I got my kicks on Route 66!!

We left Las Vegas after 6 days - yes we loved it THAT much... LOL... to Lake Mead and Hoover Dam and towards Sedona in Arizona, that was our next big goal.

As closer we came to the Dam, there were signs to see like the one in the photo above and believe it or not, a man in uniform came really inside of our camper and looked around five seconds - and left! That was the whole inspection! :)

Hoover Dam,
originally known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada. When completed in 1935, it was both the world's largest electric-power generating station and the world's largest concrete structure. It was surpassed in both these respects by the Grand Coulee Dam in 1945. It is currently the world's 35th-largest hydroelectric generating station.

This dam, located 30 miles (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, is named after Herbert Hoover, who played an instrumental role in its construction, first as the Secretary of Commerce and then later as the President of the United States. Construction began in 1931 and was completed in 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule. The dam and the power plant are operated by the Bureau of Reclamation of the U.S. Department of the Interior. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, Hoover Dam was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1985.

Lake Mead is the reservoir created behind the dam, named after Elwood Mead, who oversaw the construction of the dam. The lakes water level is way below the usual line.

The Hoover Dam Bypass Project

(which includes the New Colorado Bridge) is a complex project made up of four miles of roadway (two lanes in each direction), eight bridges, wildlife crossings, a 2,000 foot-long bridge over the Colorado River and various pedestrian and visitor improvements. Because of the magnitude of this project, it will be constructed in four distinct phases: the Arizona Approach, the Nevada Approach, the Colorado River Bridge, and final roadway surfacing. Construction of the Arizona approach has begun followed by the Nevada Approach in mid-2003 and Colorado River Bridge in late 2003. The entire Hoover Dam Bypass Project is expected to be complete in 2007 at a cost of $234 million.

Construction is well underway on the Hoover Dam Bypass Project: both the Arizona and the Nevada Approaches are finished and construction on the Colorado River Bridge is steadily progressing!

Colorado River water irrigates more than a million acres of land in the U.S., and nearly half a million acres

in Mexico. The water helps meet the municipal and industrial needs of over 14 million people. As it passes through Hoover's turbines, the water generates low-cost hydroelectric power for use in Nevada, Arizona and California. About 4 billion kilowatt-hours of energy, enough for 500,000 homes.

This is the Road 95 going from Boulder City to Los Angeles

Then we drove trough these steep and hilly roads in Arizona trough wonderful landscapes (The State of Arizona begins after the Hoover Dam again)

Pretty landscapes like this....

...or this here! It was breathtaking - once more!

Just beautiful!

This was made with my 300mm lens... it's one side arm of Lake Mead within the mountains

We arrived in Seligman, AZ - the birthplace of historic "Route 66". We took a closer look into this little almost forgotten town, and we did not regret our decision! I always wanted to see a piece of the legendary Route 66

In the early Route 66 years,
Seligman accommodated many travelers with motor courts galore. Seligman is the beginning of the remaining 158 mile stretch of Old Route 66 to Topock and is rich in scenic and historic value.
Today a visit to this small town is a step back in time and tourism is still an important part of the economy.

There are stores like this "Return to the 50's"

Also James Dean is back to life on Route 66

The best gift shop in Seligman - you can get everything "Route 66"!!!

The original Barber shop, still in his originality, only the barber is no more there

Hundreds of business cards are hanging everywhere or just stiched to the walls. But not only business cards, also notes, photos, even real money from visitors of foreign countries are hanging on the walls. A very special place, indeed! I love it!

Souvenirs, souvenirs - with Route 66 design, of course!

And then a feast for the eyes were also these old cars: an old Dodge...

... or this old Chevy...

... or this old rusty car that has seen the golden ages of Route 66, I'm sure!

And then this old gasoline pump station here - just beautiful! Nostalgia, nostalgia...all the dreams come back to life, right? :))

I got my kicks, on Route 66!

Hi my friends,

I hope you've enjoyed my post here today!

Of course, we will visit more pieces of this legendary "Route 66", it's to great!

We drove from Seligman to Flagstaff Arizona and the next morning we went to Sedona. I'll show you some photos from that beautiful place tomorrow or so... :))

Stay tuned with me!
Susanne and David

Going to a Ghost Town in the Mojave Desert

After driving trough the big and hot Mojave desert we arrived in the ghost town of CALICO


Calico

was developed in 1881 during the largest silver strike in California. Located at the side of towering King Mountain, the town was named for the variety of colors in the mountain that were "as purty as a gal's calico skirt." Calico boomed during 1881-1896; but the end came to the silver rush in 1896 and by 1904 Calico had become a ghost town.
Today the historic silver mining town lives on as one of the few original Old West mining camps. One-third of Calico's original structures still stand; the remaining buildings have been carefully reconstructed to capture the Old West spirit. Walk Main Street and experience the life of the townspeople; see the blacksmith shop, the old school house, and do a little gold panning of your own.

