Thursday, October 10th, would be a drive, drive, drive day.
We stopped at the Dollar General across from our hotel in Seligman. Once again there was no hairdryer in our room. No complaints about the room. I told Claude we were purchasing a hairdryer for our travels. He said we should replenish our water. Dollar General had both these things. Yeah!
We stayed on old Route 66 to Hackberry General Store. We got a kick out of the Burma Shave signs along the way. The lay of the land was amazing.
Hackberry General Store was a hoot. Bob Waldmire started this store years ago. The outside is covered in stickers from everywhere. There are lots of old appliances. There was even a wringer washer like we used when I was a kid. I posted a picture of a U-Haul truck he used as he traveled Route 66 at the Chelsa, Oklahoma underpass.
Inside was just as eclectic. Amazingly, I bought a Route 66 t-shirt and aa Route 66 tote bag. The walls were covered in $1 bills and the ceiling in one room had 66 in $1 bills. Makes one wonder how much money is just stapled inside this building. We saw this in a place near Phoenix.
We entered California with higher temperatures. The thermometer did reach 102 at one point. I caught this picture when it was at 100 degrees.
When one enters California, be prepared for an agricultural check station. They want to be sure you are not bringing plants and fresh food that would disturb their delicate environmental balance. However, the sweet girl at the gate waved us thru without a question or checking our trunk.
Needles, California was our next stop. First, we found the Borax Wagon. This was the truckers of their day.
Next we wanted to fill the gas tank and get a bite to eat. There were two gas stations at the entrance to I-40 westbound. Both appeared closed. Claude got on I-40 eastbound and went to the exit we got off on to find the Borax Wagon. Two gas stations were there. One had regular gasoline at $6.99 per gallon. We went to the next station and only paid $5.99 per gallon. For $61 we were now sure to make it across the desert to Barstow. Back to the exit with two defunct gas stations to the McDonald's on the hill. This would have to do for a food stop. We were not really impressed with Needles.
Off to Barstow with a stop at Amboy to get a picture of Roy's Motel and Cafe. To get to Roy's, we had to leave I-40 and go south 11 miles to find old Route 66 (or National Trails Highway as it is called in this part of the country). We would turn west on Route 66 and go another 8 miles to get to Roy's. At one point Claude said, "Is it really out here?"
We pulled up to Roy's and I got my picture. By this time the temperature was up to 108 degrees. So grateful for an air-conditioned car.
We got back in Route 66 and headed west another 30 miles to find I-40. Such is the nature of driving Route 66.
In Barstow we checked into our hotel. Then searched for somewhere close to have dinner. Amazingly, we found another Roy's just down the highway from our hotel. Turns out, it is the Roy's Cafe. The one in Amboy is being restored to a gas station with some motel rooms to the side. Had a nice dinner.
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