Route 66 Road Trip From Ludlow to Needles, CA

More of our series of historic Route 66 tours, this one covers the section of the Mother Road from Ludlow to Needles through California's vast Mojave Desert. It passes by the towns (or former towns of) Siberia, Bagdad, Amboy, Chambless/Cadiz, Essex, Fenner, Goffs and Klinefelter.
Episode of Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson with the residents of Essex:
• Video
#mojavedesert #route66 #route66roadtrip #barstow #needles #roadtrip

Пікірлер: 70

  • @Route66BothLanes
    @Route66BothLanes26 күн бұрын

    One of the concerns for many travelers is planning for the distances that are more desolate and without stops. It does take some planning, but we find those areas the most peaceful of all the Route.

  • @theunknownorganist3593
    @theunknownorganist359310 ай бұрын

    One of the best travel videos I've ever seen on KZread thank you so much.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    10 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the great comment!

  • @Ddax-td7qy

    @Ddax-td7qy

    3 ай бұрын

    Showing the old maps is special. A great fan of the movie "Bagdad Cafe," it has frustrated me I never have been able to find Bagdad, even detouring around out there. But your maps show Bagdad. Cool.

  • @wms7795
    @wms77953 ай бұрын

    I have traveled Route 66 good many times, and no matter how many times I travel it I always find something new to see... It's a shame that these old buildings can't be brought back... I just love traveling on The Mother Road Route 66...

  • @alanschwartz1157
    @alanschwartz115711 ай бұрын

    Let me just echo the sentiments of everyone else here; another excellent, excellent video. Through your shows, I get to see a part of our country that otherwise we'd never see. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and I've only seen a small piece of 66 up near Flagstaff. My praise and hearty thanks to all those people trying hard to keep 66 alive. I look forward to your next set of films.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Glad you're enjoying the tours! Thanks for commenting. I'll pass your comments about keeping 66 alive to the people that make it happen.

  • @BugBobsWildWorld
    @BugBobsWildWorld11 ай бұрын

    Excellent video tour! I've visited all of those areas since my early teens. In Amboy, an old timer named Buster Burris ran the Amboy Cafe. Just this week, I found at my home his business card from the early/mid-1980s.

  • @edwarddeering4934
    @edwarddeering493411 ай бұрын

    😅I have been driving this for about 50 years. your story is great I started using HWY 40 when I graduated high school. I love your story. I watched all of this occur Amboy, Chambless Fenner, etc. I have spent a night waiting for the gas station to open once. Yes, Jonny Carson DID do exactly what you said.

  • @vggalbraith5076
    @vggalbraith507611 ай бұрын

    You are now one of my favorite blogs ❤

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @gorrdd
    @gorrdd11 ай бұрын

    Thanks Cliff... very enjoyable to view and listen to. I remember when I was 22 and ran out of gas somewhere along this section. It was in August of 1973. The temperature was 118°F and the humidity was around 5%. We got a ride to a gas station and back. But when we went to fill the tank with 5 gallons of gas, the extended bumpers back then didn't allow the funnel to reach. I went out into the desert and found a piece of angle iron. We stuck that into gas tank filling hole and then trickled the better part of 5 gallons down the angle iron and into the tank... everything that didn't spill trying to hold five gallons in 118°F with just a trickle that didn't flood the channel iron. Wow... can you believe I even made it this far after that experience???🥵🙏😳 Gord

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Great story Gord! I'm sure there are plenty of other fun stories (that weren't too fun back then) that are enjoyable to hear. Glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane! Thanks for commenting.

  • @nav662007
    @nav6620078 ай бұрын

    Fantastic tour - thank you! My wife and I have done some exploring in National Trails, but I learned a lot of neat facts from your video! We will be better informed next time we hit Route 66...

  • @TheLighteningCandle-us6hb
    @TheLighteningCandle-us6hbАй бұрын

    Excellent presentation, thank you

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    Ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for commenting.

  • @dodgerfan1203
    @dodgerfan120313 күн бұрын

    Excellent information.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    8 күн бұрын

    Glad it was helpful!

  • @dragon-lf9ow
    @dragon-lf9ow11 ай бұрын

    Rout 66 is on my bucket list I would love to travel it some day

  • @Ddax-td7qy
    @Ddax-td7qy3 ай бұрын

    Never knew about this; just noticed the long grade up out of Needles on the new road. Next time, I'll take the "low road!" I'll be looking for your views of Sitgreaves Pass....

