Barstow Travel Information
Route 66 may officially exist no longer, but as the well-known song
of the same name advises - don't forget desert city, Barstow. At the
cross roads of two major interstates and the half-way point between Las
Vegas and Los Angeles, this small urban center services through traffic
and off road enthusiasts headed for rugged trails in the surrounding
desert. While most travelers bound for Barstow don't linger long, there
is a handful of cultural sights to consider if you do decide to stick
around.
Locally, look for attractions like the Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum
(with the historic highway as its focus), the Western American Railroad
Museum and the Desert Discovery Center, which offers a hands-on
introduction to regional flora and fauna. For what it's worth, Barstow
is also home to the U.S.
Army National Training Center at Fort Irwin, a Marine Corps Logistics
Base and NASA's Goldstone Deep Space Network.
However, for the
average tourist, what makes Barstow more than just a historical pit
stop is its setting. The Mojave Desert spreads out in every direction
and while it may appear barren and desolate at first blush, the
visitor who ventures beyond the pavement will find hanging gardens,
multi-hued hills and surreal geological formations for reward. The
colorful rocks and ancient fossils of Rainbow Basin are a brief drive
away, as is the playa Coyote Dry Lake, popular with birdwatchers.
Calico, a dusty ghost town, is
preserved as California’s official Silver Rush Ghost Town and the
Calico Early Man Archaeological Site, a controversial historic site is
also
nearby. Travel a little farther out to Mojave National Preserve
for more desert-style history and recreation, or to Stoddard
Valley Off-Highway Vehicle Area if you’re an off-roader.
Located 115 miles east of Los Angeles and 150 miles southwest
of Las Vegas, Barstow is hard to miss: Interstates 15 and 40,
and Highways 58 and 247 all converge in town.
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