More California
I love you, California, you're the greatest state of all. I love you in the winter, summer, spring and in the fall.
I love your fertile valleys; your dear mountains I adore. I love your grand old ocean and I love her rugged shore.
“California’s been good to me. Hope it don’t fall into the sea.” …..Tom Petty
Pearsonville - Hub Cap Capitol of the World - California
Have you ever driven north on Pearson Road? Or perhaps ventured to the west side of 395, to explore Sterling Road? There are treasures on both sides of the highway for history seekers and those who enjoy finding the odd and quirky “Roadside Attractions” of years past.
Krblin Jihn Kabin - pCalifornia - Kcymaerica
Oh my, where to start. With a picture. Yes, that would be best. Keep in mind whilst reading and viewing this post, that there are a lot of art installations sprinkled across the desert surrounding Joshua Tree National Park.
Zzyzx - California
Raise your hand if you've ever driven by the exit for Zzyzx Road, while speeding along Route 15 on your way to Las Vegas, and wondered at all about that name.
Dunmovin - California
Dunmovin. You say to yourself, “self, one day I'm going to stop at this place and see what I can find.”
Mono Lake Tufa Towers - California
The Tufa Towers at Mono Lake, another place I'd always wanted to visit after seeing them on an episode of Huell Howser's California Gold.
Buried Homes - Newberry Springs - California
Method #3 on my tried and true list of how to find unique places to explor: See a picture of an intesting place, spend hours online tracking down its location, go there. Which is how I came to this bleak spot in the Mojave desert.
Benton Hot Springs - California
Established in the early 1860s, Benton was born with the discovery of silver in the nearby Blind Springs Hills and White Mountains. Also known as Benton Hot Springs, the town thrived for a few short years.
Little Lakes Valley Trail
The sky looked a bit ominous Thursday morning when we set out to the Little Lakes Valley trailhead. Our goal was to see each of the five main lakes, from the trailhead to Gem Lakes, a roundtrip of eight miles with an elevation gain of approximately 1200 feet.
Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine - California
The best laid plans are often subject to the weather. I had planned on hiking the one-mile loop trail to Heart Lake in Mammoth, and also to wander around the remaining buildings of the Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine which are right near by.
T Cross K Ranch - Mission Creek Preserve - California
If you lived in Southern California during the 1930s and were looking for a get-a-way retreat where you could be “just plain lazy,” The T Cross K Guest Ranch would have been perfect. Especially if you enjoyed home cooking and BBQ. Rates were reasonable, $5 per day or $30 per week, per person. Throw in horseback riding, hunting, pack trips, tennis, dancing and hiking….I would have so been there.
Ballarat - California
My plan was to stop at Ballarat and then continue north, connecting with CSR 190 and thence to Lone Pine to spend the night. I made it as far as Ballarat. Most plans don’t survive contact with the elements.
Swansea - California
So much to see along 395, shame on those who claim everything’s dead in the desert….
Grave of the Unknown Prospector - California
I imagine there are probably hundreds of unmarked graves in the Mojave Desert, the final resting places of prospectors and others who traveled across the sands in search of their golden dreams.
Old Homestead - Lucerne Valley - California
This place literally screamed to me to take its picture. What could I do?
Route 58 Stone Ruins - California
I was driving west on Route 58, out of Barstow, heading to I-395 and points north….
Bodie Ghost Town, Part 2 - California
Who was the “Badman from Bodie?” Tom Adams? Washoe Pete? Or maybe a fictional composite created from multiple badmen of the west.
Steam Wells Petroglyphs - California
Just north of Red Mountain on Hwy 395, I turned onto Trona Road and followed it for a mile to a small turnout on the east side of the highway….
Reward - California
I found Reward just north of Lone Pine and a few miles east of Hwy 395 along the Manzanar Reward Road. Finding the old ghost town was a reward in itself. The first thing that caught my eye was the multi-colored slopes ahead of me as I drove towards the site.