The Mojave Desert

“It’s alive and waiting for you. Ready to kill you if you go too far. The sun will get you, or the cold at night. A thousand ways the desert can kill”

— Harry Essex

The Mojave is a desert of wind, temperature extremes, Joshua Trees and solitude. When most people hear the word ‘desert,’ images of tumbleweeds, rattlesnakes and bleak desolation typically come to mind. In reality, the Mojave is anything but a wasteland. Amongst the sand and sagebrush lie many places of beauty and wonder, and of historic importance. Some are the result of time and the elements, some are the result of man and his efforts to live in the Mojave, both in recent and prehistoric times. Let’s go see what we can find.

October 18, 2016

Essex, Cal - Route 66

October 18, 2016/ Elliot Koeppel

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.

October 14, 2016

Amboy Crater, Cal - Route 66

October 14, 2016/ Amboy Crater/ Elliot Koeppel

Located just a short distance off Route 66, Amboy Crater had been on my radar for several years, and the opportunity to finally have the time to make the hike coincided with nice weather. I hit the trail. With my feet.

February 02, 2016

Devils Postpile National Monument

February 02, 2016/ Elliot Koeppel

The first time I tried to visit the Devils Postpile, it was closed because of a government shutdown. That was in 2014. Luckily for me, the government was open on my next opportunity and so I was able to drop in for a visit.

May 15, 2015

Rt 66 - San Jon, NM

May 15, 2015/ San Jon, NM/ Elliot Koeppel

I’m guessing that San Jon doesn’t see a lot of traffic through town, but I enjoyed driving through, stopping and taking some pictures of the old businesses that once thrived back in the old days.

April 14, 2015

Rt 66 - McCartys, NM

April 14, 2015/ McCartys, NM/ Elliot Koeppel

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.

March 28, 2015

Rt 66 - Fort Courage, AZ

March 28, 2015/ Fort Courage, AZ/ Elliot Koeppel

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.

March 25, 2015

Rt 66 - Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, AZ

March 25, 2015/ Painted Desert, AZ/ Elliot Koeppel

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.

March 13, 2015

Rt 66 - Jackrabbit Trading Post, AZ

March 13, 2015/ Jackrabbit Trading Post/ Elliot Koeppel

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.....

March 06, 2015

Rt 66 - Meteor City, AZ

March 06, 2015/ Meteor City, AZ/ Elliot Koeppel

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.

February 26, 2015

Rt 66 - Two Guns, AZ

February 26, 2015/ Two Guns, AZ/ Elliot Koeppel

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).

February 25, 2015

Rt 66 - Twin Arrows Trading Post, AZ

February 25, 2015/ Twin Arrows, AZ/ Elliot Koeppel

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.

February 21, 2015

Rt 66 - Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ

February 21, 2015/ Walnut Canyon National Monument/ Elliot Koeppel

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.

February 19, 2015

Rt 66 - Seligman, AZ

February 19, 2015/ Seligman, AZ/ Elliot Koeppel

Route 66 is still Main Street in Seligman, Arizona. Reminders of the glory days of the old road are scattered on each side of the highway. Vintage motels, souvenir shops, restaurants and gas stations give a glimpse to the past and many of them are still in use today.

February 14, 2015

Rt 66 - Valentine, AZ

February 14, 2015/ Valentine, AZ/ Elliot Koeppel

The town of Valentine dates back to 1898 and it’s probably most famous for the heart-shaped postmark the small contract post office would stamp on outgoing mail every Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, that came to an end in 1990, when the post office was robbed and the lady working there was shot and killed. Shortly afterwards, her husband bulldozed the building and left the area.

February 03, 2015

Rt 66 - Goffs, Cal

February 03, 2015/ Elliot Koeppel

My first stop in Goffs was the 100-year-old Goffs Schoolhouse. It’s a one-room mission style desert school built in 1914 by the County of San Bernardino. It has been completely restored and returned to its 1914 feel and appearance. It’s been placed on the National Register of Historic place and is currently a museum and cultural center. The surrounding grounds are filled with interesting artifacts of years gone by. Unfortunately, it was closed when I arrived. Click HERE for more history on the old school and town.

January 24, 2015

Rt 66 - Chambless, Cal

January 24, 2015/ Elliot Koeppel

Heading east out of Amboy, I tried to remember that the “66” didn’t mean 66 mph. I passed Kelbaker Road and continued on towards the ghost town of Chambless, Cal., even though signs warned me that the road was closed ahead.

January 09, 2015

Rt 66 - Oro Grande, Cal

January 09, 2015/ Mohawk Gas/ Elliot Koeppel

I'm guessing that Oro Grande was once a busy little place, with Route 66 travelers stopping here for a rest, a bite of food or some gas so they could continue along their way. There are a number of old buildings here that obviously date back to the 1940s and 1950s, built when Route 66 was in its prime. A few are still in use, some are abandoned, some closed down, some in ruins. The next time I'm in the area, I hope to have more time to stop and explore.

January 08, 2015

Rt 66 - Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch

January 08, 2015/ Oro Grande, Ca/ Elliot Koeppel

Located on a stretch of old Route 66 in Ore Grande, Cal., Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch is one of the great reasons I enjoy driving through places I’ve never been.

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Mojave/395/Rt66

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The Mojave Desert

Essex, Cal - Route 66

Amboy Crater, Cal - Route 66

Devils Postpile National Monument

Rt 66 - San Jon, NM

Rt 66 - McCartys, NM

Rt 66 - Fort Courage, AZ

Rt 66 - Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, AZ

Rt 66 - Jackrabbit Trading Post, AZ

Rt 66 - Meteor City, AZ

Rt 66 - Two Guns, AZ

Rt 66 - Twin Arrows Trading Post, AZ

Rt 66 - Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ

Rt 66 - Seligman, AZ

Rt 66 - Valentine, AZ

Rt 66 - Goffs, Cal

Rt 66 - Chambless, Cal

Rt 66 - Oro Grande, Cal

Rt 66 - Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch

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