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Eye On The Bay: Desert Roadtrippers Pt.2 - 8/23/11

Desert Roadtrippers, Part Two

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SOUTHBOUND TO QUIRKYVILLE:

Day two of our great desert journey finds us heading south out of the majestic, barren and oh so wonderful Death Valley National Park, with a stop at historic Scotty's Castle.

Exiting the park, Route 190 takes you into Death Valley Junction and the site of the Amargosa Opera House, for which we paid a quick visit.  While you wouldn't expect to find an opera house in the desert, you certainly wouldn't expect to see an eighty-something ballerina performing every Sunday.

Amargosa Opera House
www.amargosa-opera-house.com

The drive south on Route 127 to Baker, CA lead us to one of southern California's most notable landmarks, the world's largest thermometer!

World's Largest Thermometer
72155 Baker Blvd
Baker, CA 92364

Of course that's a must stop, as are the yummy chicken gyros at the Mad Greek Café…again, not something you'd expect to see in a desert.

Mad Greek Café
72112 Baker Blvd
Baker, CA 92309
(760) 733-4354

Before leaving town, if you're into meat of the dried variety, another desert oddity is the Alien Fresh Jerky.  Put in a dollar, talk to the alien in the spaceship out front and purchase dozens of jerky varieties inside this popular shop.

Alien Fresh Jerky
72242 Baker Boulevard
Baker, CA 92309
(877) 254-3635

Our next stop finds us travelling west on Interstate 15 to the city of Barstow, where we visited the truest of Americana museums.  The Route 66 Mother Road Museum houses memorabilia and chotchkies from this important piece of US transportation history and folklore.

Route 66 Mother Road Museum
681 N First Avenue
Barstow, CA 92311
(760) 255-1890
www.route66museum.org

Tonight, we bed down after some 300 miles, near Joshua Tree National Park, at the impossible to find Hicksville Trailer Palace.  More on this desert gem on leg three of our journey – check out their website, in the meantime – you've never seen anything like this!!!

Hicksville Trailer Palace
www.hicksville.com

 

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