Author: sandcastle

Day 34 Route 66

Dave finally persuaded me we can go north instead of south when we finish Route 66 in a couple of days so this morning he made appointments to get our solar panels and our anti-sway system installed in Oregon starting next week. Now we have deadlines to keep us moving. Still, by the time we got all that done, we didn’t depart Newberry Springs, California, until 10:45 a.m. 

Today’s train comment is about locomotive maintenance. The stack train had two shiny BNSF locomotives and a very dirty Union Pacific one. Does the BNSF not maintain borrowed power? Do they just want to look better than their competitors? I wonder why the difference?

There appear to be two items being harvested in this part of California. We went by an orchard with signs advertising pistachios for sale. Then we went by a field of solar panels with major power lines leaving it. I highly approve of harvesting the sun. We should be able to do that ourselves soon.

In Barstow, California, we stopped at the regional Bureau of Land Management office to see if we could get clarification about annual permits. The answer is no. Apparently each region is totally separate from the others and this region doesn’t have any permits other than charging $6 to stay in their official campgrounds. You can boondock (park off the road without any hookups) for free anywhere around here.  I expect to do more of that once we get our solar system.

Then we drove by the El Rancho Motel hoping to get a good picture of their sign. That didn’t happen either. A chinese restaurant has co-opted part of the sign which totally ruined the effect. And the really big sign way up in the air was backlit by the sun so that picture didn’t come out.

Then we went to the train depot hoping the Route 66 Mother Road Museum there would be open even though the literature said they wouldn’t be. They weren’t. But we did get these pictures of the former Casa Del Desierto Hotel, another former Harvey House.

  

Then we went to the Flying J and got fuel for the RV and for us. We spent time in their restaurant trying to blend my list of stops with Dave’s list of turns in the route. That should make things a little easier for me as navigator. Trying to bounce back and forth between the two lists has become too frustrating.

We passed a sign that said, “Buckboard Road” which made me wonder if the wagon seat known as a buckboard got its name from it trying to buck you off. We’ve been on some roads lately that tried to buck us off and those were “improved” roads.

We got to Victorville, California, in time to actually get into the California Route 66 Museum. They had a bunch of cool stuff including this teardrop trailer that was built by one of their board members from old plans. You used to be able to buy a kit to make these so the guy decided he should be able to build one. Inside the main body is all bed with a shelf at the head and a cupboard at the foot. The back hatch opens to reveal a kitchen.  Cool, huh?

       

We also saw this sign at the New Corral Motel. I’d like to see these neon signs all lit up at night but we like to be in camp and all hooked up by sunset so seeing them lit is not likely to happen.

We needed groceries again and there aren’t any WalMarts around here so we stopped at Stater Bros. in Hesperia, California, instead. They had a beverage container recycling center in their parking lot so we thought we were going to get rid of another bag of cans. But California refunds deposits on cans so the place is only open when it is staffed. Guess what? Right.

So now we are in the Desert Willow RV Resort in Hesperia where I plan to exchange my books before we leave. I hope they have some good ones here.

TTYL,

Linda

Day 33 Route 66

Dust storms can make for beautiful sunsets. This was taken from our campsite in Bullhead City, Arizona.

This morning was confusing. When I got up the wind was blowing and Dave was awake but still in bed. So, I was surprised that he got frustrated that I was not getting ready to depart. When I asked how I was supposed to know we were leaving he admitted he didn’t know. He’d told me the day before he wanted to go but he also said the wind was not supposed to be as strong and that’s what has kept us here. So we packed up and left about 10:30.

And went all the way to the corner. For fuel. Once again we are buying Arizona fuel before crossing back into California. It’s hot and humid from my morning shower in the RV but I don’t want to open windows while I wait for Dave to get fuel because it’s dusty enough in here. 

Finally, on the road again. We both have the urge to backtrack, Dave to see some bridges we missed and me to photograph a motel but we agree we need to be moving forward so we head back to Needles, California, and right on through it following the roads Dave has listed after studying the route.

For a ways anyway. When we get to the left turn at Mountain Spring Road we see this:

We decided not to turn there. Instead we continued down Goff Road which had Route 66 signs along it assuring us we made the right decision.

We are now driving, once again, on the National Trails Highway, a tribute to the old trails that the newer roads followed. Alongside us is a dike that channels the water to specific crossings. The local teens have developed a low impact form of graffiti here.

We stopped for lunch in Amboy, California, at Roy’s Motel and Cafe. In spite of the big signs, though, they no longer serve food here so we went away hungry.

Amboy also has a volcanic crater you can walk around if you have about three hours available to do so. It’s weird driving through the desert occasionally seeing volcanic rock. We don’t think of the U.S. as having volcanoes outside of Hawaii even after the eruption of Mt St Helens.

We saw a double-track double-stack piggyback train meet which was a lot more fun to say than it was to watch.

In Ludlow, California, we found a gas station with a DQ where Route 66 crosses I-40. It was doing a booming business. Apparently we aren’t the only ones who need sustenance along this empty stretch of road.

This section of Route 66 is frontage road for the freeway but there is nothing alongside it so it is not maintained. The pavement is so rough Dave is driving with one wheel, and sometimes both, on the gravel shoulder. The fact that the gravel shoulder provides a smoother ride than the pavement should give you some idea of the number of cracks and holes in this road. Dave was driving 15 m.p.h. and still we were jerking around so much my seat belt engaged so I couldn’t lean forward. So, when we found another freeway entrance ramp at Hector Road, we abandoned Route 66 as I gave a huge sigh of relief. That stretch wore me out and I wasn’t even driving!

