1951 Ford Coupe

Above, the 1951 Ford Coupe model we had, but not quite as gussied up.

Some cars one's parents owned while one is a kid stand out more than others for varying reasons.

One such car was a 1951 Ford Coupe that my parents had around 1962-1965.

It was like the model (same color) above, only it wasn't customized like this one.

One weekend around 1962, we were going to 29 Palms, California to visit my grandmother. We were either on U.S. 101 or had already transitioned to what is now Interstate 10 in East Los Angeles (we had left the downtown L.A. area) when the car's engine blew a rod. This happened near California State University, Los Angeles.

Above, looking west on U.S. 101 towards downtown in
1950. Our car blew a rod about 2-4 miles east of this point.

What seemed like eternity, we were on the side of the freeway waiting to be towed off. Finally, we were towed to a friend of my dad's home in South-Central Los Angeles. We were there until my grandfather picked us up.

My dad's plan was go replace the engine with a rebuilt one from work. At the time, he worked for Engine Rebuilding Corporation on McKinley Avenue and 55th Street in Los Angeles. He was able to get an engine from them relatively cheap (employee discounts do come in handy). Once he got the engine, he and friends installed it into the Ford. 

My dad worked at Engine Rebuilding until 1976 when he sustained a back injury. He was on temporary disability for awhile. Once healed, he went to work at Hughes Aircraft in El Segundo, only a mile from home. He worked there until he retired. Engine Rebuilding Corp. went out-of-business in 1977, I found. That's likely why he didn't go back. 

We had the car until around 1965 when he gave it to my uncle. My uncle later totaled the car not too long afterwards. 

I-10 Morongo Travel Center Opens In Cabazon

Above, the new Morongo travel center joins the Cabazon dinosaurs off Interstate 10. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whenever I think of Cabazon, California off Interstate 10, I think first of the two dinosaurs that were built in the 1960s and Hadley Fruit Orchards (and their date shakes).

Now, the Morongo tribe has opened a new travel center in Cabazon.

MSN posted:

CABAZON, CA — The Morongo Band of Mission Indians has opened its Interstate 10 Morongo Travel Center in Cabazon that includes a 32-pump gas station, dog park, car wash, slot machines, a convenience store and other offerings.

Located behind Morongo’s existing gas station at Morongo Trail and Thunder Road, the new 6.7-acre Travel Center also has a bank of electric vehicle charging stations, eight Tesla superchargers, RV dumping, propane fills, six high-speed diesel truck pumps and diesel exhaust fluid.

To read more, go here. 

General Patton Memorial Museum Memorial Bricks and Tiles Ordering Information

Above, the statue of Gen. George S. Patton is surrounded by walls of memorial bricks. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The General Patton Memorial Museum at Chiriaco Summit, California off Interstate 10 between Indio and the California-Arizona border has opportunities to support the museum and honor friends and family members for their military service.

Above, my father's memorial brick (center). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From the Museum's website:

You can order a Memorial Brick or Tile at the General Patton Memorial Museum, that is seen by thousands of people who visit the Museum. Honor our past and present, Fathers and Grandfathers, Brothers, Sisters, and friends. Memorialize all who have protected our Freedom.

Honor your loved one today.

Above, the memorial brick of  maternal grandfather, Merle E. Charleston. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I have three memorial bricks at the Patton Museum. One for my father, grandfather and uncle. I have visited the museum twice since ordering my father's and grandfather's bricks. I have to go back to see my uncle's. 

For ordering information, go here.

Joshua Tree National Park Passes Sold Online

Above, the south entrance into the park from Interstate 10. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Joshua Tree National Park is the closest national park to Los Angeles. It is situated in the Mojave Desert of California near Palm Springs and Indio.

Now, visitors to the park can now buy passes online.

According to the Desert Sun: 

People who wish to visit Joshua Tree National Park can now purchase access passes online, park officials announced Thursday.

