The Wonders of Interstate 15

Lest you think that Zyzzx Road was the only highlight of lovely Interstate 15, we opted to do a little more research. Sure enough, a little googling had us checking out several exciting sights along the way. We didn't have lots of time, so we had to be selective in our choices. A stop in Jean, Nevada, for instance, didn't sound very appealing. We passed on a visit to the gravestones of America's favorite cowboy couple, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans in Apple Valley. We opted to forgo a stop at the Victorville Landfill. We didn't want to overdo the excitement factor in one day.

Though we could see the massive array of mirrors, aka “heliostats”, of the  Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System spread out in the desert expanse beside us, we just whizzed on by. It's the world's largest solar electric plant, but there's nary a sign indicating what it is. They have strict security and don't welcome guests, but they do extend an invitation to take a virtual on-line tour. We ogled the facility as we passed and settled for nicking a photo off the internet to share with you. It's pretty impressive. Differing from typical solar power stations that use hundreds of solar panels, the Ivanpah Station utilizes hundreds of mirrors that focus the sun's rays on tall water columns, superheating the water within. The steam that is produced turns steam turbines, producing electricity.

Primm, Nevada which rises out of the desert just inside the Nevada line is always a good place to stop for a restroom break. There are casinos and time shares and restaurants and outlet stores. There's Buffalo Bill's with an old mining town theme (most appropriate for this area) on one side of the road and Whiskey Pete's on the other. A quick pee break and we were on our way.

We passed by little towns on the map like Searchlight, Borax and Roach, but saw few signs of life … an old abandoned gas station here … a dilapidated one-room house there. The roadside here is dotted with Joshua trees. We'd read there are more here than in Joshua Tree National Park. We stopped long enough for a few pictures of this gnarled yucca-variety tree.

We saw signs for Alien Fresh Jerky in Baker, California way back in Vegas. It wasn't on the original “tour”, but hey, how can you pass up Alien Jerky … especially if it's fresh? This was a fun stop. The shop was all about Area 51 and little green men come to earth … with hot sauces, all flavors of jerky and alien memorabilia for sale as an added bonus. It was a hoot. They were doing quite a brisk business. We were just looky-loos.

Baker held other surprises. The world's tallest thermometer. We'd seen it before, but a thermometer this tall is worth a second glance.

We passed by the Mad Greek diner with all its fine classic statuary. Very classy, but we were holding out for Peggy Sue's 50's Diner in Yermo.

We'd seen strategically placed Peggy Sue signs all along the highway and we always chided ourselves for not stopping. This was the day to eat at Peggy Sue's.  We bypassed the Yermo Agricultural Inspection Station checkpoint, by taking the Yermo frontage. We didn't have any fruit with us, so we weren't being scoff-laws. Then we arrived at Peggy Sue's! What a disappointment. It was ultra-crowded. We seated ourselves in an add-on covered patio area and waited 15 minutes. A waitress in pink 1950's garb mumbled she'd be back soon as she whizzed by, but never reappeared. We enjoyed the Elvis and Marilyn and James Dean posters on the wall. We were in “Happy Days” land. I fetched a couple of menus. It was typical diner fare … hamburgers, meatloaf, hot turkey sandwiches … but not typical diner prices. $9.50 for a hamburger? $11.50 for a salad? We decided we weren't all that hungry and left. No one noticed. We did check out their “diner-saur” garden in the back though.

We were looking for the Route 66 museum in Barstow, but never found it. We had a quick lunch at Burger King instead. Just as many calories for half the price of Peggy Sue's and much less crowded.

We hit traffic just before Barstow and it continued heavy stop and go for the next two hours … folks returning to LA from a long Vegas weekend. We crawled along at 10 mph, losing our adventurous spirit with each slow mile as the brown LA haze engulfed us. Now all we were anticipating was the drop off of the rental car and installing ourselves for the night in our budget LAX airport hotel.

In the end, the drive wasn't much longer in spite of our stops, but it was definitely more interesting than the usual, boring ride. Interstate 15 with all its wonders is behind us now … some sights reserved for future trips. Nine of Cups is waiting for us half way around the world, all ready for new adventures. And we're ready to head back to her.

A Trip to Zzyzx - The Last Place on Earth

Every time we travel from Las Vegas to Los Angeles, we pass by the Zzyzx Road sign. We always comment about it … it's a landmark along the route … but we've never taken the time to figure out what's out there on Zzyzx Road. So we took Exit 239 off  I-15 and followed the 4.5 mile part-paved, part-gravel road to the former location of the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa. This time, we wanted to take a few extra minutes to explore.

I googled “zzyzx” (ZYE-zix) to give us an idea of what to expect. The Urban Dictionary defines it as “The last place on Earth. It was originally founded by a crazy old man who named it ZZYZX since it would be the last word in the dictionary, and hence 'the last place on Earth'. Currently it's an abandoned town somewhere between Las Vegas and LA.”  That's not entirely correct, but pretty close.

