Amboy Crater

Article and pictures by Natasha Petrosova

Amboy Crater was recognized as a national Landmark in May 1973 for its geological and visual significance.  Although it is not unique Amboy crater is a great example of very symmetrical volcanic cinder cone.  

Amboy Crater is an extinct  cinder cone type of volcano that rises above 70 square kilometer lava field in Southern California.    It is located in Mojave desert of the old Route 66.     The cinder cone estimated to be 79, 000 years old.  The interior has a lava lake .  Lava flows are as old as Amboy Crater itself .  The last eruption was approximately 10,000 years ago.  Amboy Crater is one of the few extinct  volcanos along the Route 66 and the travelers from 1920s-1960s  could boast to their friends about climbing a real volcano.  After Interstate 40 was opened the visitor and tourist to this area had decreased .  

You should park your car a mile from the base. The recommended trail, according to the Bureau of Land Management, heads around the cone's western half, leading into the "breach." While it is not visible from the road, the breach, where lava burst through the newly formed fragile cone, allows easy access, via a gentle sloping path, into the cone's center.

Once inside, you can cross the center and climb to the top. Here, you will get a good picture of how this crater, which is 1,508 feet in diameter, was born.  First, lava exploded into the air, with the larger pieces falling immediately around the vent, breaking through where the breach is visible. Also noticeable inside the cone are small circles where later volcanic events occurred.  As you explore further , you'll notice that some of the rocks are porous, as you expect igneous rocks to be, but others are smooth, a phenomenon caused by the differing amount of steam held in the flowing lava. Also evident are lava "bombs," lava that was thrown out of the volcano and cooled during a flight to form egg-shaped rocks.

In this panorama, you may feel that you are the only human left on earth, but you are not.  Remember that Amboy is right  down the road.  But at the same time, you are most likely to be as close to solitude as you would ever be.  

Ludlow : The Town that Died Twice

Ludlow 

Article and photography bt Natasha Petrosova

Ludlow is one of the small towns that stands along the historic route 66 .  Route 66 was called a "Mother Road" - stretching from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California.  This 2448 mile road opened in 1926 and was not completely paved till 1937.  It crossed 8 states and three times zones,  Songs were written about it " Get your Kicks on Route 66" and 1960's television series was inspired by this iconic road.  

Towns that had sprung up were deserted when Route 66 was replaced by more modern four-plus-lane highways, which became very necessary as America became more prosperous and mobile.    

It said that town Ludlow died not only once but twice, although today there are still about 10 residents that reside there.  Ludlow was first established in 1882 as a water stop on the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad and named after rail car repairman Wiliam B. Ludlow.    

When the gold was discovered in the nearby Bagdad-Chase Mine in 1900 the town really took off.  The first samples milled from the mine yielded about 17, 000 per one thousand tons of ore so mine production stepped up.   However , there was not enough water at the actual mine to process the ore, Ludlow was famously known to be short on water , so water had to be shipped out via the Ludlow -Southern Railroad, beginning 1903.  From Ludlow, the ore was transferred to the mill in Barstow.  

Bagdad-Chase Mine was declared the town of Rochester and later Steadman as a "closed camp " where no liquor or women were allowed.  This gave Ludlow another boost because the miners came to town on Saturday night for entertainment.  Most of the town of Ludlow was owned by Murphy Brothers.  Another entrepreneur was known as Mother Preston, owned several buildings in town, including a store, hotel, boarding house, saloon cafe, pool hall and three homes.   She was known to be a good businesswoman and an expert poker player  Later on she sold to Murphy Brothers and retired in France.  

When borax was discovered in the area, Francis Marion " Borax: Smith built a railroad which ran from Ludlow to Beatty , Nevada.  The Railroad , the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad , was 169 miles long .  Three railroads running through Ludlow really benefited the town for as long as the mines were operational .  but unfortunately , it did not last forever.  

The Pacific Coast Borax Company started shutting down its operations in 1927-1928 , so the need for the T&T railroad declined , with the coming Depression rapidly drove to complete dismiss.  The Railroad line ceased operations in 1933 and by 1943 the tracks had been torn up.  The Ludlow _Southern Railroad had ceased its operations in 1916 , but not because gold mining operations declined.  Bagdad-Chase mine produced half of all the gold mined in San Bernardino County from 1880-1970.  

After two railroads ceased their operation , Ludlow began to decline.  However the opening of Route 66 made the town  thrive again  However,  when I-40 was built , the town was by -passed and Ludlow died again for the second time.  Today remains of first and second ghost town of Ludlow still stand: a shell of the Ludlow Mercantile Company ( originally Mother Preston's and then Murphy Brothers), railroad tracks, a neglected cemetery and the old Ludlow Cafe  and a post office. 

There is also Ludlow cafe , a motel and a gas station that still open and serve like a nice rest stop for refreshments and fuel .  

Ludlow Mercantile Company (originally Mother Preston’s and then the Murphy Brothers)

back of the building

interior

railroad tracks

abandoned house

 the ruins

Ludlow cemetary 

Junk cars graveyard

fallen down house

 Ludlow Post Office

post office interior

 Old Garage 

 interior

 Ludlow cafe 

Interior 

Ludlow Cafe still open 

Ludlow 

Town of Newberry Springs

abandoned house

Article and pictures by Natasha Petrosova 

The History of Newberry Springs can be dated back to 20, 000yerars.  Digs at the Early Man site found tools here dating prior to 20, 000 BC.  Back in a day  , most of this land was covered by the prehistoric  Lake Manix.  then, around 18, 000 BC , a massive earthquake caused the lake to be drained through what is now known as Afton Canyon  , also known as a Grand Canyon of the Mojave.  Early humans are thought to lived and hunted here where the swamps and marshes remained.  Because of a lot of water and food the region was inhabited throughout the centuries by various indigenous peoples  .  Modern man now enjoys the underground water source for both agriculture and recreation .  

First settlers discovered the oasis following old Indian trails.  It was in 1885, shortly after Santa Fe railroad laid tracks here, that the site began to supply potable water for arid points east, filling the tanks at section houses used by the steam locomotives.  at that time the town was called Water.  The completion of Route 66 further helped the area to grow.   The town by then was called Newberry.  Its water supply was a welcome respite for travelers on Route 66.  1950s were Newberry's hey-days and the town had five gas stations, four motels , five cafes, three bars, one grocery store, a general store and even a public swimming pool. During this period , Walter Knott, of Knott's Berry Farm , contracted with local farmers  here to supply the chickens for his famous restaurant in Buena Park.  In 1967 The town's name was changed from Newberry to Newberry Springs because the original name was causing confusion with mail often ending up in Newberry Park, California. 

After Interstate 40 was completed it was a deathblow to Newberry Springs as well as many small towns along Route 66.  Today Newberry Springs serves local and adventurous people who wander off the Interstate.  It is a nice stop for rest and refreshments.  Newberry Springs is also famous for its Bagdad Cafe from 1988 movie of the same name and serves as one of the road site attractions.  

abandoned houses 

It seems that someone was building this house and then juts stopped  

this dog from near by house was following us , i fell in love with him and wanted to take him home.

 would of been nice kitchen 

 living room 

 Bagdad cafe from the movie "Bagdad Cafe" 

abandoned motel from the movie "Bagdad Cafe "

 pitbull behind the fence on a metal chain seemed dangerous 

abandoned gas station 

 abandoned house 

 interior

 bedroom , we had a feeling that someone started living here 

 kitchen? 

 outside shower 

 fire place on a patio was a nice touch 

front patio