Due to restrictions put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 the national park was initially shutdown in March. But, it was reopened in May and despite ongoing state-imposed shutdown orders in the wake of an ongoing surge of pandemic cases, it remains open. 

National parks, like Joshua Tree, are being allowed to stay open during the ongoing lockdown and activities such as hiking can still take place. Park officials, however, said overnight camping is currently not permitted.

People looking to take a trip during the day to Joshua Tree can purchase specific passes for the park at recreation.gov at no additional cost. 

Purchases may be made via computer or mobile device.

To read more, go here. 

General Patton's Desert Training Center

Above, a monument by E Clampus Vitus in the Desert Training Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Sometimes I wonder if travel-oriented websites get their ideas for articles from my blog.

On January 2, RV Life posted an article on General George S. Patton's Desert Training Center in the deserts of California and Arizona. I had just returned from there on December 28 and blogged about the trip. The trip included a visit to the Gen. Patton Memorial Museum at Chiriaco Summit on Interstate 10. The article also mentioned the museum.

Above, the General Patton Memorial Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Included in the article is a photo of a monument commemorating the 36th Evacuation Hospital that was placed by the Billy Holcomb Chapter of E Clampus Vitus.

The article begins with:

In our previous entries, we have been exploring forgotten sites along California’s Interstate 10 in the Mojave Desert. If you love touching history and walking in the footsteps of those who made it, you will also want to be aware that I-10 cuts right through portions of General Patton’s WWII Desert Training Center.

If one is a World War II history buff and have a fondness for exploring places in a RV, the article should pique their interest.

To read more, go here. 

Wiley Well Rest Area Plaque

Most, if not all of the roadside rest areas in the Mojave Desert along Interstates 15, 10 and 40 have a monument/plaque erected by the Billy Holcomb Chapter of E Clampus Vitus, most often commemorating General George S. Patton's Desert Training Center for his tank corps. There's plaques sprinkled throughout the desert commemorating things of historical interest.

One such plaque is at the Wiley Well Rest Area outside of Blythe, California. Yesterday, I stopped for a coffee break there and went out to photograph the monument.

Here's the photos:

General Patton Memorial Museum At Chiriaco Summit

Above, the statue of Gen. Patton and his dog Willie. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About 80 miles after entering California on Interstate 10, I paid a visit to the General Patton Memorial Museum at Chiriaco Summit.

The last time I was there was in November 2015. Since then, the museum had doubled in size and they've added the Matzner Tank Pavilion, which contains a number of vehicles, including some Jeeps.

Above, the statue of Gen. Patton and his dog Willie, surrounded by memorial bricks. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I wanted to stop there to see my grandfather's memorial brick that I bought during my last visit. His bricks is located on a wall behind and facing the statue of General Patton and his dog Willie. While at the museum, I ordered a brick for my uncle.

Here's some photos of my visit:

Above, the memorial brick of my grandfather, Merle E. Charleston. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the new Mazner Tank Pavilion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, one of the two Jeeps in the Mazner Tank Pavilion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the other Jeep and other vehicles in the Mazner Tank Pavilion. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, guns of World War II display. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the curator told me this Jeep is still in running condition. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a display of Gen. Patton's grave. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the expanded display gallery. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Clamper monument out in the tank yard. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, part of the tank yard. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a General Patton display. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, inside the Mazner Tank Pavilion. Phoo by Armand Vaquer.

Desert Center, California, Now A Ghost Town

Back in the summer of 1983, I took a solo road trip to the Four Corners area of the Southwest. I left home in Hawthorne, California in the evening and took Interstate 10 out of California. 

The places I visited during that trip included Grand Canyon National Park, Four Corners Monument, Durango's Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Zion National Park.

Desert Center is 19 miles east of the General Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit.

Above, a statue of General George S. Patton and his dog Willie at the Gen.
 Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was driving my 1980 Toyota Pick-up that had a camper shell. I either camped out in it or stayed in motels.

