Ramada Inn Barstow Ca

Yee haa!! lets go to the wild west like it used to be. It was a relatively short drive from Vegas to just outside Barstow especially since it was all on the Interstate. They are definitely quicker than the state roads but you certainly don't see as much as we did on the small roads.<br><br>We had plenty of time to see Calico ghost town and were ...

We headed out about 630 in the morning. Jono, Michael, Steve and I met a the Chevron down the street from my house. We decided to go north through Pearblossom and the Mohave Deseret. <br><br>Headed north on the 15 toward Las Vegas and stopped here in Barstow for breakfest.<br>

We'll see how exciting the freeway is and how far I get. Not my favorite kind of road but I am kinda looking forward to reaching AZ sooner rather than later. Not a California person I guess.<br>The freeway was the usual semis, motor homes and lots of gusty wind. Rte 99 is not a well-groomed highway but gutted it thru until Bakersfield to stop for rest and gas. Then it was out into the Mojave, love those joshua trees. A little further out into the desert ...

... and it cost us $18 to get in. We could take Pasha in also as long as she was on a leash. We did see another dog or two there also. But for future reference, I wouldn't advise it in that kind of heat.<br><br>We parked and entered the outdoor oven to explore the little mining town which was preserved by none other than the Knott family, known for Knott's Berry Farm. So it did kind of have that theme park ...

... the Dam was built. It actually was really good especially as there are 29 Dams across the Colorado Basin managing water supply and energy needs. Then it was yes, you guessed it another Casino Special Buffet meal at a Casino!! !Meal was fab. All you could eat and drink for £20. Ribs were excellent. Tonight in Barstow, tomorrow LA.<br><br>The Kinseys

... pretty cool.<br><br>Since the temps of the Mojave Desert get quite high, we decided to split the trip up into two traveling days, giving Wesley a break.  This was a good idea as we encounter fairly long inclines causing our engine to get quite hot, requiring a couple breaks. <br><br>Our first stop was Bowen Ranch Hot Springs, located just outside of Apple Valley. The road to the springs was our first encounter to off-road driving ...

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... with the exception of a few palm trees. It is in the upmarket shopping district and has plenty of seating and a couple of cafes to stop for a snack and watch the world go by, this shopping area has good shops such as Tiffany's, ( I did resist the temptation to treat myself!) Macy's and a good selection of upscale boutiques, if you are in need of a shopping spree this is the area to visit. As I had come this far I decided it was not worth getting on a bus so walked back to ...

... dust. Mom held on so tight to the steering wheel she nearly drew blood. We ended up in Barstow at a brand new HIE...my new favorite chain. They serve hot tea and cookies all night. Day 8 stats: 15 wild jackasses in Oatman (plus 2 in the car) 18933 bug carcasses on our windshield 5 number of cents Lucy charged for psychiatric help 760 number of cents today with inflation 0 number of visible stars in the desert sky

... was some padding available to go under our butts. Truly unprepared for December camping, with only one sleeping bag and an extra blanket and one pillow (yea, I forgot mine but at least I brought slippers, unlike Pickles), we huddled on the ground. Before we went to bed, we indulged in something to make us a little warmer and forget our creepy surroundings. Of course, at some point, Pickles decided to lean over, while laughing and slammed her nose into my knee. The ...