Words by Dennis Begin
One of the most famous highways in the world is Route 66 — also called ‘The Mother Road.' More than just asphalt and paint, this highway is an American cultural icon. Although the highway was decommissioned in 1985, Route 66 lives on in books, songs, television, and movies. Beginning in Chicago and ending in Santa Monica, California, the highway was 3,940 km (2,448 mi) long and crossed eight states. Originally built to connect the mid-east with the West Coast, the highway has since taken on a life of its own. When I-40 replaced Route 66 in 1973, ordinary Americans would not let the highway fade into memory.
A ghost is an apparition of something dead, such as the series of towns from Needles to Barstow, California along the Historic Route 66. The original name of the highway was not Route 66, but The National Trails Old Highway. The storyline of each of these ghost towns has a similar background. Because of the natural oasis across the Mojave Desert, the Paiute and Mojave Indians developed trading routes. Miners followed when gold, silver, and copper were discovered in the nearby mountains. With the arrival of the railroads in the 1880s, towns emerged to supply water to the railroads. Construction started on Route 66 in 1926 but paving was not completed until 1935. Following the Second World War and the end of mining, Route 66 was left to the tourists. This was the beginning of the new ‘car culture,' as Americans set out to explore their vast country.
Goffs to Ludlow
From Needles, California, you can take either Highway 95 or I-40 west to Goffs. Small towns like Goffs were a major watering station for the Santa Fe Railroad, yet large enough for a general store and elementary school. The Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association (MDHCA) created a museum in the old schoolhouse, featuring the history of the Mojave Desert. The 23-acre outdoor museum contains an extensive collection of vintage cars, ranching and mining equipment. The schoolhouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a Visitor Center.
From Goffs to I-40 (Exit 107), the town of Fenner is now known as the Najah's Desert Oasis, with a gas station, convenience store and plenty of Route 66 memorabilia. Continuing south on I-40 is Essex, but little remains of its stores, restaurant, gas station and an airstrip. This small town had its 15 minutes of fame on March 25, 1977, when Johnny Carson featured the town/residents on his Tonight Show, being the only town in the United States without television.
Driving west is Chambless Station. A few buildings remain, like the general store, but they are fenced off. A historical marker explains the history of the alphabet towns. The names of the towns are Amboy, Bristol, Chambless, Danby, Essex, Fenner, Goffs, Homer, Ibis, and Java. Just outside of town is a former gas station and the famous Road Runner's Retreat Restaurant sign.
Please note that this section of Route 66 may be closed for road repairs, so use Exit 78 off I-40 to drive the original Route 66.
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Former restaurant in Goffs, California.
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Goffs Schoolhouse. On National Register of Historic Places.
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Route 66 Mother Road Museum in Barstow
Chambless Gas Station and Road Runner's Retreat Restaurant and Sign
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Former Pendergast Hotel near Ludlow, California.
Amboy
Amboy is the major tourist attraction. In 1938, Roy and Velma Crowl built Roy's Motel and Café, which included a gas station, store, diner, gift shop and six cabins. This was the ideal location where tourists could spend a night, get out of the sweltering heat and have their car serviced. Over the years, Amboy has been bought and sold numerous times, with some renovations to the sign and cabins. Other buildings/motels are locked behind fences. Speaking with one of the residents, he explained that eight people now live in Amboy, which in his opinion, "….was seven too many." The present owner of Amboy is Albert Okura, who also owns the Juan Pollo chain of restaurants, including the first McDonald's Restaurant, now a museum in San Bernardino.
Not far from Amboy is the Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark, a dormant cone-shaped volcanic crater that erupted 10,000 years ago. It is a 2.5 mile hike to the crater over the lava flow. If this natural landmark looks familiar, the crater was featured in the 1959 classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Amboy has also served as a movie set for Beneath the Dark, The Hitcher and Kalifornia, with the latter starring Brad Pitt and David Duchovny. Other movies shot in the area include Bagdad Café [1987] in Newberry Springs and Sky [2015] in Ludlow.
The most famous movie filmed using Route 66 was The Grapes of Wrath [1940]. Author John Steinbeck captured the struggles of the Joads family [Okies] who were forced off their land in Oklahoma during the Great Depression. They drove across the country on Route 66, finally becoming poor migrant fruit pickers in California. Movie scenes were shot at Topock on the Colorado River, Carty's Camp in Needles and desert scenes along Route 66 and at Daggett near Barstow.
At Ludlow, Route 66 joins I-40. This pit stop is 43 miles [69 km.] east of Barstow and largely serves as a truck stop, a gas station and restaurant [Ludlow Café], before heading east across the desolate Mojave Desert.
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Roy's Motel and Cafe in Amboy, California
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Roy's Motel Office and Cabins.
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Dennis Begin in Roy's Cafe.
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Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark.
Legacy of Route 66
Many of the towns such as Bagdad, Siberia and Summit have disappeared, leaving little to explore. Time and the desert heat have not been kind to the original buildings, leaving only foundations, crumbling walls and rusting metal. For the people who once lived in these ghost towns, they have moved on with their dreams. As for the modern tourists, they are amazed to step back in time.
The ultimate significance of Route 66 has not changed since its construction. The highway still celebrates the idea of freedom, mobility and adventure. Route 66 is the road to a cultural legend and enduring legacy. Bobby Troup in 1946 aptly stated in his song Route 66, "If you ever plan to motor west…..take the highway that's the best. Get your kicks on Route 66."
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Map of Historic Route 66, Rand McNally Road Atlas
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Barstow Route 66 Sign.