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    3 ай бұрын

    Thanks. I'm slowly working on two separate video tours covering Arizona from end to end and Sitgreaves will included.

  • @TobyCostaRica
    @TobyCostaRica8 ай бұрын

    I remember hiking Amboy crater, Piscah crater, Kelso dunes in a Geology class camping trip in 2002.

  • @jasonsmock318
    @jasonsmock31810 ай бұрын

    Thanks for that!!👍

  • @jimsage1043
    @jimsage10434 ай бұрын

    I almost did this stretch a couple years ago. I had the itch to go so my van and I left Ohio and headed west with a few side trips. Been out 5 days when I hit the California line and turned around and headed home. I think it's the only stretch of 66 I haven't done over the years.

  • @jimsage1043

    @jimsage1043

    4 ай бұрын

    PS Great video!

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    4 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @tereseday4060
    @tereseday406011 ай бұрын

    Interesting; thank you!

  • @Ducky69247
    @Ducky6924711 ай бұрын

    A good portion of this section of Route 66 (between Kelbaker and Essex/Goffs) has been closed for several years (is still closed as of this video's upload), and I'm so mad because the scenery is beautiful through Cadiz/Chambless and Fenner

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    As of April 2023, just between Essex and Chambless was closed. And even if you drive around the barriers and have a 4WD vehicle, the detours around the downed bridges are easy. Don't get mad, there simply isn't enough money to pay for the repairs. Roads with little traffic get low priority. But the money is coming in...

  • @Ducky69247

    @Ducky69247

    11 ай бұрын

    @@BackRoadsWest1 yes, but even if less of it is closed today, that still means I can't drive all the way home from Barstow on the 66, I have to take Kelbaker back to the 40 and miss everything past Amboy. I understand it's being worked on, and I felt the same way about Mitchell Caverns before they reopened it, I can still grumble about not being able to go there. I worked for Renzenberger out of Needles about 10 years ago and frequently shuttled railroad employees between Bakersfield and Winslow, so I spent a lot of time on those sections of the 66, and since I'm a lifelong Mohave Desert resident, I just love the scenery. I still make several monthly trips to Barstow and Victorville for doctor's visits, since there's nothing for us in Needles, and I miss being able to take scenic route. The 40 just isn’t scenic. I work for the Census Bureau now and occasionally have to track down addresses in the Lanfair area outside of Goffs.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    @@Ducky69247 there's so many funky gov't things with closures like Mitchell Caverns. Again, it's all about priorities, some of which I don't agree with, but I'm not elected official and I live in Utah. I've been told that story too but promptly forgot it. Wow, shuttling for BNSF between Winslow & Bakersfield. Well, while you're grumbling, think of taking other routes, like the one I pointed out thru Nipton. There was a lot of t-storms here in the Mojave over the past 2 years that affected a lot of roads in general.

  • @Ducky69247

    @Ducky69247

    11 ай бұрын

    @@BackRoadsWest1 yes, our summer monsoon season is brutal. When I worked for the Census Bureau in 2020 I also visited places like Kelso, Cima, and Nipton between the 15 and the 66/95, so I've been to almost every corner of the preserve. My favorite was the Joshua Tree grove on Cima Rd. Joshua Tree is my favorite tree, but they don't grow here along the Colorado, I think because either it's too low elevation or that there's ironically too much water for them. I have to drive almost a half hour in any direction to see them.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Yea, we really liked the Cima Dome area too (and Ivanpah Mtns). I'm sure you've seen our video on Cima: kzread.info/dash/bejne/h2yW1tKbnaaTj9o.html

  • @raildawg8338
    @raildawg833811 ай бұрын

    You always do great work! Chuck

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @mikewhitt4602
    @mikewhitt460211 ай бұрын

    Love your videos! Keep up the amazing work.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Thanks for the kudos and thanks for commenting!

  • @darylweinbrandt62
    @darylweinbrandt626 ай бұрын

    EXCELLENT narration ! INFORMATIVE !

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    6 ай бұрын

    Thank you kindly!

  • @dynamicbrakeman
    @dynamicbrakeman11 ай бұрын

    Another great video !

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Thank you!