We were back on a better stretch of Route 66 pavement when we entered Newberry Springs, California, where we saw the Bagdad Cafe, another famous place no longer serving food.

Then we turned north headed for the Twin Lakes RV Park. Wow! No wind noise. No highway noise. Shade trees. Ponds. What a difference from the last few campgrounds.  If the ducks and geese here sleep well, I should, too.

TTYL,

Linda

Pinned by the Wind

Well, we spent our two nights at the Desert View RV Resort in Needles, California, then moved back across the Colorado River to the Snowbird RV Resort in Bullhead City, Arizona. It’s too windy to go any further. But we’ve done well with our time here.

We met Ed and Linda Lavin for lunch one day. They are fellow members of the Escapees Class of ’08 and another fun couple. We had a great visit!

We’ve had several nights where we haven’t had to turn our furnace on. You don’t realize how wonderful that is since you have not listened to our furnace fan during the night.

I’ve done a bunch more research. I realized we needed to make plans for the day we reach the end of Route 66. It’s not likely we are going to find someplace in Santa Monica, California, to hang out for a few days while we decide what’s next, is it?

We made another trip to WalMart. It’s amazing how low our food supplies are getting. It’s good we have a batch of freeze dried food waiting for us to pick it up at the REI in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

I’ve been catching up on my computer discussion forums and blog postings.

And we’ve watched the weather. Wind + desert = brown air. It looks like we will be able to move on tomorrow, though. I hope so.

TTYL,

Linda

Day 32 Route 66

We started the day today at a T/A truck stop in Kingman, Arizona. We wanted to fill with diesel before we hit California gas taxes and we weren’t sure what we might find along today’s route. Plus we wanted to weigh the RV to be sure we could still carry the solar panels we want to get. Unfortunately, we arrived at the truck stop about the same time as three busloads of tourists so everything took longer than usual. It’s a good thing we don’t have to keep to the type of schedule the truckers do. And it looks like we can still get two solar panels with the accompanying gear without going over our weight limit.

Then we set out on Route 66 headed to Oatman, Arizona. We’d been warned that RVs over 30 feet shouldn’t try this road. We saw a sign that said trucks over 40 feet were forbidden. We knew that meant a steep and winding road was ahead of us. We saw signs saying “Do not enter when flooded” where the dry washes crossed the road. But we went anyway. You’d think after having driven Alkalai Road in the Bighorn Mountains and refusing to take a road around Dead Man’s curve we wouldn’t risk taking this road. But we did. We took it slow and easy. We pulled over for for other vehicles we met or who wanted to pass. And we climbed that narrow, twisty road to Oatman. Where we met a tour bus. Apparently going down the other side would be easier.

Oatman has two claims to fame: The old Oatman Hotel and the burros that wander the street sticking their nose into anything they think might contain food. The street is narrow and full of burros and tourists and the shops along the street now cater to those tourists but everyone ought to go to Oatman once to see the burros.

    

Just through town, before heading down the hill, Dave decided to try our antenna system again. When he pulled over we each had three bars on our cell phones. He plugged in the antenna and we each got five bars. The antenna/booster works! The Sprint air card we use to get Internet, though had no signal to boost so we still don’t know if that part works.

Once we got down the other side of that mountain, we crossed the Colorado River into Needles, California. Lunch was high on our list of things to do next so we stopped at this Burger Hut for lunch. We are in California where the dining room is open to the air and where most people like their food spicy. We decided we’d order our burgers plain and add our own seasonings in the RV. The cook was offended that we wanted them plain. I explained we had our own sauce. Then he came outside and saw our RV smiled and said, “Perfect.”

 

This is the El Garces Hotel in Needles, California. It was built as a Harvey House along side the Santa Fe railroad. It is about to be restored to its previous grandeur.

We pulled into the Desert View RV Resort without a reservation. We have made no reservations anywhere so far on this trip. When we told the greeter we’d like to stay two nights she looked worried then said she’d see what she could do. She found one spot. They have a rally coming in this weekend and some of the people are coming tomorrow but some aren’t coming until the next day. So as long as we promise to leave before the others come we can have this spot.  

So, we are settled here for the next two nights. The spaces are close together but they have oleander hedges and trees between them which keeps you from looking into your neighbors windows. It doesn’t keep you from listening to their conversations though. Be careful what you say.

TTYL,

Linda

Day 31 Route 66

Our fist stop today was Peach Springs, Arizona. This town is about as far from the freeway as we’ve been for quite awhile so Dave thought it would be a good place to test our Wilson Trucker’s antenna and booster. My phone is a T-Mobil and Dave’s is AT&T. Neither one was getting a signal to boost so we still aren’t sure our antenna system works.

Next we stopped at the Hackberry General Store. This place was advertised as one that would bring a smile to the most road weary person. It lived up to its billing. If you are ever in this vicinity, don’t miss this one.

   

In Kingman, Arizona, we ate lunch at Mr D’z. Great decor! Ordinary food.

  

Then we crossed the street to the Powerhouse Museum to see their Route 66 display. This was well worth the small admission they charge.  There are very few cars I recognize on sight but for some reason Studebaker is one so I felt smart when I saw this one.  I recognized that Edsel the other day, too, since we had one of those for a while.

  

I was not feeling well so we decide to stop for the night here at the Fort Beale RV Park.  We covered enough ground today there just wasn’t as much stuff to see along it except for more great Burma Shave signs.

TTYL,

Linda