Tour Maggie's Mine and visit the Mystery Shack, a tilted house that let's you observe water running uphill. You can take a ride around town on a narrow gauge mining train.
Main Street is lined with mercantile stores - from the General Store to the Apothecary. Be sure to pick up a souvenir for family and friends back home.
Calico provides full and partial camping hook-ups, camping cabins and bunkhouses located at the base of town.

After a not so quiet night in a Truck stop place in Wasco we left towards Bakersfield and up into the Tehachapi Reservation area. The mountains there reminded me very much to Irelands endless green hills, very nice!

Two cows in a pretty landscape

Finally, the sun started to shine trough the clouds and put these rolling hills in a beautiful, spooky scenery

A pastoral scene - cows again :)

The Santa Fe Railroad is searching slowly his way trough the hills of the Tehachapi mountains

Tehachapi
is a city incorporated in 1909 located in its namesake Tehachapi Mountains between Bakersfield and Mojave in Kern County, California. The area is known for its Tehachapi Loop, Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm, proximity to Edwards Air Force Base, and excellent environment for gliding. A maximum security prison, the California Correctional Institution, also known as the Tehachapi State Prison, has long been located in the area. The population was 10,957 at the 2000 census. As of 2006 the total population of the Tehachapi area is estimated at 35,000 including surrounding areas. The populated places in the vicinity of the incorporated City of Tehachapi include Golden Hills, Old Town, Bear Valley Springs, Stallion Springs, Oak Knolls, Alpine Forest Park, Mountain Meadows, Cummings Valley, Brite Valley, Old West Ranch, Sand Canyon, Keene, and Hart Flat. The Greater Tehachapi Area has a 25-mile (40 km) radius. Tehachapi's Elevation ranges from 3,969 feet (1,210 m) to 7,981 feet (Double Mountain).

The headquarters of the United Farm Workers, a national farmworker's organization that was founded and led by Cesar Chavez, is located 10 miles (20 km) to the west at Keene. In April 2004 the National Chavez Center opened to the public.

The area in and around the city is also known for its apple orchards, though these have decreased in recent decades. Its four seasons climate and rural ambiance has of late attracted retirees to the city. The late actor Jack Palance of City Slickers fame lived on a ranch just north of the Stallion Springs area.

While less than 120 miles (190 km) to the north-east of Los Angeles, Tehachapi maintains a distinctively rural atmosphere. Currently, there are only five traffic signals within or near the city limits. Ranches with horses as well as homes on large areas are common in the areas surrounding the city of Tehachapi. In addition, a number of flora and fauna reside in the area and include the California Poppy (state flower), California quail (state bird), Mojave green rattlesnake, mountain lion (cougar), bobcat, deer, and wild boar to name just a few.

Tehachapi Pass

The east and south area of the Tehachapi Pass has one of California's larger Wind farms, generating electricity. The turbines have been in place since the early 1980s and have been upgraded through the years. The original wind turbines were much smaller than the much taller and larger new version turbines now sited for use. They are easily seen from State Route 58 and from Tehachapi-Willow Springs Road.

In a recent move, Southern California Edison plans to secure 1,500 megawatts (MW) or more of power generated from new projects to be built in the Tehachapi area. The 2006 contract, which more than doubles SCE’s wind energy portfolio, envisions more than 50 square miles (130 km2) of wind parks in the Tehachapi region, which is triple the size of any existing U.S. wind farm.

Barstow is a desert town, located at the old Route66 in California

Once a small mining center and railroad town in California's Mojave Desert, Barstow is located at the junction of 3 major highways -- Interstate 15, Interstate 40 and State Highway 58. It is centrally located in the western Mojave at the entrance to the Mojave National Preserve and is home of the U.S. Army National Training Center, Marine Corps Logistics Base, NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Network and Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad Yards.

All the old Motels on Route 66 - I bet they have seen better times than today!

The same train that we have seen in the Tehachapi region before is arrived also in the Mojave desert

Some people like to collect old junk!

The Little San Bernardino Mountains
are short peninsular range in southern California in the United States. They extend for approximately 40 mi (64 km) southeast from the San Bernardino Mountains through San Bernardino and Riverside counties to the northeast edge of the Salton Sea. The range separates the Coachella Valley on the west from the Mojave Desert on the east. The peaks vary in height from approximately 4,000-5,000 ft (1,200-1,650 m). The range highpoint is Quail Mountain (California), elevation 5,813' (1,772 m). The popular resort community of Palm Springs sits to the west of the range in the Coachella Valley.

After long hours driving we have seen finally our place to go for the night: CALICO, a ghost town in the mountains of the Mojave desert!
(have a look at the collage in the first picture)

Only three miles up to the hills....

Arrived!! And this was the very affordable, small campground for the night - and we were not the only one there

And this was the beautiful view down into the Mojave desert's sandy valley

Hi my friends,

I have to say it again and again:
I want thank you very much for all your visits and comments to my last postings.

Me too, I like the rural landscapes much better than big cities with all the crazy traffics :)
And this country has so much to offer, the landscapes are always beautiful and changing so much to more better scenes than before! I'm very impressed and often overwhelmed about that what I'm seeing!

