OK — back home safe.  Here are some photos from yesterday’s shooting.  I started the day with a long drive out to see Roy’s in Amboy.  This long-closed gas, food & lodging complex is really in the middle of absolute nowhere.  There were no signs of life there — but, evidently, work is still going on:
http://www.amboyroute66.com/frontpage.html
Back in June, there was a Kickstarter campaign to raise $16,000 to restore the sign — but only about $1,000 was pledged.

Since around 2005, the town of Amboy — or at least the land where these buildings are located — has been owned by man who owns the Juan Pollo fried chicken fast food chain. It must have been soon after that when a smaller Roy’s sign was built for a Juan Pollo in Barstow (at a former Arby’s building).  But that location is now closed:

The former Whiting Brothers gas station in Newberry Springs.  Closed since 1968:

Also in Newberry Springs — the long-closed Henning Motel:

 

All my life, I’ve heard about the Calico Ghost Town in Yermo.  I finally made it there today:

 

Back in Barstow.  Yes, the Sands Motel sign had neon and a different color scheme until 2009.  Here’s a photo of its old look:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/11036774@N07/2120865066/
And when they went monkeying with the sign:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92136363@N00/3741298725/
Note how they sliced off all chunks on the right hand side of the sign and moved all the letters over:

 

Former rivals and next door neighbors in Barstow — the Astro Motel (now the Astro Budget Motel) — its original look:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12597438@N07/4379144495/

and the former Imperial 400 Motel — this location in better days:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/12597438@N07/3522121665/

More about these chains and loads of photos at my page here:
http://www.agilitynut.com/modarch/chain.html
In Helendale — a Polly gas sign.  The station was demolished long ago.  A fenced dirt lot since at least 2003:

 

On to Victorville and the California Route 66 Museum.  This sign was replaced with a plastic box sign but luckily this sign was saved & has been on display at the museum since at least 2007.   The rundown motor court buildings are still there:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31086818@N08/5162522893/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65446203@N00/8178995530/

The museum also has a couple of signs from the former Hulaville in Hesperia:
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2891

 

One of the highlights of the day for the dogs was exploring the abandoned dinosaurs in Apple Valley.  Four acres of dirt and dinosaur statues.  This was to have been a mini golf but the project started in the 1970s was never completed.  Very sad — but still wonderful.

 

On up into the mountains — Sparkle really got a workout this weekend!  Up to Big Bear Lake to shoot a couple of things.  This one was not on my list.  Madlon’s Restaurant in Big Bear.  Their website explains that this was built as the Knusperhauschen Restaurant in the 1970s:

 

The sun ran out in Yucca Valley — just enough time to grab one more sign.  I don’t know what it advertised for originally — Sky Harbor Shopping Center?

 

The next trip and blog post will be the weekend of January 18 when the dogs at I will head back to the desert for more goodies & fun times around Palm Springs.  Until then, don’t forget more photos from this weekend over at Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Best to all of you in 2014!

dj & the dogs