My first stop that night was in Desert Center, California. I stopped at the Desert Center Cafe for some coffee and a snack.

An article has been posted by RV Life telling of a visit to Desert Center. The cafe is now closed and it is now essentially a ghost town.

The article begins with:

If you have been following my adventures through the years you know my wife and I like to visit little known forgotten places like ghost towns, stage stops, military outposts, mining camps, and other places slowly being lost to time and the elements. One such place is Desert Center, California just off Interstate 10 in the Mojave Desert. 

Desert Center had its beginnings in 1921 when founder Stephen Ragsdale built a service station and café along the route of what would eventually become Interstate 10. 

At the time the café was the only place to obtain a meal for 50 miles in any direction. The café was open for business 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with Ragsdale stating, “We lost our keys – we can’t close!” The café finally did close in 2012 with a note left on the door stating it was closed temporarily for maintenance.

With the article are some photographs, one of which is of the Desert Center Cafe. The cafe was as I remembered it from 1983.

To read more, go here.

Guide To Joshua Tree National Park

Above, the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park a few miles north of Interstate 10. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The closest national park to the City of Los Angeles is Joshua Tree National Park.

As it is, the park gets a lot of visitors during the year. I last visited it in 2015 and camped at the park's Cottonwood Campground.

Thrillist has posted a guide to Joshua Tree National Park.

They begin with:

The Mojave Desert has inspired a number of monumental artistic endeavors, including the fictional planet Tatooine in Star Wars and the iconic U2 album The Joshua Tree. Joshua Tree National Park actually lies within the boundaries of both the Mojave Desert in the west and the Colorado Desert in the east, but the landscape within the park is wholly unique to itself. 

Joshua Tree National Park gets its name from the tree species Yucca brevifolia, which is more commonly known as the “Joshua Tree.” Legend has it that Mormon settlers heading west bestowed this name on the unique plants that are only found in the Mjave, but that story has been debated and remains unverified. Still, there’s an absolute ton of geological and anthropological history in the area; multiple indigineous groups settled the area as early as 4,000-8,000 thousand years ago. 

Nowadays, the park and surrounding areas serve as a haven for the artistically-inclined, UFOlogists, solitude seekers, and otherwise offbeat creatives drawn to the power of the desert. Ken Layne, a writer, podcaster, and publisher of Desert Oracle (a desert-based publication and radio show) has lived in the area for years. He calls it a “one-of-a-kind place” with a “mix of weird geology and wide-open skies.”  

David Smith, Joshua Tree’s park superintendent with the National Park Service, says there’s a magnetism to the region. “People come to Joshua Tree for their own individual reasons. Sometimes it’s wilderness. Other times people come here for the music history, the diversity of raptors, or just the epic landscapes. People come to Joshua Tree to find themselves." 

From a dome built by telepathic instructions received from aliens to a sleepy saloon that’s hosted musicians like Paul McCartney, there’s no shortage of funky, fun, and sometimes freaky things to do and see in and around Joshua Tree National Park. Here's how to do it all.

To read more, go here. 

Best U.S. Road Trips, A U.K. View

Above, the Cabazon dinosaurs off Interstate 10 near Palm Springs California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Ever wondered what overseas news organizations think are the best places to travel in the U.S.?

Well, one organization in the United Kingdom has posted a guide on what they consider to be the best U.S. road trips.

Before listing the best road trips in the U.S., Deadline News begins their guide with:

For many people, the ultimate road trip destination is the US because there are so many amazing routes to choose from with an abundance of attractions and landmarks along the way. Whether you fancy a coastline road trip, or to go from coast-to-coast across the mainland, there are some breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime routes for you to choose from. 

To see what they are, go here. 

Interstate 10 Road Trip

Above, a statue of General Patton and his dog Willie in front of the General Patton
Memorial Museum. It is off of I-10 east of Indio. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It has been a while since I've taken a road trip along the southernmost east-west Interstate, Interstate 10.

