3 Amboy
Potholed and crumbling
in a romantic way,
the USA’s original
transnational highway
was established in 1912,
more than a decade
before Route 66 first
ran through here. The
rutted highway races
through tiny towns,
sparsely scattered across
the Mojave. Only a few
landmarks interrupt the
horizon, including Roy’s
Motel & Cafe (www.rt66roys.
com; National Old Trails Hwy;
admission free; hvary), a
landmark watering hole
for decades of Route 66
travelers. If you’ll believe
the lore, Roy once cooked
his famous Route 66
double cheeseburger
on the hood of a ’63
Mercury. Although the
motel is abandoned,
the gas station andTRIP HIGHLIGHTcafe are occasionally
open. It’s east of Amboy
Crater (%760-326-7000;
http://www.blm.gov/ca; admission
free; 1 mile west of Amboy;
hsunrise-sunset), an almost
perfectly symmetrical
volcanic cinder cone.
You can hike to the top,
but it’s best to avoid the
midday sun – the 1.5-mile
hike doesn’t have a stitch
of shade.The Drive » From Amboy
travel along National Old Trails
Highway to Ludlow, a trip of 30
miles. At Ludlow, turn right onto
Crucero Rd and pass under I-40,
then take the north frontage
road west and turn left at Lavic
Rd. Back on the south side of
I-40, keep heading west on the
National Old Trails Hwy. This
entire trip will take about one
hour and 45 minutes.4 Newberry
Springs & Daggett
The highway passes
under I-40 again on its
way through Daggett,
site of the harsh
California inspection
station faced by Dust
Bowl refugees in Grapes
of Wrath. Today, thereain’t much action,
but it’s a windswept,
picturesque place. Pay
your respects to early
desert adventurers at the
old Stone Hotel (National
Old Trails Hwy, Daggett;
hno public entry). This
late-19th-century hotel
once housed miners,
desert explorers and
wanderers, including
Sierra Nevada naturalist
John Muir and Death
Valley Scotty. Then make
your way out of town to
visit the Calico Ghost
Town (%800-862-2542;
http://www.calicotown.com; 36600
Ghost Town Rd, Yermo; adult/child $6/5; (^) h9am-5pm; (^) c).
This endearingly hokey
Old West attraction sets
a cluster of reconstructed
pioneer-era buildings
amid ruins of a late-19th-
century silver mining
town. You’ll pay extra
to go gold panning, tour
the Maggie Mine or ride
a narrow-gauge railway.
Old-timey heritage
celebrations include Civil
War reenactments and a
bluegrass ‘hootenanny.’
The Drive » Drive west to
Nebo Rd, turning left to rejoin
I-40. You’ll drive about 15
minutes before taking the exit
for Barstow Road.
5 Barstow
Exit the interstate onto
Main St, which runs
through Barstow, a
railroad settlement and
historic crossroads,
where murals adorn
empty buildings
As you might imagine, nostalgia for the Mother Road
draws its shares of completists who want to drive
every inch. For Route 66 enthusiasts who need to
cover every mile, a free turn-by-turn driving guide is
available online at http://www.historic66.com. Also surf to
http://www.route66ca.org for more historical background,
photos and info about special events.
NAVIGATING THE
MOTHER ROAD
TOP TIP:
SOUTHERN.CALIFORNIA.
30
(^) ROUTE 66