Cross Country Richmond to San Diego and Back: Days 8-9.
We were crossing the Colorado River, on Arizona Rt.#72N when suddenly, like magic, it appeared: The Modern Day Iron Horse emblazoned with the screaming red and yellow Santa Fe Railroad logo pushing across the Mojave desert. One could almost hear Judy Garland singing “The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe”
“Do ya hear that whistle down the line?
I figure that its engine number forty-nine
she’s the only one that’ll sound that way
On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.”
Here it was, in all its blazing glory, the settler of the West, and the uniter of the United States—the Railroad. All that was missing was the haunting sound of a locomotive’s steam whistle.
This is Day 8 of our road trip to San Diego to attend a military change of command ceremony. Up to this moment, our cross country drive had focused on landmarks and singular US history events: The Devils Crossroads, Dealy Plaza, the Alamo, the Riverwalk, Roswell, the landscapes of the Sonora Desert and White Sands national monument.
Seeing that long, strung out train encapsulated in the shimmering heat waves rising from the Mojave Desert, added a new dimension to the trip-the Railroad–the centerpiece of America’s historic transportation evolvement.
It is easy, in this modern era of automobiles and planes, to forget the Train. Seeing it you are immediately transported to another time and place: steam engines, cowboys, Indians, Butch Cassidy, and John Wayne. The realization overwhelms you: this is the West.
The railroads revolutionized transportation. They made it possible to travel long distances in days, not weeks or months. In the 1800s this was a big deal, or as Steven Ambrose’s book title stated there was “Nothing Like It In The World.” No, if and’s or buts, the railroad settled the west.
We didn’t realize at the time, but within the hour we were about to encounter another historic icon of American Travel, the “Mother Road” of the United States–Rt. #66 sometimes referred to as the “Main Street of America.” Rt. #66 running from Chicago to Santa Monica, California fueled the Great American Road Trip with a car. Hallelujah.
In search of reasonably priced gas, before hitting California, we exited Interstate#40 and wandered along mountainous Rt. #66 to Oatman, Arizona. Oatman is a historic mining town with burros wandering the main street. Continuing on Rt#66 to Kingman is not a drive for the faint of heart. Its twisties, switchbacks and rugged vistas are custom made for a great motorcycle ride, but one can hardly imagine a car pulling an “Airstream Clipper” up and over these mountains. Great Brakes would be mandatory heading down the mountain. Fear would be your passenger doing it in the dark.
We were running out of daylight and Needles, California had the only accommodations for miles. Needles is a historic railroad town that time has passed by. But here, jumping out from the highway sign was a name lost to the footnotes of railroad history east of the Mississippi—Fred Harvey. A majority of Americans would ask, “Who is Fred Harvey?”
Fred Harvey created the first national chain of restaurants; of hotels; of newsstands and bookstores; “Fred Harvey” created the first chain of anything in America according to History. “Fred Harvey” was the first widely known and respected brand name in America. Fred Harvey was Walt Disney before Disneyland and Ray Kroc before McDonald’s. Simply put Fred Harvey is the founding father of the American Service Industry.
It is routinely quoted that “The railroad settled the west, but Fred Harvey civilized it.” While railroads united East and West creating the “Sea to Shining Sea” concept, it was Fred Harvey, his restaurants, hotels and “Harvey Girls” who civilized it-hence his recognition as the “Civilizer of the West.” Before Fred Harvey, it was the Wild, Wild West. Initially, the train ride west was an arduous, treacherous journey, with pathetic, primitive services. The visionary Harvey invented comfortable travel, superb service, and fresh food for the long journey–he made it palatable. Fred and his girls were the real deal before Judy Garland, Angela Lansbury, and the movie.
For the remainder of our journey, Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe Railroad would ride along with us.
After spending the night, we left Needles after quickly viewing “El Garces” a non-descript renovation of a Harvey Hotel. About an hour later on West I-40 we took exit 78 for Kelbacker Road heading for Kelso, a railroad ghost town with one spectacularly renovated depot. We wandered along the tracks and the remnants of the town checking out the abandoned post office and the jail. It was an enjoyable side trip back in time.
We then headed back to I-40, destination the Mojave desert town of Barstow, California, named for the visionary President of the Santa Fe Railroad in the late 1800’s-William Barstow Strong. Located here is a restored “Harvey House” gem- The Casa Del Desierto (meaning “House of the Desert”). The hostess for the site was top shelf. She knew her history; she was pleasant and gave us a guided tour of the building. The history of the Southwest and the railroad just oozed from her, the setting and the building. This is a must see for anyone traveling I-40 in California.
This would be the last of the Harvey House’s on the way to San Diego. There is a historic, operational, Santa Fe Depot in San Diego, that once featured a Fred Harvey company lunch counter and dining room, but we were unaware of it during our visit. There would be more historic Fred Harvey locations on our journey east.
Having picked up our maps and information at the Depot, which serves as the visitor’s center for the Mojave National Preserve, we headed out into the high desert (Called the high desert even though Death Valley, the lowest elevation in North America, is here). The Mojave is the driest desert in North America. Its boundaries are noted by the presence of Joshua Trees native only to the Mojave Desert. We headed toward 29 Palms and the Joshua Tree National Park.
The drive from Barstow to 29 Palms features rugged vistas, rocks, and landscapes. Coming from the Eastern Seaboard it is a startling treat for the visual senses.
Tomorrow we will arrive at our Western Terminus, San Diego, after a morning visit to Joshua Tree National Park. Then, unbeknownst to us at the time, we would relive a movie moment on arriving at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar which Navy pilots, back in the day, simply called “Top Gun.” We will need our Tom Cruise Top Gun Hat, sun-glasses and Kelly Mcgillis to play our part
Leave a Reply