The last time was three years ago when I went to the George Patton Memorial Museum near Indio and Joshua Tree National Park. I have driven it into Arizona a few times.

Do It Yourself RV has an article on Interstate 10 with a spotlight on 12 best places to visit along the way.

They wrote:

Interstate 10 is the southernmost cross-country highway you can take in the US. It runs about 2,500 miles from Santa Monica, California to Jacksonville, Florida, and passes through major cities like Phoenix, San Antonio, Houston, and New Orleans.

This southern US route is perfect for full-timers or snowbirds who don’t want to stay in one spot all winter. Interstate 10 passes the RVer’s haven of Quartzsite and lots of scenic parks, wildlife refuges, RV resorts, and campgrounds.

These are twelve of our favorite parks along the way that you will want to take the exit for. We mapped them out on RV Trip Wizard (seen above), where you can also find and add in more campgrounds and points of interest.

Above, The Beast at the Cottonwood Campground at Joshua Tree National Park.
The park's south entrance is accessible from I-10. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Remains Found Near Joshua Tree National Park

Above, the General Patton Memorial Museum in Chiriaco Summit. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is a weird feeling to learn that a murder victim is found at or near places I've been to. I was last there two years ago.

Such is the case of a missing San Diego woman and here dog.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

A search for the body of a San Diego woman who is thought to have been killed and buried in the desert turned up human remains Friday in the “Cactus City” area south of Joshua Tree National Park, authorities said. 

The remains, suspected to be that of Julia Jacobson and her dog, Boogie, were found in a shallow grave near the 10 Freeway and Box Canyon Road, the Ontario Police Department said.

It appears that Cactus City is about 14 miles west of Chiriaco Summit on Interstate 10. Chiriaco Summit is home for the Gen. Patton Memorial Museum.

To read more, go here.

Hadley Fruit Orchards

Above, the Hadley Fruit Orchards store in Cabazon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Back in the 1960s when we visited my grandmother in 29 Palms, we usually stopped at Hadley Fruit Orchards store in Cabazon on the way home.

There, we picked up some nuts and fruit products (such as jams and preserves) and had date shakes in their snack bar.

Yesterday, while returning home from Joshua Tree National Park and the General Patton Memorial Museum, I made a few stops, one of which was at Hadley's. I stopped in after having breakfast at Ruby's Diner next door. They have plenty of RV parking.

Above, inside of Hadley's. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The store still looked the same and was very much as I remembered it. It has been many moons since I last stopped there (it was probably after a desert clamp-out with the Billy Holcomb Chapter of E Clampus Vitus).

This time, I skipped getting a date shake (actually, I forgot to get one) but I did pick up a couple of bottles of their steak sauces. One was mesquite-flavored and the other was merlot wine-flavored. I like to try out different steak sauces.

Above, just look for the Hadley sign while on Interstate 10 in Cabazon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was nice to see that some things haven't changed, and the Hadley Fruit Orchard store in Cabazon is one of them.

For more on Hadley's, go here.

Cabazon's Dinosaurs: Roadside Kitsch

Above, "Mr. Rex". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

While on my way home from Joshua Tree National Park today, I stopped off at Cabazon's dinosaurs to photograph them.

Back in the 1960s, my grandmother retired to 29 Palms and we would pass the dinosaurs on Interstate 10 while en route to visit her. Each time we passed them, we noted the progression of their construction. The first dinosaur built was the big Brontosaurus and then the Tyrannosaurus rex was built later.

Above, "Dinny". Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The dinosaurs were featured in Pee Wee's Big Adventure around the "Large Marge" segment of the movie ("Tell 'em Large Marge sent ya!").