All the pictures, or maybe 90% of all the pictures I shoot them out from the car while we are driving - it's not often easy to stop and if we would have done that, we would have been never come that far :) and soon I'll show you pictures about "Sin City" - a city to love or to hate... I LOVE it!

Stay tuned with me,
Susanne and David

Leaving Solvang to Wasco,CA

The next day we were leaving Solvang and we have visited also Los Olivos in the charming Santa Ynez Valley

This charming historic town of 1,000 residents is located in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. Recognized for its expansive views in the center of Santa Barbara's 50 wineries and horse ranches, it is a rewarding and relaxing village to visit.
Los Olivos
is noted for its eclectic art galleries, wine tasting, unique shopping, epicurean restaurant opportunities, antiques and generally friendly populace.
Many of the downtown and residential buildings date back one-hundred years when Los Olivos was served by a stage line and the Pacific Coast Railway. Our historical ambiance is preserved by a Victorian architectural overlay.

Old olive trees are growing in between the vineyards

Nice geometric field structures to see towards the Santa Maria Valley

Santa Maria Valley

As much as rocky coastlines and golden hillsides conjure up visions of California, the sight of sprawling vineyards bring to mind the state's unique landscape. It is no surprise that wine grapes have become Santa Barbara County's first-ranked agricultural crop, with 19,000 acres of vineyards spanning 50 miles of scenic countryside. Though area wineries produce numerous superb vintages, many experts and critics consider Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah to be among the best in the world.
There are many ways to savor Santa Maria Valley wines. A favorite way is to enjoy wine tasting on the beautiful Santa Maria Valley Wine Trail.

The Santa Maria Valley possesses the rare geographic feature of being an east-west running valley. This valley channels cool ocean air into the region, creating mild temperatures year-round. The area is also blessed with a growing season that is approximately four weeks longer than most other California wine growing regions. The unusually long growing season and cool summer temperatures combine for slow maturation and long "hangtime" of the grapes. In addition, the Santa Maria Valley has porous, extremely well drained soil which restricts vine vigor and forces the plant to focus its energy on fruit development. The result of all of these factors is more intensely flavored and well-balanced wines.

A "Welcome" sign to taste the vine in the Santa Maria Valley Vineyards

Grape vine everywhere - it makes a very nice pattern too

We arrived at the coast close to Pismo Beach

Why do the Californian people build their houses so far out to the edges?

After the beach the road went up again over the hills into other vineyards

Welcome to El Paso de Robles, or "Pass of the Oaks", a community of 29,950 nestled in the coastal mountain range of central California, where the values and riches of the past are interwoven with the future. Located close to mountains, beaches, and deserts, it is home to one of the United States’ greatest wine growing areas and a growing number of hot springs resorts.

Zinfandel producers and enthusiasts come together for a weekend of wine in March, food and celebration of California's heritage variety.
http://www.prcity.com/

The City of Paso Robles has a long history with both wine and healing waters. Situated midway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it is also a gateway to thriving metropolitan areas north, south and east.

We had to change from 101 to #46 to get to Wasco - our next goal for the evening. But before arriving in Wasco we had to pass this steep road up to the Lost Hills.

On This Very Spot on September 30, 1955, James Dean was traveling east on Route 46 on his way to race his Porsche at the Salinas, California airport. Donald Turnupseed, a student at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, was traveling in the opposite direction in his white 1950 Ford Custom Tudor coupe. Turnupseed crossed the center line to go northeast on Route 41, apparently failing to see Dean's grey car in the gathering dusk. At 5:45 p.m., the two cars collided nearly head-on, and Dean was killed instantly. Dean had received a speeding ticket around Bakersfield, but whether he was speeding at the time of the accident is uncertain. No charges were filed against Turnupseed. Just days before, James Dean had taped a television public service announcement on safe driving.

Going up the hills we have seen such beautiful landscapes like these hills in their amazing pastel colors of purple, yellow and soft green...

...or this pretty geometric patterns and the different greens

... or these long purple shadows of the trees

The first oil drilling were appearing - and people working hard in the strawberry fields

We arrived finally in Lost Hills

The town is at the intersection of State Route 46 and Lost Hills Road. The enormous Lost Hills Oil Field, which is sixth largest by remaining reserves in California, is west and northwest of town, extending about ten miles (16 km) along the range of low hills for which the town was named.

Down in the flat was Wasco located, where we stayed for the night on a truck stop. In the pictures you see the pink blooming almond trees

Once named "Dewey" and also "Deweyville", the City was renamed to "Wasco" in 1900. The proposal to rename the city came from a settler, William Bonham, from Wasco County, Oregon, who recognized that the name "Deweyville" was already in use.
One of Wasco's major economic centers is its agriculture, specifically in the growing of roses. 55% of all roses grown in the United States are grown in or around Wasco.


Hi my friends,

Thanks again for all the wonderful comments, I appreciate that very much!
Stay tuned for the next etappes of our travels!
Soon we will arrive in "Viva Las Vegas" :))

Susanne and David