Ritmo Photography: Route 66 Road Trip

First of all, I'd like to remind everyone that this is the blog for people who hate to write. Hence, the 13 months since last update. It doesn't mean I haven't been up to anything. On the contrary, I've been shooting and editing a bit and, after lots of editing, the last thing I want to do is write about it. But I've been oozing ideas of last and want to get them out there.

Anyways, back to our regularly scheduled program...

Those who know me know I keep vampire hours. I work evenings and stay up pretty late night(or early morning depending on your personality type). With few distractions of day and nothing but informercials on tv late at night, it's pretty easy to knock out chunks of editing. However, when I'm on a roll on the edits, I'll go for hours on end forgetting to sleep. This was the case on one of my days off last week.

As the sun began to rise I was on the back end of my SLC pics. Then came 8:30 and I debated sleeping my whole day off or being somewhat productive. Decided not to waste it and wanted to road trip. One thing I've wanted to do for many years is hit Route 66 and decided this day was the day.

Lots more pics after the jump.

I've researched the trip before and looked up the route again. Also posted in facebook and twitter to see if anyone wanted to join me in the adventure. By 9:30 am I was on the road with new camera bag in backseat and grip gear in trunk. Made a pit stop for gas and caffeine near Ontario Mills. I briefly kicked around the idea of starting in Santa Monica or maybe even in Azusa. But 50 miles of stoplights would have killed the fun so instead I started in the Devore area.

Starting with directions download from Historic66.com, I did the first section for about 5 miles before being forced back on to I-15. Then took it to Palmdale Hwy east to Victorville. My first stop would be the Route 66 Museum. The museum was manned by a couple of gentlemen in colorful Route 66 Polynesian shirts who were very helpful as to what to expect on the trip and how to proceed. There were lots of goodies on display chronicling the history of 66 and the state, too. Also on display were plenty of books about and inspired by the legendary trail. I wish there were a better selection of maps but the guys hooked me up with EZ 66 Guide for Travelers. I highly recommend it for anyone making the trip as it covers the whole route to Chicago. Also, if you visit these museums, please leave a donation. In these times of recession, they depend more and more on dwindling donations. These museums are the keepers of the highway.

I followed the route northwest of the museum beyond I-15 towards the Mojave River and followed north to Barstow driving through towns like Oro Grande, Bryman, Helendale and Lenwood. Admittedly these are towns I had never heard of before, yet, were only a few miles off I-15. They reminded me a lot of the La Union area of New Mexico where I have some family. Sadly, a lot of horse farms are located there and most of them had for auction signs posted. While most of Route 66's demise came with the I-15 and I-40's construction, the tough times continue.

Following the EZ 66 Guide I head to Barstow. The last time I was actually in the town was in fall, 1986. It was as a member of the RCC Marching Tigers where I played baritone sax. That was my first field show exhibition with RCC and home of one of the most infamous parking lot rehearsals in band history after a crash and burn on the field of epic proportions. But I digress.

Main Street is long and pretty much unchanged from when I remember it. I detoured on to 1st St. and crossed the bridge to visit the Route 66 Mother Road Museum. It also serves as the railway museum as Barstow was a product of the Santa Fe Railroad.
From the Mother Road Museum website: During the heyday of rail passenger service in the Western United States, Barstow boasted a splendid rail depot/restaurant/hotel complex called the "Casa del Desierto", House of the Desert. Completed in 1911, the Casa del Desierto was the fourth "Harvey House" built by the Atchinson, Topeka, and the Santa Fe Railway Company along its right-of-way and operated by the Fred Harvey Company. These Harvey Houses established an unparalleled standard of food service to the traveler, and entered the lore of American railroading and the West.

Leaving the Museum I head back to Main St and through downtown, if not old town, Barstow. On the way east, I pass the icon El Rancho Restaurant and "hotel row", if you will, along Main St. This line of hotels has been featured on the front of many post cards commemorating Route 66. Main St. also had many signs honoring the road and I can only imagine what this street may have looked like in its heyday with its brightly painted and neon signs.

