Horse with no name.

Today we crossed the desert.  That was it.  Started in Needles, ended in Barstow: all desert in between. Straightforward. No punctures, no breakdowns, no drama. Simple day trip.

Honestly.

We are not sure why exactly but we each thoroughly enjoyed it.

It was one hot day. Temperatures in the 80^o‘s when we got up for breakfast. Shorts and hats weather.  Seamus in his element.  Top class breakfast and then we were on our way.

OK: back to the start. John first awake for the first time in the trip, but only because he was woken at 05:30 by the guys next door getting ready to head off. The other two slept peacefully through it till Brendan got the show on the road at the usual 06:30. Once the ice box was resorted, we loaded up the car and then topped up the fuel tank (petrol price rose from $3.8 odd to $4.8 odd just by crossing the border).

Then we rumbled off across the desert. Fascinated by the various creatures that ran or slithered across our track. Seamus saw our only snake and insists John left it flat after we passed it. We stopped regularly for photographs and these are represented below. 

We also finally got the music right as evidenced by the videos below (Apologies to Brendan and Martin).

Despite our air conditioned comfort (96⁰ outside; 67⁰ degrees inside); we could empathise with the dust bowlers. Having crossed the Black Mountains and reached the Colorado River some despaired when faced with hundred miles more of desert and more mountains looming. Many just stopped their cars and headed into the desert. 

We, of course, stopped at the iconic Roy’s Café. Nice location. Not much of a café. Took photos and headed on.

Next stop was the site of Baghdad Café. I’m sure you have seen the cult film: Seamus’ favourite. Just a solitary tree and a pile of glass mark its location.

On then to the site (in Newberry Springs) where the film was shot. This place was practically deserted when we arrived. I immediately regretted not having stopped in Ludlow for coffee.  Baghdad Café seems to be run by as eclectic a group of characters now as it was in the film.  Large menu was mainly a work of fiction. Customers ordering food seemed to come as a surprise. No coke left. No straws for malts. No fruit pies left.    To be honest the place is a little run down not to say grubby.  Then the hordes of tourists started to arrive. They piled into the café, took millions of photos, purchased loads of t-shirts and departed in time for the next gang to arrive. The few people strolling with food in the café almost went unnoticed. Odd: must watch the film again.

After Baghdad it was a pleasant run through the undulating Route 66 into Barstow. We checked into a wonderful room in the Hampton Court after a democratic discussion on the merits or otherwise of the older ‘quaint’ motel.

We had one of our best steak dinners of the trip so far at the Idle Spurs restaurant.

Tomorrow we should reach Santa Monica and the end of Route 66. We – and Spot -will keep in touch (Don’t worry if we start heading north: we intend diverting for a few miles to get in another Hard Rock!).

This would give us a few days in LA.

In the meantime don’t tuck your T-Shirt into your trousers!   

Not all the bugs escaped!