Essex, Cal - Route 66

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Essex, Cal - Route 66

Essex dates back to 1883, like most of the almost forgotten traveler's rests and small communities that dot the Mojave desert along Route 66. Lewis Kingman, a locating engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, named the water stops along the railroad route. He must have been a fan of alphabetically things, or maybe was directed to name the water stops in such a manner. So we have Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz, Danby, Essex, Fenner, Goffs, Homer, Ibis, Java, Khartoum and so on. During the early years of the small railroad stop, the primary purpose was to supply the steam engines with water.

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Cadiz Summit, Cal - Route 66

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Cadiz Summit, Cal - Route 66

Cadiz Summit dates back to 1883; it was named by Lewis Kingman, who was a locating engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It was one of a series of railroad stations built across the Mojave Desert (Amboy, Bristol, Cadiz, Danby, Esses, Fenner, Goffs, Homer, Ibis, Java, khartoum and so on). Back during those early years, Cadiz existed to supply water to the trains. And years later, when Route 66 was constructed, Cadiz served a similar purpose.

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Rt 66 - Siberia, Cal

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Rt 66 - Siberia, Cal

You don't need a visa to go to Siberia. At least, the one in California. You will need to use some mapping skills and your imagination though, to get there.

Siberia was originally founded as a water stop and rail siding for the Sante Fe Railroad, which later also became a motorist stop for travelers along Route 66. It was located between Bagdad and Ludlow and must have had some years of minor prosperity. Cafes and tourist camps operated here during the 1930s and 1940s, but things never quite took off.

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Yermo, Cal

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Yermo, Cal

The name "Yermo" is derived from the Spanish word for "Wilderness." Which seems appropriate. Out in the Mojave Desert, with the Calico Mountains to the north, the area must have seemed quite desolate when it was first settled. The town was once known as "Otis," after Gen. Harrison Gray Otis, a wealthy land and mine owner in the area. The Postal Service changed the name to Yermo in 1905, possibly due to a rift between Otis and the local miners union, legend claims.

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Rt 66 - McCartys, NM

/ McCartys, NM/
Rt 66 - McCartys, NM

I spun off I-40 at exit 96 to see if I could find the old Whiting Bros. Gas Station. I’d seen some pictures of it and knew it wasn’t too far out of the way. Exit 96 is also the exit to use to get to McCartys, a small town that originated from a farming and trading community on the Acoma Indian reservation. It was later named McCarty after a railroad contractor who had his camp in the area during the 1880s.

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Rt 66 - Continental Divide, NM

/ Continental Divide, NM/
Rt 66 - Continental Divide, NM

I turned off I-40 at Exit 47 in order to stand my ground on the Continental Divide. I’m not sure exactly where it was, as there were several signs and monuments amongst the tourist stop shops in the area. I do know that I was at an elevation of over 7200 feet and that many claim this spot to be the highest point on Route 66 (although that’s open to debate).

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Rt 66 - Fort Courage, AZ

/ Fort Courage, AZ/
Rt 66 - Fort Courage, AZ

Fort Courage, Arizona. A tourist trading already faded into the past. I pulled into the parking lot to find the gas station, restaurant and trading post all closed. And for what appeared to be quite some time. But that was okay with me, no crowds to worry about and I could walk freely about the area.

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Rt 66 - Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, AZ

/ Painted Desert, AZ/
Rt 66 - Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, AZ

It's a two-for-one National Park deal! One entry fee got me into both the Painted Desert National Park and the Petrified Forest National Park. After paying my admission, the ranger asked me if I had any petrified wood in my car. I said yes, that I had bought some at the Rainbow Rock Shop in Holbrook. She asked if I had a receipt and yes, I did. I noticed a sign later when I left the park that vehicles can be subject to search, as they don’t want anyone poaching petrified wood from the forest.

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Rt 66 - Holbrook, AZ

/ Holbrook, AZ/
Rt 66 - Holbrook, AZ

One of the coolest things about my epic "Adios, I’m going to Texas” roadtrip was that I never knew what I was going to find when I turned off the interstate and explored the small towns along old Route 66. Holbrook was no exception. Born during the early 1880s as a railroad town and named after the first engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, Holbrook was a true wild west town for many years (Pleasant Valley War). It was also a busy place during the heyday of Route 66 and I saw a lot of history from that time period when I visited: Teepees/Wigwams, vintage cars, dinosaurs, petrified wood, old and quirky with new and modern, abandoned buildings/restored buildings and always interesting people. Had time permitted, I could have probably spent an entire day, rather than only an hour or two, in most of the places I visited along the way.

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Rt 66 - Jackrabbit Trading Post, AZ

/ Jackrabbit Trading Post/
Rt 66 - Jackrabbit Trading Post, AZ

Everyone loves jackrabbits, it’s a proven fact. So how could I drive through Joseph City and not stop at the Jackrabbit Trading Post? I couldn’t. So I took Exit 269 and got off I-40 to go hunt jackrabbits. And maybe some rabbit stew.....

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Rt 66 - Meteor City, AZ

/ Meteor City, AZ/
Rt 66 - Meteor City, AZ

I was driving fast on I-40, just out of Two Guns, when I spotted the huge geodesic dome of the Meteor City Trading Post. At a quick glance, it looked like the place was still in business so I turned off Exit 239 to see if I could buy some souvenirs. I needed some Christmas presents. Unfortunately, when I got closer I could see that the Trading Post was no longer trading.

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Rt 66 - Meteor Crater, AZ

/ Meteor Crater, AZ/
Rt 66 - Meteor Crater, AZ

This was another spot along Route 66 that I had researched during the planning stages for my “Goodbye God, I’m going to Texas” road trip. The crater is the result of a collision between an asteroid and the planet Earth some 50,000 years ago. I didn’t know what to expect for the $18 admission price, but when something is advertised as “the World’s best-preserved meteorite impact site on Earth,” I just had to see for myself. Afterall, anything traveling 26,000 miles-per-hour is going to leave a mark when it hits.

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Rt 66 - Two Guns, AZ

/ Two Guns, AZ/
Rt 66 - Two Guns, AZ

Two Guns, Arizona was one of my favorite stops during the epic “Hitting the Trail to Texas” road trip. In fact, I visited it twice as I spent two days in the area driving thither and yon. I mean, the name itself demands a visit. The place has an amazing history, dating back to the mid-1800s. Click HERE for an in depth look at just what happened in Two Guns over the years (the Apache Death Cave, the murder of Earle Cundiff by Henry “Two Gun” Miller, the sale of human skulls, gila monster attacks, robbery, man-eating mountain lions and tourism).

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Rt 66 - Twin Arrows Trading Post, AZ

/ Twin Arrows, AZ/
Rt 66 - Twin Arrows Trading Post, AZ

The iconic Twin Arrows once lured travelers to exit Route 66 and stop at the Twin Arrows Trading Post; for gas, food and various sundries. They lured me as well, and once I figured out how to get off I-40 and somewhat close to them, I was on a narrow piece of blacktop without much room to safely park. But I found a spot and hoofed it on over the check out the trading post ruins and examine the giant arrows, up close.

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Rt 66 - Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ

/ Walnut Canyon National Monument/
Rt 66 - Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ

Day Three of my “Goodbye God, I’m going to Texas” road trip turned out to be a great day for seeing new things and exploring old things. For some reason, ancient cliff dwellings have always held a fascination to me, but I had never had the opportunity to visit any. So when I learned that there were cliff dwellings a short distance from Route 66, in Walnut Canyon National Monument, that became a definite stop on my travels to Texas.

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