Leaving Palm Springs, we decided to take the scenic route towards Las Vegas. We headed towards the Mojave Desert, driving through the town of Joshua Tree, where we saw more Joshua Trees. As we passed through 29 Palms, we stopped counting Palms after a hundred.....figuring they propagated several more since they named the town 29.
We turned off Hwy. 62 onto Amboy Road towards Amboy. The desert was uninviting with few cars on the old two lane concrete highway. I have never seen so much desert in one place in my life! But it did have a life of its own. The rodents, reptiles and animals kept a low profile but desert plants were in abundance. The cactus, sage brush, Yucca plants and Joshua Trees were plentiful.
At Amboy, we stopped at Roy's, a 1950's era stop on Highway 66, now referred to as National Trails Highway, where you could take a break from the miles and miles of desert travel. This was also a gas station, one of the few along Route 66 in the desert. The canopy from the Cafe extended out and over the 2 gas pumps, providing a break from the relentless desert sun beating down on the weary motorcycle riders. This was also the first bathroom we saw in 90 miles. I was ready!!
The Cafe now sells only prepackaged drinks and snacks as they have no license to handle fresh food. The Motel cabins are still standing, as is the famous "Roy's" sign. Just before we drove away, 3 colorful Micro Buses pulled up under the sign and parked. Three couples emerged and headed off in different directions to use the facilities, purchase water and take pictures. I couldn't help but snap a few of my own. This nostalgic ride across Route 66 by these couples in their 60's vintage Micro Buses added a special flavor to Roy's.
We drove along Route 66 for only a short distance before we turned off onto the Kelbaker Road that headed towards Kelso. We drove through more miles and miles of Mojave Desert, seeing a whole lot of nothing. It just proves that where there is water, life is abundantly flourishing. There was no water here.
Passing beneath I-40 we continued to Kelso, where we took a brief pit stop at he Visitors Center, an old building owned by he Railroad and was used as a Dorm to house the men building the Railroad across the Mojave. It still functions as an historic attraction and a center for continued rail maintenance.
Back on the road again, we headed across more desert and through a forest of Joshua Trees, more acres than we had previously seen anywhere! They were amazing and beautiful; all sizes and shapes. We are intrigued by the Joshua Trees!
We arrived in Las Vegas and checked in to our Worldmark Resort for a couple of days. It is a beautiful building; extremely large with beautiful gardens, swimming pools and hot tubs.
Later, we hitched a ride on the Resort Shuttle to go have dinner at Jimmy Buffet's place. Debby ordered a burger while I sampled their Coconut Battered Jumbo Shrimp.
Awesome!!
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