Ludlow, Newberry Springs, and Daggett, California

California’s Mojave Desert continues past the “alphabet towns” all the way to the Cajon Pass outside San Bernadino. The landscape continues to be beautiful but desolate, and the towns struggle in the harsh conditions.

When we visited in October 2022, Route 66 between Amboy and Ludlow was closed to all traffic because of bridge washouts. So from Amboy we took Kelbaker Road north to I-40, then took I-40 west to Ludlow. Ludlow feels like an oasis, even though it’s almost a ghost town. There is gas here, and we had lunch at the Ludlow Café. It was our first opportunity for a sit-down meal since Needles.

Ludlow Cafe

The Ludlow Café is a great example of mid-century Googie (space age) architecture. But the interior has more of an Old West vibe. I hope that someday the interior can get a mid-century modern renovation to complement the building's soaring design.

Interior of the Ludlow Cafe

After lunch we drove east on Route 66 (National Trails Highway or CA 66). In a few hundred feet we reached several abandoned buildings—the part of Ludlow that’s a ghost town. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to learn much about the stories of the buildings here. 

The first building we saw was an abandoned service station on the left (north) side of the road. It was once a Whiting Brothers service station, offering a lot of services including--if you look carefully at the column between the two service bays--arc welding!

Former Whiting Brother service station in Ludlow

Across the street is a motel cabin, the last one of a set of cabins that once ran along the road.

Former motel cabin in Ludlow

Past the Whiting Brothers service station is another old gas station with a dramatic "gull wing" canopy.

Across the road from this second gas station is the former Ludlow post office. 

Former Ludlow post office

The post office was also the motel office for the cabins that were once here. The empty sign looks like an old gas station sign. Maybe there was also once a gas station on this side of the street.

We went back to the Ludlow Café and turned right (north) to cross I-40. We then turned left (west) to continue on Route 66, which runs along the north side of I-40. 

Route 66 west of Ludlow

In about 6 miles, Route 66 turns left (south) to cross I-40, then turns right to continue west on the south side of I-40. In another 2 miles, Route 66 crosses the railroad.

Route 66 railroad crossing west of Ludlow

Route 66 runs along the south side of the railroad for a bit.

Route 66 between Ludlow and Newberry Springs (through a smudged windshield)

But soon the railroad turns away to head northwest and cross I-40. Route 66 now parallels I-40.

Route 66 east of Newberry Springs, with I-40 on the right

As we approached Newberry Springs, we started to see some lava fields.

Lava fields along Route 66 east of Newberry Springs

A few hundred feet past Oriente Drive on the right (north) side of Route 66 is the long-closed Whiting Brothers Dry Creek gas station, now behind a chain link fence. It still has its original gas pumps.

Former Whiting Brothers Dry Creek gas station in Newberry Springs

About a quarter mile past the Dry Creek gas station, also on the right (north) side of Route 66 is the Bagdad Café, closed at the time I write this (May 2023). Yes, the movie Bagdad Café was filmed here and, no, this is not the town Bagdad. Bagdad, California, is a now-vanished town between Amboy and Ludlow, along one of the stretches of Route 66 that were closed when we visited.

Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs

About 2 miles after the Bagdad Café, Route 66 crosses to the north side of I-40 and rejoins the railroad, running along the railroad's south side.

Route 66 west of Newberry Springs, with the railroad on the right

About 11 miles after crossing to the north side of I-40, we reached the town of Daggett. For two years—until 1928—Route 66 was on the north side of the railroad tracks, so we turned right (north) on Daggett-Yermo Road to cross the tracks to see it. We turned right (east) on Santa Fe Street, which was the original Route 66.

We immediately made a little detour, turning right (north) on 1^st Street. On the left is the former Alf’s Blacksmith Shop.

Alf's Blacksmith Shop in Daggetts

Alf’s was built in 1894. It’s where 20-mule-team borax wagons were built, like the one we saw in Needles.

We continued east on Santa Fe Street another block. On the northeast corner of Santa Fe Street and Mill Street is Desert Market.

Former Ryerson's General Store in Daggett, now Desert Market

Desert Market was once Ryerson’s General Store. After a fire in 1908 destroyed Daggett’s commercial district, Ryerson’s was rebuilt with cement.

To the right of Desert Market are two vacant buildings.

Former People's General Store and Stone Hotel in Daggett

The wooden building on the left is People’s General Store, built in the early 1900s (presumably after the 1908 fire). The building on the right is the former Stone Hotel. It was built in the 1870s or 1880s as a 2-story hotel. After the 1908 fire, it was rebuilt as a 1-story hotel.

Half a block past the Stone Hotel, on the right, is Fout’s Garage.

Former Fout's Garage in Daggett

Fout’s was built in another town in the 1880s and moved here in 1896. It was first a livery stable, then a garage.

We returned to the post-1928 Route 66 (CA 66). On the southwest corner of Route 66 and A Street is a building called the Russian House, with a fascinating roof line.

Russian House in Daggett

To the right (west) of the Russian House is the former Mugwumps Service Station, built in the 1950s.

 

Former Mugwumps Service Station in Daggett

We continued west on Route 66 for two more miles. Route 66 runs through what is now the Barstow Marine Corps Logistics Base, which means that it’s closed to the public. So we had to detour around the base on I-40. We turned left (south) on Nebo Street and immediately got on I-40 west. In about 3 miles, we took the exit for East Main Street. We were back on Route 66, ready to continue our Route 66 adventure in Barstow.