Out in the desert...

This visit took place in January and while I started uploading photos as soon as I got home, I forgot all about writing the post to go with it! Call me crazy but it seems that ever since I started working from home, I don't have time to do anything.

Route 66. I love the images that pop into my head whenever I see or hear of it. My friends are big Route 66 buffs and every time they come out to California, they take me on an adventure in search of Route 66 tidbits. One such tidbit is Roy's Motel and Cafe. It is slowly being restored and truly a delight to see if you are into Route 66 history.

We drove from Palm Springs on a clear, cold, windy day (perfect!) and I was genuinely thrilled when we drove up and saw the giant sign.

The little cabins have all been freshly painted on the outside and here and there you can see signs of a slow but diligent restoration.

Upon closer inspection, I found that one of the doors was unlocked and I couldn't resist a closer look....so yes, I went inside.

There wasn't much to see but I was glad that there were still original bathroom fixtures inside and I was actually quite surprise at how big the individual cabins were. You walked into a small living room and then there was a bedroom with a large closet and a bathroom that was a good size.

You have to admit...this is pretty cool looking!

The lobby was locked and appeared to be frozen in the late 1960s.

I really dig the sign, as you can tell.

The diner has been semi-restored. There is no functioning kitchen and I don't know if they plan to restore it but at least the dining area is fixed up and it looks really cool.

After doing a little Internet digging, I found out that the entire town of Amboy is owned by the person that owns a chain of restaurants called Juan Pollo. I've never eaten at Juan Pollo but I will give them a try. I like supporting his efforts to restore Roy's Diner and Motel!

Our next stop was just a couple of miles down the road. It is known as the Amboy Crater and up until that day I had never heard of it but my friends from Florida knew about it. Isn't that always the way? Out of town visitors know cool things about your state that you had no idea existed.

So anyway...the Amboy Crater turned out to be pretty cool.

There is a paved trail you can take but we didn't so I can't tell you if it circles the crater or not.
We only stayed about 15 minutes and then hit the road again.

Until next time....