Route 66 - The Land That Time Forgot

At Amboy, in the Mojave Desert of California, the clouds seem to glow with an interior light.

This Airstream is parked permanantly behind the famed Bagdad Cafe, along Route 66.

Low tech prevails in Newberry Springs.

Alongside Route 66, between the community of Helendale and the city of Victorville, in the Mojave Desert of California.

The Route 66 Motel, in Barstow, California, features a collection of "road" artifacts.

Salt trench at the National Chloride Company, in Amboy, near Route 66.

The gas pumps have been silent at Roy's Motel and Cafe for a while.

Tailights at the colorful Route 66 Motel, in Barstow, California

The old industrial towers at the Hill Brothers salt works are visible thorugh the window of an abandoned house in Amboy, California, along Route 66.

Sunset falls over these old houses, reputedly built for county road employees charged with maintaining Route 66.

These old houses were reputedly built for county road employees charged with maintaining Route 66.

My favorite motel in Barstow, the Route 66 Motel, exudes the charm of the old highway.

A couple of times since 2001 I have been lucky enough to stay in these cabins, along Route 66 in Amboy, California. I love lying in the dark, listening as I drift off to sleep to the sound of train whistles, the occasional passing car, and the desert wind whistling just outside the door. For now the motel is closed, but a new owner means travlers might again be welcome to spend the night.

The sun lights up Roy's.

Roy's has always been a magnet for those who like to travel Route 66.

The famous stop along Route 66, in the Mojave Desert in California, had fallen on hard times in recent years. It has recently (March, 2005) been purchased by an aficionado of the old road, who promises to restore it to its former glory. The new owner is Albert Okura, of the "Juan Pollo" restaurant chain.