Blogger's Note: I am finishing up this entry on a warm July night in Ontario, Canada, while a thunderstorm rages outside.This isn't a very polished presentation. But months have passed and I didn't want to let this project linger any longer. Some of the photos are laying on their sides. Can't figure out how to rotate them without going back to first base. I trust you'll understand and just relax and enjoy Day 2 of our cycling adventure.
Morning breaks the sky and Day 2 of our ride from Ludlow begins as I eat my breakfast from the Chevron station convenience store consisting of a egg sausage sandwich and a Dr Pepper.
The young man operating the store both Sunday night and this Monday morning encouraged us to "drink all the fountain beverages you want; that's all part of your motel room package." I was so tempted to sit around and just drink Dr Pepper until 11 AM check out time, but the road was calling us. It said something like, "You better start pedaling you stupid crazies!"
Cool, but not cold temps are ours to enjoy as we pedal east into the sunrise.
There are other buildings in Ludlow, as the one pictured above, now hollow reminders of a once vibrant community.
I figure our presence in the community represents about a temporary 30% increase in the total population.
Another Once Was Business Establishment.
Old Ludlow
Old Ludlow
More of Old Ludlow
Old Ludlow
I think Someone might still live here.
On the east edge of Ludlow looking back through time on Route 66.
My shadow says, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
And Nice Road. Really. For some reason this segment of Route 66 pavement receives reasonable maintenance. We are grateful.
(We are still swearing occasionally and recovering from our traumatic ride on yesterday's Highway From Hell. It was bad. Even with my training in traumatic crisis intervention, we struggle for normality. What? No way. That will never happen, for we weren't normal before that ride!)
(We are still swearing occasionally and recovering from our traumatic ride on yesterday's Highway From Hell. It was bad. Even with my training in traumatic crisis intervention, we struggle for normality. What? No way. That will never happen, for we weren't normal before that ride!)
A "new" bridge on Route 66. Built in 1952.
Starting to resemble a lunar landscape out there.
"Major Tom to ground control....."
Amazing how every twist in the road starts to look the same, eh?
Another extinct volcano.
You can identify this, right?
Sign reads, "Heart of the Mohave."
One gets the impression the Mohave Desert possesses a large heart.
Captain Canada with Amboy Crater.
Not Captain America,
but Admiral Arizona.
A fixture on and of Route 66 since 1938.
Treat yourself to a five minute adventure.
Check out Roy's on Wikipedia.
This place had a fascinating past, has a unique present, and maybe an amazing future.
Hard to tell. The story is still being written.
At its peak, Amboy had a population of about 700.
Business was so brisk post WW 2 years the gas station and cafe
and motel were open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Brad Pitt filmed a movie here in the 1990's.
Harrison Ford used to fly his plane in here for visits. (One of the oldest runways in Calfornia.)
(I'm glad you can see, but not smell me in this photo.)
This is easier to read if you tilt your head far to the left. But if you are a Conservative and don't want to be tainted by Leftist Leanings, then you might want to just lay down on your side so as not to be implicated or made suspect.
But Bro Mark stares at me and mumbles something about "...going to jail..." About this time the previous boss returns and relieves Bro Mark of his new job, without pay. (Guess you have to work more than 15 minutes in the state of California to quality for a paycheck.) But Bro Mark is happy with it all and says something about "this will look great on my resume."
The "cafe" has been nicely maintained and preserved. Great photos of the Glory Days cover the walls. Food and fountain drinks no longer served here. Behind me from where I take this photo stands the little cooler with water bottles and the single shelf of chips and candy bars. Kind of sad. But here's a happy rumor: According to the Internet (So you know it must be true) the food chain El Pollo Loco has purchased Roy's and is going to revitalize the place with a respect for its historic roots. Could be interesting, eh? If this is true, and if it actually happens, this will make Roy's one of three places on this 100+ km (62 mi) stretch of 66 where you can get something to eat and drink.
Behind the small white buildings is a larger two story motel complex. I think a few people live there. But I have a feeling the building and services provided do not meet code and regulations for a functional motel.
(I have since confirmed that the town is not up to code. This town has essentially been privately owned for like forever. The original Roy apparently did most of the wiring and plumbing, and did not do it to code, as if there was a code back then!)
(I have since confirmed that the town is not up to code. This town has essentially been privately owned for like forever. The original Roy apparently did most of the wiring and plumbing, and did not do it to code, as if there was a code back then!)
Back in the 1930's travelers heading west would see this side of Roy's.
(That's the awning we were resting under.)
I suspect it was the office for the motel complex that once thrived here before Interstate 40 reduced Amboy and Roy's to a not so fictionalized version of Radiator Springs (as in the awesome movie "Cars"). This building has either been kept as was, or restored to (I suspect the former) a late 1940's / early 1950's venue. Kind of like looking into that ever present Route 66 Time Machine. The magazine crew is setting up for a shoot in there.
You could sleep on the floor of one of these clean but gutted "cabins" if you wanted to.
Amboy Post office. Still enough people here abouts to keep it in business.
Amboy School. Obviously once full of kids.
A closer look at this unique place.
Desert
More Desert
As Dori would sing, "Pedaling, pedaling, just keep pedaling."
The Yet to be famous Route 66 Bra Bush.
Looks like this idea really hasn't taken off enough yet.
The Lion of the Desert marking the boundary of some unique real estate.
The historic Road Runner Restaurant
What's left of the motel.
Impressive entry lane to the one and only visible ranch in the almost ghost town of Chambless.
A surprising oasis in the desert.
A biker bar in Chambless, the only commercial establishment in or near Chambless, where we were able to get very expensive and reasonably good cheeseburgers.
This is the last remotely real food we will see until almost noon tomorrow.
Boarded up Chambless Community Center
Route 66 out of Chambless and up the Pass.
I'm finally catching up to Bro Mark near the summit pass.
Quite the stretch of road behind us, eh?
Temperature is pushing 90 F (30 C).
Bro Mark catching his breath at the Pass.
There is a Route 66 story that says many of the Depression Era Travelers gave up when they saw this view of the desert. It is said that many of them simply walked away from the cars and families and disappeared into the desert. I can believe it. These travelers had seen most desert like wilderness since they entered New Mexico so many miles behind them. They had just ran out of imagination and hope for a future.
Once upon a time a small settlement perched here atop Cadiz Pass.
Vehicles would stop to cool their engines.
Emigrants would stretch their legs, get a drink and a meal.
Nothing left of it now except old walls, a few old stairs, and graffiti.
Abandoned building on Cadiz Pass.
In the 1940's General George Patton trained his tanks and troops in this very place.
It was in his opinion an even harsher environment than the sands of North Africa.
He attributed much of his victory in Africa to the training his troops received here.
We finally reach Essex.
Not much here.
We saw evidence of a human population.
But saw no one.
Essex
Essex
Essex
Essex
Essex
Essex
We considered camping out behind this building.
But it was a bit too creepy.
The building is full of old mattresses and broken booze bottles.
One gets the impression that this is a place of unbecoming behaviours.
We opted for a camp about 75 yards away from Route 66.
The train tracks are very close.
And the trains run by about every 20 minutes.
But it is a neat sound.
After a few minutes we have our tents up.
Here we are all cleaned up.
We each carried a large bottle of water which we sparingly utilized to wash and rinse ourselves.
The water in my bottle was incredibly hot.
Does not our health and vitality attract you to the adventure of road biking?
Bro Mark displays his Spam can meal.
Cut us some slack.
After pedaling 102 km (65 miles) in 11 hours through a rather warm desert,
we have earned the right to look rather dazed and disoriented.
Our butts were on the bike seats for 7 hours.
We managed an average speed of 14.4 kph (9 mph).
Pretty good for a couple of not so young anymore guys.
We both slept well.
And a good thing.
Wait until you hear about what happens to us on tomorrow's ride.