I continue to follow Main St. east under I-15 and I-40, making a left just past the latter. Unfortunately, I have to catch the next I-40 on ramps as National Trails Hwy runs through the Marine Corps Logistics base in Barstow. But it's a ride to the Nebo Road exit and to continue the journey which take me through such locations as Daggett, Newberry Springs and, finally, Ludlow for lunch.
Along this segment are many ruins of days long gone. Just past Newberry Springs is the Whiting Bros. Gas Station behind in chain link fence just giving way to the elements as well as a few, long since abandoned, hotels. It also seems Newberry Springs was the local supplier of water and was shipped via rail to communities in the area. Being the geological geek that I am, I'm was blown away to find that there are lava fields in SoCal. On the way to Ludlow, I passed the first of two of them on this trip. Between Hector Rd and Lavic Rd is the Pisgeh Crater and the lava fields that 66 runs through. Of course, I couldn't help pulling over and walking around a bit. But be warned, lava fields are hot, not because the lava is hot but rather the rock is black. And black absorbs a lot of heat. It's safe to say the air temperature difference between Newberry Springs and the middle of the lava field a good 15 degrees. This is a physics lesson I'd learn later at Amboy Crater.

After a quick bite of Americana at the Ludlow Cafe, topping off the tank and picking up lots of water (thanks, Martin), I was back on the road. Of course, just a fraction of a mile east of the cafe, I came across more ruins.It was a little strange seeing these hollowed out shells, be them victims of the elements and neglect or the burned out shelters of recent nomads whose careless campfires destroyed what was once a pit stop between the midwest and the Pacific. I could only imagine cars lining the ribbon of asphalt passing these homes and businesses 50 years ago.

Between Ludlow and Amboy, there wasn't a whole lot in terms of civilization. It was just 28 miles of amazing scenery with desert landscapes, mountains coming close before moving away, points on a map with such ironic names like Klondike, Siberia and Bagdad, and a two lane highway laid down next to a railroad drifting further and further from I-40.
Just a few miles short of Amboy is the Amboy Crater National Natural Landmark. It is reminder of California's turbulent geologic history and perhaps it's future. The crater is accessible via gravel road that takes you about a mile from the highway to a parking lot. There is also a restroom and a plaque marking the area. There is even a paved cement path leading to an observation deck about 100 yards away. At that point you about 30 feet about the floor level looking down on most of the park and offering a great view of the crater off the the southwest. Be aware that the heat there is intense as the park is all black lava rock. Remember, there is a reason you put lava rock in barbecue pits and fireplaces...it just holds heat. It's safe to say it was at least 120 degrees in the park. I could feel my Nikon getting hot so the foray lasted about 10 minutes, tops, before heading back to the highway and Amboy. I'm told it is a popular hiking destination, however, in not so blistering weather.

This is Amboy, 92304. Roy's Cafe and neighboring hotel on the left, post office on the right. In front of the cafe are a whole lot of Marines, probably from nearby 29 Palms Marine Base. For some reason, this speck on the map retains its charm.
Roy's Cafe was very popular for its milkshakes back in the day and is being renovated to its heyday shape thanks to the new owners...who just happen to own the Juan Pollo chicken chain. It's still a functioning gas station and there is lots of 66 memorabilia.

As far as the post office is concerned, I'm not sure who it caters to as there was not a whole lot of residential area around. It was a Wednesday afternoon and the closed sign was already out. I fear this may be one of the post offices on the cut list.

Heading beyond Amboy is the town of Chambless which my have a good sized population of maybe 100. At one time it may have had a couple of resorts as palm trees seem to line the edges of quite a few properties and home to the Roadrunner Restaurant and Hotel. Also visible from the highway is the shuttered Chambless market and a road that looks like it leads to nowhere.It's also the location where I ran in to a motorcycle tour company that caters to foreigners. Basically, they provide motorcycles and a support vehicle while they travel this internationally famous road. They parked one of their bikes just about one of the painted Route 66 badges scattered along the length of the highway. Rather than go around, I waited them out and took a picture of one of the bikes. It just goes to show how iconic the highway is and how it is one way American culture it perceived. In retrospect, I think it would have been a very cool trip to take.

