It wasn’t Camel cigarettes that paved the way for Route 66, although that would come later with its billboards and imagery appearing along the iconic Mother Road. It was living, breathing dromedaries (one humped Arabian camels) and Bactrian camels (two humped) acquired from Turkey, Egypt, and Tunisia. A persistent legend of the Southwest is the…
We visited Salvation Mountain for the first time with my sister, Dawn, when she recently flew in from the East Coast. We recalled watching television host Huell Howser visit there in 1997 and were intrigued. Salvation Mountain had again recently landed itself into the news media. So a mere 26 years later, we decided to…
Sometimes a desert is like a Trojan horse. Few desert rats disagree that the desert can be a beautiful, magical place. It’s wide open horizons and endless views across miles of sand, cacti, Joshua Trees, boulders and mountains, especially at sunrise and sunset, can be captivating. The allure is reminiscent of a Siren’s song though…
The movie Tarantula featuring the small desert town of Desert Rock, Arizona, and a giant tarantula was actually filmed in Apple Valley, California. Many of the scenes were shot at Dead Man’s Point. It was the fourth biggest film at the box office in December 1955. The movie’s tagline said, “More terrifying than any horror known to…
Today’s trivia you didn’t know you needed to know: Zyzzyx Road, a low budget indie horror movie from 2006, not to be confused with another 2006 indie horror titled Zzyzx with a different cast and rebranded Burned, is known for being the lowest-grossing film of all time. It made a grand total of (drum roll,…
Your knight called and said you really ought to be here. Shields Dates, located at 80-225 Highway 111 in Indio, just over the border of La Quinta, is a favorite stop for world-class travelers and locals alike. The company was founded in 1924 by Floyd Shields and his wife, Bess Lugton. Floyd Shields was one…
Shoshone, California, “The Gateway to Death Valley” is an interesting village with a full-time population of about 31. That’s 31 people who can wake up and go to sleep with this panoramic view of their home. Dublin Gulch is on the southwest outskirts of Shoshone. The caves were dug out of compacted volcanic ash from…
Team work makes the dream work. In hardly anytime at all we were packed up and ready to evacuate. Left the RV park in the middle of a sideways blizzard with no regrets. Still no electricity after 16 hours…
Cronese vs. Coronise Figuring out the origin of the Cronese Cat’s name has just about as many theories as a storybook feline has lives. It was believed the natural wonder is either named for early explorer and author Titus Fey Cronise or William H.V. Cronise. In 1870, both were officers of the Piute Mining Company….
The quaint village of Joshua Tree has more to offer than just its magnificent National Park. That’s quite the tall order, you say? Meet 20 ft tall Big Josh, formerly known as The Mecca Cowboy who stood in front of Poor Richard’s Pawn Shop and Mini Mart since 1965. He now lives at The Station,…