other buildings. They had many cute murals and Route 66 brick posts marking the route. We especially liked our stop at the Route 66 motel, which was full of junk.
Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch
We then headed along Route 66 to Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch. This was a spectacular site. Though a little junky and in various stages of disrepair, each of these posts was made unique with something bizarre welded to the top of them.
Oro Grande to San Bernadino
Our next stop was Victorville, where we passed a chalk mine outside the city. Seeing cars coated in white chalk dust was amusing, adding a unique touch to the landscape. From Victorville, we continued through the scenic Cajon Pass and onward to Santa Barbara. While steep and lengthy as anticipated, the Cajon Pass was far less crowded and intimidating than its reputation suggested, making for an enjoyable drive.
McDonalds Museum
Our first stop in Santa Barbara was the First Original McDonald’s Museum. It was full of McDonald’s toys and collectibles from around the world. It was owned by Albert Okura, the founder, and CEO of the Juan Pollo restaurants, and there was a small section in the restaurant devoted to him. It was not a large building, but it was packed, and I enjoyed seeing McDonald’s impact on the world.
Alice’s Restaurant
We then went to Alices Restaurant, which had good reviews on Google, but it also reminded me of the famous Arlo Guthrie song from the ’60s. No, it did not have a connection to the song.
Wigwam Motel
After a meal of comfort food, we continued down one of the Route 66 alignments and stopped at the Wigwam Hotel. The condition and landscaping were impressive. We wandered around the grounds and talked with the manager briefly when we went into the lobby area to see their gift shop.
Fontana, CA
We continued down the route to the “giant peach” outside the vintage restaurant Bonos. We tried to go into a Route 66 antique store that advertised stuff for “man caves,” but it was closed.
Barstow Station
We headed back home on the same route. We stopped at the Barstow Station, a mall in Barstow that had a lot of little shops, including a McDonald’s, where you could eat in one of the three rail cars attached to it.