We are driving from Vegas to LA in the next few days and are looking for any ideas of worthwhile places to visit that might provide an overnight stop.
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We are driving from Vegas to LA in the next few days and are looking for any ideas of worthwhile places to visit that might provide an overnight stop.
The two best attractions, in my opinion, are Edwards Air Force Base and the Mojave National Preserve. But neither provide comfortable accommodations. Really the only useable overnight location that I'm aware of is Barstow, although you can probably find roadside motels along I-15. Hopefully, others who have done this drive while taking more time than the minimum required to blast through will share their experiences.
AZBuck
If you are just taking the direct way there, Barstow is a pretty decent little town, and with its Route 66 History, there are plenty of little mom and pop motels. You've also got some other little desert oasis towns like Baker which are nice little places to look around, stretch, and pay $4 per gallon for gas.
Vegas to LA is about 5 hours, if memory serves. For overnight stops along the way? Hmmm..
- Swing north into Death valley, staying either in Furnance Creek area, or somewhere like Ridgecrest (on the far side of DV). Amargosa, before you get to Death Valley, has a funky hotel with a bit of history in it.. but its pretty small. It's very doable to drive from Death Valley to LA in a day -- I've done it -- but its still about 5-6 hours drive time (plus stops).
- Swing south from Vegas through Needles and head west. One route would be to cut west and south either through Amboy or at Vidal Junction to go through Joshua Tree National Park. That's really seeing the back side of the desert -- but all the roads are paved and last time I drove the Amboy/ 29 Palms link the roads were in very good shape. There are hotels in the 29 Palms and Yucca Valley/ Joshua Tree area, but not in the park. If you went farther south, following the Colorado River to Blythe, you could see the Indian Intaligos north of Blythe, and then cut west via the Palm Springs area where there are lots of hotels, some VERY nice.
- For a funky place to stay, that's not too far out of the way (but only an hour short of LA...), there's the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA. It's actually one of my favorite old hotels, with lots of interesting things to see (and a 3 star restaurant). That's off the main route Vegas to LA -- just swing slightly east on the 215 to catch the 91 freeway south and then west into LA area.
Well, I am writing a book on this very topic.... The problem is that is going to be very, very warm the next few days and many of really cool places awaiting discovery will be just too hot for casual stop-overs.Quote:
Originally Posted by anne bradburn
I can tell you that the stretch of road between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is probably the most under-appreciated section of highway in America. Literally within 1/2 mile of the traffic lanes are the "locations" of three lost gold mines, a bunch of zinc and silver mines...
One of the places I would suggest, (because it is air-conditioned.) is the Vistor Center at the Kelso Railroad station. From Las Vegas, get off of I-15 at Nipton Road and head east, when you get to Morning Star Mine Road, turn south (entering the Mojave National Preserve) and proceed to the historic town of Cima (where the road changes its name to Kelso Cima Road) and follow the train tracks to the southwest. (Great photo ops at the old Cima town site). Go on down to the Kelso Depot and check out the exhibits -- excellent, excellent exhibits.
From Kelso, head north on the Kelbaker Road -- pasing through an edge of the Cinder Cone Lava Beds and stop for a Greek snack at the Mad Greek restaurant. Also get a photo of the tallest thermometer in Baker!
When you reach the agricultural inspection station (on I-15 near the town of Yermo) look over to your left (south side of the highway) you will see a community with boat slips in the back yard -- it turns out that the water table from the Mojave River is quite high here and there are a dozen world-class water-skiing resorts in the area.
If you get off the road at Ghost Town Road, you can go visit Calico -- once owned by Knott's Berry Farm, it is a county park today and has some interesting stuff. Also on the south side of the road is Peggy Sue's Diner, decent food and lots of Americana stuff.
The Mojave River Desert Museum is sort of interesting in Barstow.
There is a section of old Route 66 that makes a nice detour between Barstow and Victorville.
There is lots more -- including two nudist camps you can spot from the Interstate highway -- but this should get you started.
Mark
It helped me, Otherwise i had thought that there is only one camp.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
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