Dirt road into the Black Mountains, off Oatman Highway (Route 66), 20 miles west of Kingman, CA
In its heyday, Cool Springs was a beacon of light offering cabins, home cooked meals, and most importantly fresh water and gasoline as travelers faced the challenges of 100+ desert temperatures and the climb trough Black Mountain. For nearly 40 years the Camp was all but a forgotten memory. Until 2001, when Ned Leuchtner opened the doors to the rebirth of the special place and the 1926 Mobil gas station.
While the road climbs into the Black Mountains up to Sitgreaves Pass, the vistas along this stretch of Route 66 are one of the most unique to be found anywhere!
Don Mylan, bicyclist from California on this way to South Dakota - behind him the Mojave Desert California.
He said he will make it in two weeks - good luck! We're heading for Oatman, CA.
There are numerous historic buildings, including the Oatman Hotel, where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their honeymoon night.
"Wild" burro's panhandling, gunfighters shooting and ladies dressed in 1890s clothing...it must be Oatman, Arizona.
Located on Historic Route 66 is the lively gold mining town of Oatman. In its heyday, Oatman, and its companion town of Goldroad, were the largest producers of gold in Arizona.
Today there are gift and craft shops lining the wood-clad sidewalks of the main street (Route 66), as well as a few places to eat and listen to live music.
The Oatman Ghost Riders Gunfighters perform Wild West Shootouts every day at 1:30 and 3:30 pm and are available for "Shotgun Weddings", Tour Bus "Robberies", "Stage Coach Hold Ups" and all kind of special gunfight shows.
The Black Mountain Range is the perfect backdrop for this old mining town that hasn't changed much over the years.
The "Wild" Burro's are the descendants of burro's brought here by the miners and when no longer needed were turned loose. They wander the streets, stop traffic, and are pretty cooperative for camera shots.
Even with all Oatman has to offer, it's the "Wild" burro's that really own the town, and steal the hearts of visitors - along with some carrots...
...or, ice cream will do.
Fort Mojave Reservation and the Dead Mountains Wilderness Area - somewhere in between flows the Colorado River, 10 miles before Needles, CA on US Hwy 95
The Sage Motel, 1624 W Broadway St, Needles, CA is just one of many Route 66 casualties.
Needles Highway (Needles, CA to Laughlin, NV) on the Colorado River and into the Mojave Desert in Arizona.
Big Bend of the Colorado State Recreation Area, 4220 Needles Hwy, Laughlin, NV
The horizon is far, on US Hwy CA 95.
Amboy, CA is a ghost town reminding tourists traveling Route 66 of what it once used to be.
Some Nacho's and a Coke at ROY'S Cafe at the gas station in Amboy.
The shade the canopy of the gas station offers is a welcome break from the relentless sun.
Situated in the Mojave desert some 30 miles east from Ludlow, about 80 miles west from Needles and about 50 miles north of Twentynine Palms seeps ROY'S.
Water, food, gas, all had to be brought in by train. Amboy used to be a train stop and had a small depot.
ROY'S is a landmark on Route 66 and attracts many photographers and visitors.
Across the street the US Post Office - what means, Amboy is still on the map!
The town was founded as a mining site which became activ ebefore the railroad gave it a stop.
The chloride works, where salt is extracted from the dry lake, are just south of town.
Where once people were asleep, it now has space for art.
Currently Amboy is owned by Albert Okura, who also owns the Juan Pollo restaurant chain.
Fortunately he is dedicated to preserving Amboy in a 1950's look and feel and will try to restore the site to it's former glory.
Calico is an old West mining town that has been around since 1881 during the largest silver strike in California. With its 500 mines, Calico produced over $20 million in silver ore over a 12-year span. When silver lost its value in the mid 1890s, Calico lost its population, it became a ghost town.
Walter Knott purchased Calico in the 1950s, architecturally restoring all but the five original buildings to look as they did in the 1880s.
Since 1912 welcomes the Route 66 Motel in Barstow its guest, some of them can even enjoy a round bed.
The Route 66 Motel offers guest a fun blast of nostalgia and a collection of vintage cars.
A glimpse into the past - 1964 Ford Mustang in the Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow, CA.
"I used to travel a lot, our days I meet traveling people" - Bill Tomlinson at the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, Harvey House Casa Del Desierto, Barstow, CA
The Harvey House and Rail Depot "Casa del Desierto", station and hotel was built by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and replaced an earlier one built in 1885 that burned in 1908.
It was designed by renowned Fred Harvey Company architect Mary Colter in a synthesis of Spanish Renaissance and Classical Revival architecture styles.
Santa Fe then closed the station in 1973. Today it is home of the Barstow Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 Mother Road Museum.
Over the tracks - North 1st Avenue Bridge, Barstow, CA.
The historic structure is an elegant presence in the Mojave Desert beside the intermittent Mojave River.
A short white brick wall along the Route 66 Motel was once a trouble spot for owner Ved Shandil. Then he had the idea to have a mural painted, thanks to Kim Capp the trouble is over.
Lots of murals can be found all over Barstow. The Beacon Hotel (or Tavern) was built behind a retired aviation beacon. The building, with 50 rooms, was built soon after the stock market crash in 1929. At that time it was the largest hotel between Los Angeles and Albuquerque. The grand opening was a week long party that started on June 27, 1930. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable and many other big stars stayed at the hotel, the cactus garden was a big attraction and the site of many weddings and parties. The swanky rooms had a writing desk, a radio with country-wide stations and their own bathrooms! Cost: tree to six dollars. In 1970 it was dismantled.
Sleep in Barstow on Historic Route 66?
At the Route 66 Motel you can do so!
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