In the high Mojave Desert, Soda Dry Lake was a pre-historic quarry site (and probably not dry then).  It was  used as a small army outpost in the mid-1800s providing refuge and water along the Mojave Road for wagon trains, then subsequently abandoned.  In 1944,  Curtis Howe Springer, a master of quackery and deceit, as well as a popular, syndicated radio evangelist, submitted a federal mining claim for 12,000 acres of land and proceeded to develop it into the Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.

The area was originally named Camp Soda and Soda Springs, but Springer cleverly renamed it “Zzyzx, the last word in health”. He was debunked by the AMA in 1969 for claiming to be a physician and osteopath and the Feds finally caught up with him in the early 1970s and evicted him from the land. He served a short jail sentence and spent the rest of his life in Las Vegas, doing who-knows-what. There's even a YouTube video on Springer's “last word”.

The old resort was converted into the Desert Studies Center in 1976 within the boundaries of the Mojave National Preserve. The little spring-fed, artificial Lake Tuendae, originally part of the spa, is now a refuge habitat for the endangered Mohave tui chub (a small fish), the Pacific tree frog and migratory waterfowl.

We headed south towards the old resort and were taken by the beauty of this desolate area. It was overcast, grey and cool, yet as we followed the serpentine road, hugging the shoreline of this ancient dry lake, it wasn't hard to imagine the wooly mammoths and saber-toothed cats roaming around. The land around the dry lake is said to resemble the savannahs of modern day Africa. The lake itself, white with alkaline deposits, looked snow-covered.

A gate across the road announced our arrival at Zzyzx aka the Desert Studies Center. We parked the car in a large gravel lot. There was no one else around; no other cars were parked in the lot. There were picnic tables, restrooms and an informational kiosk with weather-beaten signs. We got out, stretched and decided to explore the facilities a bit. We could see remnants of the old spa, decrepit foundations and concrete buildings in the near distance.

The area around tiny Lake Tuendae was actually quite beautiful. There was a self-guided path around the lake with more weatherworn, but still readable, signs. The trail was short, but tranquil and beautiful. Coots swam leisurely in the mirror-calm water and chattered amongst themselves. Jays eyed us curiously from overgrown palm trees.

There was an old abandoned life boat lying on its side under the palm trees. It was totally out of place next to the dry lake and the tiny, shallow Lake Tuendae which could not have accommodated it. We had to wonder about its placement there and its history, but we could find no information. It remains a mystery.

An hour or so later, we retraced our route and continued on Interstate 15 to Los Angeles.  That's not the end of our exploring I-15 … not by a long shot ...there's more excitement to be had.  So hold on to your boots and  join us in another day or two for more exciting stops along the highway.

An additional bit of trivia about Zzyzx? The 2006 thriller movie, Zyzzyx Road,  is the lowest grossing movie in American history. It only ever played in one theater in Dallas and grossed a total of $30.

The Gun Store - Las Vegas

One of the most frequently asked questions we hear from non-Americans is “You're Americans. Do you carry guns aboard?” The answer is … no, we don't … for several reasons. Politics and philosophies aside, it's a legitimate question considering all the press the US gets about guns and gun control (or lack thereof).  

We've been passing The Gun Store at least twice every day on our way to and from bringing Mary to work or visiting Becky. We thought it might be worth a stop to see what they're actually about. The sign outside beckons customers in with the alluring proposal … “Try One” under a picture of a machine gun. For an early Sunday morning, when most people are at church, the parking lot had quite a few cars.

All the store personnel were dressed in black and packing sidearms. They were friendly and helpful enough, but it's easy to be friendly when you're toting a gun and your customers aren't. We asked to look around and take pictures … no problem. They offered quite an array of guns, knives and accessories for sale. A plasticized brochure explained why noise suppressors, i.e. silencers, are legal in several states and why US citizens are denied their Constitutional rights in states where silencers are not legal. Lucky for us, Nevada is one of the states where they're allowed. It keeps the noise down.

From the retail store, we walked down the hall and into the Firing Range lobby. Without eye and ear protection, this was a far as we could go. Here customers could choose from several shooting packages available. For instance, for as little as $179.95 you can shoot a handgun, a rifle and a machine gun … a few shots from each. For $995, you get the deluxe VIP package which includes firing two submachine guns, two handguns, two semi-automatic rifles, a sniper rifle, 5 shots on a Dirty Harry Magnum 44 and more. We saw Uzis and various other automatic weapons displayed on the wall. Some were for display only … others were meant for action.

There's a special kid's package for $49.95, but kids can only shoot if their parents are present … it's a fun family activity. We also learned that “lead-free frangible ammunition” is used. How environmentally green can you get? And … you'll love this … consider The Gun Store as your wedding venue … screw the chapel idea.

Obviously, this is not our idea of a good time, but many folks there seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves. One store employee said that the international visitors seemed to be the most enthusiastic … like folks from England and Australia, for instance, where firearms are illegal.

We refrain from making political comments on this blog, so suffice it to say that if folks enjoy shooting, this is a great place to do it safely on a range with certified instructors. We'd prefer the Wetlands Reserve for our Sunday morning family forays.