According to Wikipedia:

The creation of the Cabazon dinosaurs began in the 1960s by Knott's Berry Farm sculptor and portrait artist Claude K. Bell (1897–1988) to attract customers to his Wheel Inn Restaurant, which opened in 1958 and has been closed for a long time. Dinny, the first of the Cabazon dinosaurs, was started in 1964 and created over a span of eleven years. Bell created Dinny out of spare material salvaged from the construction of nearby Interstate 10 at a cost of $300,000. The biomorphic building that was to become Dinny was first erected as steel framework over which an expanded metal grid was formed in the shape of a dinosaur. All of it was then covered with coats of shotcrete (spray concrete). Bell was quoted in 1970 as saying the 45-foot (14 m) high, 150-foot (46 m) long Dinny was "the first dinosaur in history, so far as I know, to be used as a building." His original vision for Dinny was for the dinosaur's eyes to glow and mouth to spit fire at night, predicting, "It'll scare the dickens out of a lot of people driving up over the pass." These two features, however, were not added. With the help of ironworker Gerald Hufstetler, Bell worked on the project independently; no construction companies or contractors were involved in the fabrication. The task of painting Dinny was completed by a friend of Bell's in exchange for one dollar and a case of Dr Pepper. 

A second dinosaur, Mr. Rex, was constructed near Dinny in 1981. Originally, a giant slide was installed in Rex's tail; it was later filled in with concrete making the slide unusable. 

The Wheel Inn Restaurant is still closed and the area surrounding the dinosaurs looked run down during today's visit. But despite this, it appears that the dinosaur attraction is still open for business.

Criminal Crazies Apprehended In Japan and U.S.

The United States seems to have more than its share of nut-jobs. 

The latest is the apprehension of a suspect in sniper attacks against travelers on Interstate 10 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The New York Daily News reported:

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the string of shootings along Phoenix-area freeways that have kept drivers on edge for weeks, officials said Friday. 

A spokesman for Gov. Doug Ducey says a man was taken into custody around 7 p.m. Friday in Glendale, a suburb west of Phoenix. 

“BREAKING: We got him! DPS SWAT team is in custody of the individual suspected of I-10 shootings. Apprehended moments ago,” Ducey tweeted. 

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the suspect is 21-year-old Leslie Allen Merritt.

To read more, go here.

But we're not alone.

In Japan, for example, a series of arson attacks took place on electrical equipment that powers Tokyo's train systems.

Fortunately, a suspect has been apprehended.

According to The Japan Times:

Tokyo police on Tuesday arrested a 42-year-old man from the suburb of Musashino on suspicion of involvement in a string of arson attacks along railway lines in the capital. 

They seized musician Izaya Noda, 42, after an individual was seen apparently trying to set an East Japan Railway Co. electricity substation on fire on Aug. 23. It was one of several such incidents during August and September, some of which disrupted train services and caused damage. 

The Metropolitan Police Department said Noda admitted causing the Aug. 23 fire but denied obstructing business.

To read more, go here. 

Trouble On Interstate 10

Above, the collapsed bridge. From YouTube video.

The unusually heavy rains from the remnants of Hurricane Dolores caused a bridge near Desert Center on Interstate 10 to collapse. Until the bridge is rebuilt, Interstate 10 will be a mess.

According to The Desert Sun:

A bridge collapse east of the Coachella Valley late Sunday afternoon forced the closure of Interstate 10 – the main roadway between Southern California and Phoenix – injuring one person and stranding hundreds of motorists backed up for miles. 

The Tex Wash bridge, built on the eastbound I-10 in 1967, was listed as functionally obsolete in the 2014 National Bridge Inventory. Essentially, the bridge was listed as no longer adequate for its task, though it was not listed as having known structural problems that needed to be fixed.

Thankfully, our trip today to Lake Havasu doesn't include driving on Interstate 10. We will be on Interstates 15 and 40. I checked with the CHP road conditions hotline and both interstates are problem-free (well, at least, so far).

Clear skies are forecast for Lake Havasu City during our time there. The only thing the storm is causing is some cooling. It will be around 97 degrees there.

To read more, go here.