After Chambless I headed east in to the hills of the Cadiz Mountains. A short time later I reached the summit. As I started on the downward side I saw some ruins on the left of what may have been a garage or service station and another destroyed building. While the elements may have had first crack at them, it looks like fire took care of what was left. However, these buildings were covered, top to bottom, in graffiti. The colors were very bright and looked very fresh. It seems there is a tradition for travelers to leave their mark at this particular spot. The scene was an example of urban decay, ironically, in the desert.

Just a mile or two past the decay was a memorial to a rest stop. On the surface it was just a little gravel in and out on the south side of the highway - nothing special. But it was much more. There were no picnic tables, shade or water fountains. While there were little concrete blocks where these items were once anchored, the only thing there was monument of metal with 6 tablets attached describing the history of Route 66, the area's geography, geology, paleontology, flora & fauna, and, local human history. Almost 70 years ago, General George S. Patton conducted armored desert exercises here. The lines of dust kicked up lasted for miles. It was a far cry from the deafening silence I heard. This particular location was probably one of the quietest places I had ever been to on earth. Aside from a very slight breeze rustling the scrub I heard NOTHING else. It was unbelievably tranquil.

I left this rest stop at about 5pm thinking I had better get a move on if I wanted to reach the Arizona border by nightfall especially since I wasn't exactly sure how far away I was. Funny thing is that Ludlow was the last location I knew my phone worked. I had chronicled much of the adventure on twitter and facebook with pictures. I also had google maps and latitude going on my crackberry. But east of Ludlow I lost most of these functions even though I showed cell signal. It just meant I had to go old school for navigation using the sun, time and the EZ 66 Guide maps (not to scale) for guidance.

Following the guide I headed for the towns of Essex, Fenner and Goffs. One of the things you notice about Essex is that it is still alive. There was a mix of homes, trailers and businesses - both upkept and in ruins. There's also a post office and possibly a CalTrans station. But what struck me was a well on the west side of town. Only a few yards from the highway, it was once the watering hole for thirsty travelers. Like the fortunes of those along this highway, the well has long since dried up.

From there it was another 10 minutes to cross under I-40 and Fenner and then another 15 minutes east to Goffs. From Goffs I turned on to US95 south towards I-40. I had to get back on I-40 east for one short segment before catching the 66 again towards Needles. Getting off at River Rd cutoff was anti-climactic as now I am heading in to town with river vacationers, business parks, brand new vacation homes...civilization.

For a while it was the most depressing part of the trip and decided to contemplate it over more caffeine and pretzels at the gas station. Then I thought I have all this camera gear on the backseat and trunk, about 90 minutes of usable light and some amazing desertscapes. So I added a Route 66 t-shirt and road atlas to guide me on I-40 (map to scale) to a couple of places that would make a good shot. East of Ludlow seemed like a great place to shoot but according to the map, it was far and I would burn most of might daylight just getting there. I then charted a course for Essex Rd, aiming for the monument east of Cadiz Summit. I wanted a Route 66 pavement badge in the scene and a little background other than just desert or sky.

I drove back through Essex and back towards the monument. As I got closer to the monument and Cadiz Summit, I could not find a road badge. I ended up over the summit and in Chambless but the road had more traffic than I felt comfortable with. I was on a long straightaway and as I passed Kelbaker Rd, I noticed there was not much traffic at all and then I saw the road badge! This is where I would set up shop.

After pulling over I attached my speedlights to the stands I had halfway set up while at the gas station in Needles. At 7:33pm I took a quick shot to measure the ambient light so I could adjust my shutter speed get my CLS set. The sun was fading fast so I had to start dragging the shutter.

Since the star of the shot was the road I had to get that road badge lit. I took a guess and if I set the speedlight at wide instead of zoomed I could light myself and the road with a crosslight setup. I think it worked.

My modeling chops aren't what they should be so I kept it simple and stuck with pretty much just a standing and squatting shot.

The legend of Route 66 and car culture are so intertwined it only seemed right to get my car in a shot. I drive a 2001 Honda Civic LX. At this particular spot, my car had just a tough over 185,00 miles on it. I love this car and will be very sad when it's time to put it down.

I'm glad I got the opportunity to make this road trip and plan on doing it again sometime very soon (as soon as it cools down). With a little imagination it's easy to fall under this asphalt ribbon's spell. It has already captured the imaginations of many from all walks of life all over the world.

Like Bobby Troup said in his song: