August 28th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues! Day 32 Route 66 Caravan – Barstow, CA

We had a late breakfast at Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner. It’s an original roadside Diner was a small diner, built in 1954 with 9 counter stools and 3 booths. But nothing is small at this diner! It sets in on the shadow of the Calico Mountains and was built from railroad ties and mortar from the nearby Union Pacific Rail yard.

The current owners came from Southern California in 1981. They reopened the diner in 1987 and attempted to restore and preserve it in its original state. Before moving to the desert in 1981 they worfor Knott’s Berry farm and in the movie industry. The diner was the perfect place to display their extensive collection of movie and TV memorabilia.

     

To compliment the cozy atmosphere of the Diner, they wanted good homemade food and great 50’s music. They used their grandmothers family recipes, made them old fashioned way. Thanks to the support of our Loyal Locals, Trusty Truck Drivers, Mighty Military, and Terrific Tourists the diner prospered and became more popular.

They ran out of room, so they decided to expand the Diner into a real Old Fashioned Tourist Stop. Just like they remembered when we traveled across country as kids. We opened a 50’s style 5 & Dime Store with Curios and Memorabilia, Soda Fountain, Ice Cream Parlor, and Pizza Parlor.

They even created or own “Dinersaur” Park. 

It boosts larger than life Dinosaur Sculptures, Waterfalls, Fountains, Ponds, Grass and Trees for our guests to take a stroll.

It was a free day to explore Barstow. Charlie humored me and drove me through downtown to look at the murals.  Main Street Murals is a non-profit organization set up in the city of Barstow to create a walking gallery of historic murals along Route 66's Last Existing Main Street. They are illustrating Barstow’s past to enhance its future!

This is a mural called “Route 66 Dreamers” others call it “Burma Shave”. It was created by Master artists Juliette Tison, Kathy Fierro, and David Brockhurst were assisted by many community volunteers in the creation of the Greetings from Main St. Murals- Route 66. It was installed and dedicated in October, 2016 in preparation for Barstow’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Route 66 as a part of the US Highway system. Main Street Murals first president writes: “We thank you for being part of our Route 66 dream and hope you’ll share what you’ve found here.” This was the 25th mural to be completed.

The City of Barstow mural was painted by an art class at Barstow High School before the Main Street Murals project was developed. It has been adopted into the Main Street Murals walking tour. It represents major elements that have impacted this city for over 100 years. The National Training Center at Ft. Irwin, NASA’s Goldstone Deep Space Tracking facility, the Marine Corps Logistic Base, and Santa Fe Railroad (now BNSF) have been the economic lifeline of the Barstow community. The nearby mining town of Calico is now a ghost town that attracts thousands of visitors each year. The Route 66 Museum and the Western American Rail Museum in the 100 year-old “Harvey House” interests tourists as well. The picturesque Joshua Tree and flowering yucca are native to the Mojave Desert. Barstow’s Main Street is a remnant of the historic “Route 66”.

The Three Million Dollar Harvey House mural was the 3rd in the Main Street Murals series and was painted in 2003 by Kathy Fierro. The image on the front of this card shows the “Casa del Desierto” train depot built in 1911. It was part of Fred Harvey’s famous Harvey Houses that were built along the Santa Fe Rail lines approximately every 100 miles. It was known for good food and clean accommodations. The picture of two “Harvey Girls represents the many young ladies that waited on customers during its heyday. The Harvey House was purchased from the BNSF Railroad by Barstow in 1990 and was subsequently renovated. Today it houses several businesses, two museums, and is available for rent for events.

Waterman Junction Becomes Barstow-1886 was painted in 2004 and was the 4th mural to be completed. It shows Barstow’s namesake, William Barstow Strong, and images which represent mining and the railroad. When the original Waterman Junction got a post office in 1886, it had to relinquish the name “Waterman” because there was already a town by that name on the postal route. So the community was renamed Barstow in Strong’s honor because he was the current executor of the Atchison, Topeka, & Santa Fe Railroad, the major employer in town. This was the first of the Mural-in a-Day project. It was designed and outlined by master artist Kathy Fierro and actually painted in one day with the help of 40 volunteers of all ages.

In 1912, The Old National Trails Highway originally followed earlier Indian trails, pre-existing railroad tracks, and in some cases, newer road construction. In 1926, portions of the road were designated as the new US Highway 66. In the thirties, Barstow’s businesses moved from along the railroad tracks to the new highway to take advantage of the increased traffic. Route 66 became Barstow’s new Main Street. This is the 1st mural painted for this project and was completed in 1998. Principal artist was Jim Savoy, art instructor at Barstow Community College. Since then, many local artists have contributed to additional murals on Main Street.

“Camels” was the 2nd mural to be painted as a part of Barstow’s Main Street Murals project. It depicts the mission of General Edward Beale to survey a road from New Mexico to California. Part of his commission was to employ camels, to see if they could be used to carry freight to and from the Southwest. This proved not to be popular with the other drivers or mules and was eventually discontinued. The railroad and later Route 66 followed Beale’s route. This mural was the combined effort of artists Kevin Varty, Jim Savoy, and Kathy Fierro and was completed in 2000.

