East Mojave Desert Project 2004

Tours

highways sign, Goffs, CA

Tour #1: The Sweep of History

150-year-old wagon road visible from Emigrant Pass

San Bernardino County Museum, Redlands, CA [link-11]
Boron Twenty Mule Team Museum and Visitor's Bureau, Boron, CA [link-11]
Calico Ghost Town, Yermo, CA [link-5]
Early Man Archaeological Site, Yermo, CA [link-5]
Emigrant Pass, Old Spanish Trail Hwy., off SR-127 north of Baker, CA [log]
Bonnie Springs Old Vevada [link-10] [log]
Old Mormon Fort, Las Vegas, NV [link-10] [log]
Neon Museum at Freemont Street, Las Vegas, NV [link-10] [log]
Goffs, CA (first weekend of each month only) [link-8] [log1] [log2]

historic rock seen on a trail ride at Bonnie Springs Old Nevada

Tour #2: Geological Wonders

Red Rock Canyon, 15 miles west of Las Vegas, NV

Mormon Rocks, visible from I-15 south of Cajon Pass `[link-2] [log]`
Rainbow Basin National Natural Landmark `[link-4]`
Lava Tube (4-Wheel Drive road) `[link-8] [log]`
Afton Canyon `[link-8]`
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area `[link-10]`
Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, home of Mitchell Caverns Natural Preserve, surrounded by the Mojave National Preserve `[link-10]`
Amboy Crater `[link-8]` `[log]`

lava tube off Aiken Mine Rd. off Kelbaker Rd.

Tour #3: The Living Desert

nature trail, Goffs, CA

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, Palm Desert, CA (near Palm Springs) `[link-11]`
Mojave River Forks Regional Park, near Hesperia, CA `[link-2]`
Desert Studies Center at Zzyzx Springs run by the California Desert Studies Consortium (sign up for a class in advance — no walk-ins) `[link-6]`
Afton Canyon `[link-8]`
nature trail, Goffs, CA (first weekend of each month only) `[link-8]` `[log1]` `[log2]`
Ethyl M. Chocolate Factory Cactus Garden `[log]`

saguaro cactus closeup, cactus garden, Ethyl M. Chocolate Factory, Henderson, NV

Tour #4: Highway Madness

orange stand, Rialto, CA

Wig Wam Motel, Rialto, CA

orange stand, Rialto, CA `[log]`
Wig Wam Motel, Rialto, CA `[log]`
San Bernardino Route 66 Museum, site of first McDonald's, San Bernardo, CA `[link-11]`
Route 66 Museum, Victorville, CA `[link-2]` `[log]`
Hulaville Remnants, old Route 66 `[link-3]` `[log]`
Route 66 Museum, Barstow, CA `[link-4]`
shoe tree, old Route 66 `[log]`
old outhouse, Goffs, CA (first weekend of each month only) `[link-8]` `[log1]` `[log2]`
Oatman, AZ `[link-11]`
London Bridge, Lake Havasu, AZ

Hulaville remnants, old Route 66 6 miles west of Oro Grande, CA
show tree, old Route 66 38 miles west of Ludlow, CA

Tour #5: Rock 'n' Roll Desert

World's Tallest Thermometer, Baker, CA

Ontario Mills: Virgin Megastore (stock up on your favorite desert rock; I like The Joshua Tree by U2 [ASIN: B00005BKZJ])
Water Canyon Coffee Company and Art Gallery, Yucca Valley, CA (out of the way but Bohemian; play "29 Palms" by Robert Plant on the way through Twenty-nine Palms) `[link-11]`
Peggy Sue's Diner, Yermo, CA (50s era rock'n'roll shrine) `[link-5]`
Zzyzx Road, near Baker, CA (stop and get a picture: it's traditional) `[link-6]`
Bun Boy & World's Tallest Thermometer, Baker, CA `[link-7]`
Desperado Roller Coaster, Buffalo Bill's, Primm, NV (world's tallest when it was built) `[link-8]` `[log]`
Elvis-A-Rama Museum, Las Vegas, NV `[log]`
Hard Rock Casino, Las Vegas, NV
Stratosphere, Las Vegas, NV
Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas, NV (wait for the montage of Doors, Who, Steppenwolf & Stones)

once World's Tallest Roller Coaster, "Desperado" at Buffalo Bill's, Primm, NV

Tour #6: "Are We There Yet?" — To Vegas With Kids

Buffalo Bill's, Primm, NV

Ontario Mills Food Park, NW corner of I-15 & I-10, Ontario, CA
Scandia, Victorville, CA
Mojave Narrows Regional Park, Victorville, CA (let the kids run around and see the camels and geese) [link-2] [log]
Calico Ghost Town, Yermo, CA [link-5]
Peggy Sue's Diner, Yermo, CA (have some hot fudge sundaes or root beer floats) [link-5]
Afton Canyon (let the kids run around again; sometimes wildlife is there at the river) [link-8]
log flume ride with lazer shooting gallery, Buffalo Bill's, Primm, NV [link-8] [log]
Wet 'n' Wild, Las Vegas, NV
M&M World, Las Vegas, NV [log]
Eiffel Tower at Paris, Las Vegas, NV
arcade level, Luxor Pyramid, Las Vegas, NV
Tiger & Dolphin Habitat, Mirage Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Star Trek Experience, Hilton Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV

M&M's World, Las Vegas, NV

Detours

wooden Indian, Wig Wam Motel, Rialto, CA

On Interstate 15:

when Victorville to Barstow is blocked, take old Route 66 through Oro Grande (stop in Helendale and see the Burlesque Museum)
when Barstow to Baker is blocked, take I-40 through Newberry Springs to Kelbaker Rd., then north to Baker (stop in Newberry Springs and see the Bagdad Cafe on old Route 66, famous for the movie of the same name; also be sure to spot the newly-restored Kelso Depot)
when Baker to Las Vegas is blocked, take Cal. SR-127 north to Tecopa, east onto Furnace Creek Rd., northeast on Old Spanish Trail Highway through Emigrant Pass (stop and enjoy the view) to Nevada SR-160 east to Las Vegas
when Baker to Cima Rd. is blocked, take Kelbaker Rd. south to Cima Rd. north (a great route for trainwatching the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad on the Cima Rd.)
when Cajon Pass is blocked, take Cal. SR-138 west towards Wrightwood to Phelan, then take Phelan Rd. east to return to I-15 north (watch for the tilted Mormon Rocks as you leave I-15),
or, take SR-138 east towards Silverwood Lake, then Arrowhead Lake Road north until it changes to Main Street in Hesperia and turns west; follow it back to I-15 north (you'll follow the Mojave River out of the San Bernardino Mountains into the desert; stop for a while at Mojave River Forks Regional Park).

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Last update 12:09 PM Fri. 27-Feb-2004 by ABS.