Hello Hivers!
Or is it...
Hive Dwellers?
Hiveians?
Either way it's good to be back!
After my last post I took a hiatus to get some things sorted out. To give you a brief idea on how that went I've provided an update just below.
Status: properly sorted 👍
Great!
I'll be talking more about this in future posts, there's a lot I'm excited to share with you all. For today though I'm starting off my return with a dedication to the So Cal community.
Shout out to @TheSoCalHive
Today I'll be talking about a famous Southern Californian town that defied the odds and the brutal desert to serve as a rest stop for travelers, or people going down this particularly famous road
This place was considered a boom town in the first half of the 20th century but is largely considered a ghost town today.
Many of its buildings stand abandoned except for a single gas station, which stands tall over the sand and dust like a desert lighthouse.
Any ideas yet?
Here's a hint
If you guessed Amboy California, you were right!
Source Wikipedia
Here is a Google Satelite image of Amboy, CA
As you can see it is not very big. South of the post office are a few more abandoned houses, a church and a parishioner's house that are, unfortunately, quite damaged and vandalized.
Amboy, CA according to Wikipedia
Amboy is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, in California's Mojave Desert, west of Needles and east of Ludlow on historic Route 66. It is roughly 60 miles (97 km) northeast of Twentynine Palms. Prior to 2015, the town's business district contained a post office, a historic restaurant-motel, and a Route 66 tourist shop.
As I mentioned many of its buildings still remain, but none stand out more than
Roy's Cafe and Diner!
There's hardly a more welcome sight after two and a half hours in the car driving through 120 degree heat.
You will thank youself for stopping. Your car will thank you for stopping. Your passengers will thank you for stopping. Inside you can get Route 66 and Roy's themed merch, something to eat and a much desired cold drink.
Sure the gas is expensive but it's there if you really need it, and that's something I'd be happy to pay a dollar extra per gallon to get.
Check out this past era gas pump!
I've seen them actually come out, unlock and pump gas for their customers. Truly an experience from a different world.
The staff are friendly though there's not many of them.
This sign is to the left of the gas station. Check out the ruined water tower in the background. The white building is a bathroom block, one only building that is maintained besides the gas station.
Next to Roy's is the abandoned motel which stretches back a little way, but you can access a few of the front bungalows. They look unassuming from a distance, but when you get closer you really begin to feel the ghost town vibe.
In front of them is this plaque
Outside of the 1st cabin, note the smashed windows and broken door.
Probably some art pieces that people left behind. WE figure people come here to take photos a lot.
The little bathroom inside.
Here's a view from inside
We found a bed in another cabin. Doesn't look too comfortable, I think people might squat here sometimes.
After we checked these out we decided to check out more of the ghost town, and went across the road to check out the abandoned church and parishioner's house.
Here's their little post office, note the cross of the church just behind it.
The abandoned church and parishioner's house. Got a little creepy the closer we got.
View inside from the front door.
I think this was the living room. Note the front door to the house laying on its side
Either the ceiling rotted or people ripped it all down
Inside the main bathroom we found this. I don't wanna' know about any needle 🤢 I'm gonna' go ahead and say these are song lyrics.
The kitchen area. Not a single fixture remaining
There were some trashed looking rooms which I'm guessing are the 2 bedrooms. From the 2nd bedroom in the back you got this view of the church
We tried to get inside but the church was boarded up tight.
Behind was another abandoned building which I think may have been a little congregation area, but it was FILLED with church pews and it had a busted up piano at the front.
The piano still works! ... albeit it needs a few keys and a tuning.
By this point my phone was getting super hot and was starting to resist taking photos. Here's the backside of the house and the church.
This place really gives me a fallout feel.
I did get a snapshot of the abandoned school. From what I remember it shut down over many years, finally closing in 1999 after the last students finally left the town.
One last photo of the tourist pole and we hit the road to Laughlin Nevada
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed what I managed to capture of this little ghost town. If you ever find yourself on historic Route 66, stop and grab yourself a drink at Roy's!
I would like to do more of these as I drive past a lot of abandoned mines and towns.
Next will be Rice, CA
On the road agaaaaain!
