Route 66 from Barstow to Ludlow

Cool Water Area & Inspection Station

On the north side of the tracks are a few historical ranches and the remains of a few experimental power plants, one of which is still generating electricity. The Cool Water Ranch existed for over a hundred years and used to be a large operation, supplying food to the miners of the late 1800s.

Just under 2 miles from Daggett, the Cool Water Coal Gasification plant is seen on the left. This plant was built in 1979 to convert coal into clean burning gas, which would be used in the neighboring electric power plant (closest to the road). The experiment concluded in 1987, but the power plant kept generating electricity using natural gas until it was decommissioned in 2015 and will likely be removed entirely at some point.

Next on the left are a series of solar power plants, which is about 3 miles from Daggett. The first one was called Solar One. It was the first large scale solar electric power plant built in the USA. Built in 1981, it used 1,800 mirrors, to reflect the sun’s rays onto a central tower that would turn water, to steam and turn a generator. The design developed here, along with the lessons learned, were later used at the solar power plants seen today along I-15 on the California-Nevada border, as well as other large-scale solar power plants using this design across the world.

Solar one operated until 1986 and was scrapped in 2009. Nothing exists at the site today and it currently is situated behind the newer solar power plants. Those newer power plants are currently operating. One of the plants is significant because it was the first one to utilize a system of parabolic mirrors that heated a special liquid that turns a turbine to spin a generator. This type of system is now widely used at many plants, including several around the Mojave Desert.

At 5 miles from Daggett, an optional left turn onto Hidden Springs Road leads to the Barstow-Daggett Airport. It has some history as it was built in 1933 and used for various projects during World War 2. A very large old hanger, that is interesting to look at, is still in use for sheltering aircraft. The County owned airport is still used by the Army in conjunction with nearby Fort Irwin.

Back on Route 66, and not too far from the airport, is another inspection station, this one was exclusively used for agricultural inspections. It was built in the 1950s and replaced the one in Daggett.

Vehicles coming from the east were thoroughly inspected. Travelers were asked to open their suitcases so that inspectors were satisfied that nobody was accidently bringing in contaminated fruits or vegetables that could easily devastate California’s huge agricultural business. After I-40 was completed in the early 1970s, a new inspection station was built on the Arizona border, and this one has been in a state of disrepair ever since.

Newberry Springs

From the airport, continue on Route 66 as it passes once again underneath I-40 and enters the town of Newberry Springs, which is reached in about 11 miles (17.6 km) from Daggett. On the right is Newberry Mountain, which is a wilderness area of deep, twisting canyons.

The first point of interest on the right is the original highway maintenance yard built in the 1920s, when the roadbed for Route 66 was being built. There are a few buildings left where the maintenance workers lived. As of 2022, the property is privately owned.

The next point of interest on the right is the Deel Plumbing & Hardware Store, which was originally the Cliff House that was established in 1929. It was a full-service desert oasis that included a garage, store, café, cabins, post office and general store. In the 1950s, both Greyhound and Continental Trailways bus companies stopped here. It also had the only telephone in town, which made it quite the popular place.

Inching a little further down Route 66, and across the street, brings us to a popular watering hole named, The Barn. On the weekends, you can expect The Barn to be enjoyed by bikers and Route 66 travelers alike. When you walk into The Barn, you’ll get to see plenty of old-time memorabilia from Route 66’s heyday, plus you’ll get a good idea of what a typical roadhouse looked like back then.

About 2.5 miles east of The Barn, one of the biggest attractions that everyone wants to see on this section of Route 66 is reached, the Bagdad Café. Originally named the Sidewinder Café, this place was made famous by a 1987 movie named Bagdad Café. The movie has a cult following. Thanks to the movie and some other factors, it is now one of the most popular stops that tourists want to make along the entire stretch of Route 66. Like The Barn, there is also a lot of Americana memorabilia to see here.

The movie and the café were actually named after another Route 66 town called Bagdad, which is 50 miles to the east from Newberry Springs. Bagdad is truly a ghost town now, as there is nothing left but desert and a few foundations.

There used to be this adjoining hotel to the cafe, which was used in the movie, but sadly it was razed around 2016. However, the old motel sign still survives. As of 2022, efforts are underway to preserve this classic sign.

As a side note, both The Barn and Bagdad Café (as businesses) were not around during the heyday of Route 66, however the buildings were. After they opened into the businesses they are today, their popularity increased as traveling Route 66 became more popular in the early 1990s.