The Southern Route of the Mormon Trail, the 5th of the Main Street Murals, was completed in 2005. It was also the 2nd of Barstow’s “Mural in a Day” project. Many Barstow residents participated in filling in the colors and details designed by master artist Kathy Fierro. This long mural is an historic and artistic rendering of several early routes through the Mojave Desert. In 1847, Mormon Soldiers who had served in the Spanish American War were honorably discharged in Los Angeles, California. The “Southern Mormon Trail” was the route they helped blaze to return to Utah from California. Later, it was used during the gold rush by hopeful miners and by Mormon families intending to settle in Southern California.

Native American Voices from the Mojave Desert was the 9th of the Main Street Murals and was completed in 2008. This large mural was the collaboration of David Brockhurst, Alyssa Schwaltz, Bill Smith, Jane Laramar Brockhurst and several high school students. Ancient Indians are thought to have emigrated to the desert after the last ice age approximately 11,000 years ago. The Anasazi were the earliest tribes to occupy the wide expanse of the Mojave Desert. They were followed by the Chemehuevi, Cahuilla, Beneme, Paiute, Serrano and Kawaiisu. Most lived along the Mojave River. The Vanume lived in the Barstow area. They were hunters and gatherers, using all parts of the Mesquite tree for food, clothing and shelter and hunting any animals found. The Mohaves occupied lands closer to the Colorado River and were a much more warlike tribe. They are mentioned in journals from the late 1700’s kept by Father Garces, an early southwest explorer.

Rainbow Basin is a geological marvel located 8 miles northwest of Barstow just off Fort Irwin Road. It is a series of “gashes” in the arid Mojave Desert terrain that reveals multicolored layers from thousands of years of uplifting and erosion: a snapshot of the prehistoric evidence that nature continually rearranges and recreates. The loop road unpaved but well graded and does not require a 4-wheel vehicle for exploration. Rainbow Basin is a mish-mash of shapes, colors and fantastic formations. It was the 18th mural completed in the Main Street Murals series.

In 1912, The Old National Trails Highway originally followed earlier Indian trails, pre-existing railroad tracks, and in some cases, newer road construction. In 1926, portions of the road were designated as the new US Highway 66. In the thirties, Barstow’s businesses moved from along the railroad tracks to the new highway to take advantage of the increased traffic. Route 66 became Barstow’s new Main Street. This is the 1st mural painted for this project and was completed in 1998. Principal artist was Jim Savoy, art instructor at Barstow Community College. Since then, many local artists have contributed to additional murals on Main Street.

These individual murals were on the concrete wall of a bar. These murals mean more to me than any of the others. These hold a special place in my heart that words cannot describe. I’ll let the images speak for themselves.

   

Barstow streets are filled with old cars cutouts on stone pillars. Here are just a few!

After Charlie had enough of my “Stop” … we headed out the 28 miles to Elmer’s Bottle Ranch. Halfway there, Charlie told me I would be driving home! He had enough “fun”! On the way out, we did find a unique rocking horse high in the air!

What do you do when left with thousands of colored glass bottles? Begin a massive recycling effort, or perhaps an obscure outdoor art gallery? Elmer Long decided on both after becoming the sole beneficiary of a massive bottle collection.

As a child, Long scoured the desert with his father, collecting everything and anything. While a younger Long took notes, his father amassed an incredible collection of glass bottles. When he passed away, Long inherited his work, as well as a loss at what to do with the strange collection. In 2000, an idea struck the famously bearded Elmer Long, and he created his first bottle tree.

Elmer’s Bottle Tree Ranch is literally a forest of bottle trees (large metal pipes with bottles hanging from them), located along Route 66, right in the heart of the California desert.

As we drove up to the entrance, it was hard to figure out what to focus on as there was so much going on, but it is places like this that you need to spend a reasonable amount of time just exploring to get the full experience. I figured out where to focus ... lower right corner of the sign ... looks like Yankee RV Tours have been here!

Shaped like hat racks, with glass bottles of all colors and shapes angled off of them, the bottle tree ranch in California has now grown to some 200 installations. Besides being a beautiful gallery, the hollow bottles also play a sweet tune when the wind passes through them. For travelers making their way across Route 66, this collection and its curator are two treasures without equal. Back in the day, Elmer himself likes to hang out here as much as he could and simply talk to those that stopped to enjoy his creations. Sadly, Elmer passed away in June of 2019. But, is creations live on! Yes, I was able to drive us back to Yermo, as Charlie kicked his seat back and napped!

We spent some time planning how to get out of this park and for the last move on this caravan to Bonelli Bluffs in San Dimas California. 

Then we enjoyed a very late lunch / dinner at In & Out Burgers with Rod & Helen. It was my first In & Out experience, but Rod & Charlie had ventured out to one in Kingman.

We capped off the evening with a road log briefing and a dip in the pool!