Day 18 - Needles to San Bernadino

Our penultimate driving day, of approximately 245 miles, started with a trip back into Arizona to fuel up. OK, so we only saved 30c per gallon but many a mickle makes a muckle, as we say in blighty.

First stop was at Goffs, a near ghost town. The general store/diner is quite remarkable, as there are even plates on the tables, left with the knife and fork on them and the food stains still visible. One last meal before shutting the doors forever maybe?

A few miles down the road, we pulled in to the Oasis service station. Luckily, we didn't need fuel, as they take full advantage of being the last fuel stop for miles, by charging $4.99 per gallon! We'd parked near a water feature they have there and whilst watching the fish, Koi Carp I expect, I noticed a humming bird at a flowering bush nearby. I've only ever seen one once before, in 2013 on the Wild West tour. That time I was too late in getting my camera out. I wasn't going to make that mistake again. With the camera on multi-shot I fired off a number of times, hopeful of getting something. I can say now, with some pleasure, that I did.

Spot the birdie!

  Within a few yards of leaving the Oasis we came upon a road closed sign for Route 66. Use Kelbaker Rd, it said. I had no idea where that was, so just told Tomtom to avoid roadblock for the next mile. I was half expecting a road closure but not this soon. A guy on Facebook had said the road was passable by going around the collapsed bridge, off road. We were sent up the interstate one junction before heading down Essex Road. Back on Route 66 we continued, the only vehicle heading West. We saw a couple of trucks coming the other way and even a cyclist. So it seemed the road was passable. Sure enough, we came to the blockage and a track led off to the desert floor and around. It was hard packed, so we took it and back on tarmac the other side. Thinking we had got ourselves a result, another blockage appeared a number of miles further on. This looked to be the one I had read about, with the bridge gone and as the guy had said, there was a track to bypass it. On we went and finally reached our first stop, the Patton memorial, commemorating the US Army training camp, set up by Patton for WWII. We would have missed this and our next stop, Cadiz summit, if we had gone to Kelbaker Road.

Cadiz summit is famous, infamous, in Wild Hog circles, as the place in 2010, where Dudley and I joined Gary, in mooning the Eagle Rider touring group! The Mojave Moon! Well, it seemed only right to recreate that moment! Dudley's bandana came out too, to be pictured atop the R66 shield on the road.  

Dudley, Cadiz Summit

Catching some old cafe signs, we passed the end of Kelbaker Road just before arriving at Amboy and Roy's gas station. The station is still open and was having a delivery as we arrived. It was also being used by a film crew for what looked to be a teen programme/film, as all the 'actors' were teenage guys and girls. After a brief stop, we made a stop at the Amboy Crater, well the car park, at least. The trail board for this volcanic crater said it was over a mile to the crater's base and a 3 hour round trip. Maybe some other time, eh? We met a couple from Wisconsin in the car park, who were travelling the Route themselves and were also staying at the Wigwam Motel tonight. We would see them later, at the motel.

Amboy Crater

Some miles on we made a brief stop at Bagdad Cafe, named after a film of the same name, which was shot there. There were two coaches there as we arrived, so it's clearly popular, though I'm not too sure why. An old market and hotel building photo stop later and we were entering Barstow. The Harvey House Railroad Depot makes an interesting stop. Unfortunately the R66 museum was closed, so we hit the road again. Another fuel stop, at $2.99, a dollar cheaper than anywhere else in the town and we we were heading for Elmer's bottle tree ranch.

Elmer's is as it says. Basically, loads of steel poles, fashioned into trees, with bottles decorating them, along with other things, guns, typewriters. You name it, pretty much everything you can think of. It's about twice the size it was when I visited in 2010, so clearly popular.

A few miles down the road is the Iron Hog Restaurant. Built in 1931 the building is still going strong today, as a real bikers bar/eating place. There are tributes to famous bikers, Evel Knievel and Dennis Hopper, together with local bikers, who have met their end one way or another. There was a group of German bikers wandering about, who had lined their Harleys up outside.

Iron Hog, Bikers Only

With a 1930s truss bridge photographed, we were onto the interstate heading down from Victorville into San Bernadino. I can honestly say, I was more nervous in the car, than I was on the Harley back in 2010. Some roadworks made things even worse but eventually we were pulling up outside the Wigwam Motel, just behind our new friends from Wisconsin.

Wigwam Village No.7 is nicer than No.6. It's ten bucks more but we both agree it is worth it. There's nothing close by food wise suitable for Catherine, so we've ordered in some pizzas.

Tomorrow we have a short drive, mileage wise, into Los Angeles and the finish at Santa Monica. Catherine will get her first view of the Pacific Ocean. I might have a paddle, without my footwear on this time ;-)