  • @LongdistanceRider22
    @LongdistanceRider229 ай бұрын

    Excellent …

  • @deadkemper
    @deadkemper11 ай бұрын

    Great 👍 video thank you ..As a UK fan of yours I would like to point out that Essex is one of the oldest counties ( areas) of the UK ..East of London approx 1000 years old Saxon

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Thank you! Yes, I knew Essex is a region in the UK, but didn't know it was the oldest county.

  • @user-ul9rp7di4o

    @user-ul9rp7di4o

    4 ай бұрын

    I grew up here in Chambless. All this area was my backyard. Am USAF veteran who spent best 2 years of my life in the UK

  • @milesandhikes
    @milesandhikes11 ай бұрын

    This one's gonna be cool I am sure! I am about to embark on a roadtrip myself so will watch it when I am back but I alredy gave it a like ;) Happy travels!

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Great! Don't miss our other 66 videos...

  • @redwhiteblue7831
    @redwhiteblue783111 ай бұрын

    Great video, love this area. I have a couple of videos with (HISTORY) of this area.

  • @nlpnt
    @nlpnt11 ай бұрын

    To put the TV reception issue in (Eastern) perspective, in the late '30s/early '40s when RCA's WRGB in Schenectady, NY was the only TV station outside a major world city in the entire world, its' signal reached as far as Burlington, Vermont 140 miles away.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Interesting. Thanks for commenting.

  • @seymourfairweather
    @seymourfairweather11 ай бұрын

    If you wonder about the bridges just stop by in flash flood season

  • @james_the_darklord
    @james_the_darklord5 ай бұрын

    I would fix up Chambles and the cabins then market it to RVers, off-roaders, campers and overlanders

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    5 ай бұрын

    I'm sure the owner would love to talk to you!

  • @GrammelVideo
    @GrammelVideo11 ай бұрын

    So awesome, thanks for the video… Can’t wait to try the drive!

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for commenting!

  • @josephmartinez8803
    @josephmartinez880311 ай бұрын

    Why didn't you cover the section of route 66 that is directly off the 40 and old river road?? There are a series of veteran memorials on that section of route 66.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    This tour covers Route 66 from Ludlow to US-95/I-40 interchange. As mentioned in the video, we hopefully will soon cover 66 from that point to the State line. What veteran memorials are you referring to?

  • @josephmartinez8803

    @josephmartinez8803

    11 ай бұрын

    @@BackRoadsWest1 When you get back on the 40 from the 95 , continue north, until the old river road exit. It loops over the 40 and old route 66 can be picked up again at that point, and along that section is a series of rock memorials in honor of veterans of the military.. They are on both side of the road, which is narrow, so there's not much room to park. After that, road will past a RV park and then the Y intersection in which 66 continues to the town of Needles.

  • @carmenrivera5904
    @carmenrivera590411 ай бұрын

    wilderness, deserts are down natural to the ground , foolish if not enjoyed

  • @budmetcalf3888
    @budmetcalf388811 ай бұрын

    I like your videos but why does it sound like you are reading to 1st graders?

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Glad you enjoy our videos and thanks for commenting. Realize that I'm slowly pronouncing many words so that people can understand them. Nothing makes me roll my eyes more than someone producing videos where they talk fast or with an accent, leaving viewers with understanding half of what needs to be known. You may understand a person talking fast with slang, where others may not and appreciate this method of narration.

  • @gingerriviera3654

    @gingerriviera3654

    10 ай бұрын

    The presentation is clear and detailed; easy to understand not degrading.

  • @markpalmer7832
    @markpalmer783211 ай бұрын

    That is one miserable piece of road.....heck, I 40 is a horrible drive.......no....ok in Tennessee.

  • @et3737
    @et373711 ай бұрын

    Great video! I’m having trouble finding that bus tour (San Bernardino county) online that you mentioned . I’m interested in taking it

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    Thank you. That tour was put on by the County back in 2013 (one time) and only historical groups were invited. I was working with the Calif Historical Route 66 Association at the time.

  • @robertdavis5714
    @robertdavis571411 ай бұрын

    Hmmmmmmmm, what about the road block that was about 5 miles east of Amboy ? Forcing you to make a left to Hwy 40. I see you drove around them, would be concerned about the long arm of the Law view of this action.

  • @BackRoadsWest1

    @BackRoadsWest1

    11 ай бұрын

    It was gone in April 2023 and moved down to Chambless (intersection with Cadiz Rd). Road closure westbound was at Essex Rd.