On my first journey down this historic road in late 2011, I knew that I was in for an adventure, but I did not know just what it was that I would see. I had seen the abandoned gas stations, the decaying structures, the old motel rooms, the Amboy Crater, but there was still more to see. At this point Amboy had disappeared into the rear view mirror but the desertscape was still surrounding me. I had seen this desertscape before on I-40 and now I was seeing it again but from a different vantage point. I had been seeing several miles of the road and its attendant scenery when somewhere up ahead, there loomed this abandoned restaurant that has since, to me, come to embody what Route 66 was all about.
That restaurant is the Road Runner's Retreat. I have tried some online research into this and even though you'll see some neat photographs of it, very little seems to have been documented as to its history. When was it built? When was it abandoned? What kind of food was served there? (I'm presuming hamburgers, fries, perhaps Reuben sandwiches.)
This post is solely dedicated to that interesting relic, which although is no longer in commission, it remains a favorite stopping point of the Route 66 buff.
A closeup of the sign as it appeared on 11/30/11.
Another closeup of the sign, taken on 7/16/13. Notice the nest that's on the left support.
From further away, on 11/30/11. In addition to being a stop for eats, one could also gas up here.
A view of what used to be the restaurant. This is behind a fence, for which I am grateful as that it keeps this from being hit with graffiti. Yes, I would love to have wandered up to it and gone inside, but this relic can only be enjoyed from a distance. 11/30/11.
A view of the gas station, 11/30/11.
This is the sign as you see it from the other side, looking west. 11/30/11.
Another view. The gas station was in front of me at this point. 11/30/11.
The gas station, as seen on 7/16/13.
Again, the gas station. There wasn't any lodging that was here. This was out in the middle of nowhere, about six miles west of Chambless. If you were on your way to Needles from Ludlow back in the day, this would have been a welcome sight. I'd like to think that at one time billboards were advertising it so that the eastbound travelers would have known about it upon leaving Chambless. 7/16/13.
The view from the side of the road, looking north on 7/16/13. Somewhere beyond those mountains, some twenty miles to the north, is I-40.
The gas station again, 11/30/11.
There was still more of US 66 ahead of me, but when I had first encountered this, I felt like I was really living. I enjoyed seeing downtown Victorville as well as Amboy, but being here in this spot was therapeutic in its own way. Even though the ravages of time had taken its toll on this, it made for an interesting stop.
Once again, I find myself wishing that I could go back in time and see Route 66 in its prime.
No comments:
Post a Comment