Overnighting In Ehrenberg, Arizona

Above, The Beast at Arizona Oasis RV Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After about a five-hour drive from the Lake Elsinore area of California, I made it to the Arizona Oasis RV Resort just across the Arizona-California border from Blythe, California on Interstate 10.

It rained pretty hard and steady most of the way. I haven't been in the desert during a rainstorm since I was a kid.

Above, the Chiriaco Summit Coffee Shop is nice place for a snack or meal in the desert. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I made one stop along the way. I stopped at the Chiriaco Summit Coffee Shop (near the Gen. Patton Memorial Museum) for some coffee and a bowl of soup. It was pretty good.

I struck paydirt when I wandered into an antique/gift shop next door to the coffee shop after my snack break. There, I found a wooden magazine rack for only $25.00. I had been on the lookout for a magazine rack and now I found one. One never knows what they can find if they take the time to browse around.

Above, a view of my site's row. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It was still raining when I got back on the road and it continued to do so all the way to Ehrenberg.

I am going to spend the night in Ehrenberg and keep a watch on the weather along Interstate 40. Thanks to the folks at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post in St. Joseph, Arizona, I was able to see pictures of the snowfall in Flagstaff. It looked like Interstate 40 has been well plowed.

Above, the magazine rack. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Arizona Oasis RV Resort is a nice park. It is right at the Colorado River. Too bad it's rainy out to enjoy it more. Maybe if the rain stops, I'll take a stroll around. 

Storm Travel Adventure

Well, it doesn't look like optimum weather for driving home from California for the next couple of days. What must be, must be.

Right now, it is pouring rain in Wildomar (where I am at present). I expect to be heading on the road in about a couple of hours.

For the Southwest and Central U.S., the National Weather Service posted:

A strong winter storm will impact southern California with low elevation heavy rain and possible flooding along with mountain snow into Thursday. This storm will then likely bring heavy rain and snow to the Southwest states Friday. Confidence is increasing for this storm to impact the Central Plains into the upper Great Lakes Saturday and Sunday with a swath of heavy snow and blowing snow.

Since I am taking Interstate 40 home, the main obstacle would be the Flagstaff, Arizona region.

According to the National Weather Service, the forecast for Flagstaff is:

Today

A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after noon. Partly sunny, with a high near 32. Light east wind increasing to 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tonight

Snow showers. Low around 25. Northeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible.

Friday

Snow showers. High near 31. Light and variable wind becoming west southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Friday Night

A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Cloudy, then gradually becoming partly cloudy, with a low around 17. West wind 6 to 8 mph. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Fortunately for me, I am in no hurry to get home. If necessary, I can stop for a night or two along the way for any storm activity to pass. One can look at all this as a major hassle or an adventure.

As for home in Jamestown, New Mexico, the forecast is:

 Today

Patchy freezing fog before 8am. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Light and variable wind becoming southeast 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Tonight

A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26. Southeast wind around 10 mph. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.

Friday

Snow showers. High near 36. Southeast wind around 10 mph becoming west in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Friday Night

Snow showers likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Southwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday

A 30 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 25. West wind around 15 mph.

Should You Hire a Tokyo Tour Guide?

Above, Ginza shopping district of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following is a little mind-boggling to me.

A "seasoned traveler" hired a guide to guide her around Tokyo on her second trip to Japan.

While it is true that Tokyo is a big city and one can get disoriented, all one really needs to do is to get a map of the city (the best one is from the Japan National Tourism Organization (or JNTO)) and a map of the subway and train systems (the train and subway stations have them), study and follow them. Additionally, they're free!

Above, these JNTO maps are the best ones to use.

But, it one still doesn't feel comfortable enough to rely on maps, maybe a hired guide is their best option.

Travel + Leisure posted an article on hiring a tour guide in Tokyo.

It begins with:

I’m a seasoned traveler with an intuitive sense of direction and a knack for Google Maps. I have successfully navigated cities across the globe, from Kigali to Chengdu and La Paz. But on my first trip to Tokyo, I got really turned around to the point where it eroded my navigational confidence. So when I returned a few years later, I decided to consult a professional. 

Japan is known for its rental friends, people you can hire for an hour or two to keep you company as you dine out or go shopping. But I didn’t need a buddy, I needed an expert who could navigate the streets with ease.

To read more, go here.

Snowy Days Ahead

Above, Jamestown snow last December. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like New Mexico will be getting some interesting weather this weekend according to the National Weather Service.

Hopefully, the weather won't be a problem during my drive home. I am currently leaning towards going north from Ehrenberg, Arizona (through Parker and Lake Havasu) to Interstate 40.

Even though snow is forecast, the fact that Interstate 40 is a major route and will be subject to more frequent snow-plowing, I would be better off going that route than on mountain roads in eastern Arizona where snow is also forecast. But, I am keeping watch on all routes.

They have issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook:

Hazardous Weather Outlook

Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Albuquerque NM
246 AM MST Wed Dec 25 2019

NMZ201>241-261100-
Northwest Plateau-Chuska Mountains-Far Northwest Highlands-
Northwest Highlands-West Central Plateau-West Central Mountains-
West Central Highlands-Southwest Mountains-
San Francisco River Valley-Tusas Mountains Including Chama-
Jemez Mountains-Glorieta Mesa Including Glorieta Pass-
Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains-
Southern Sangre de Cristo Mountains-
East Slopes Sangre de Cristo Mountains-Upper Rio Grande Valley-
Espanola Valley-Santa Fe Metro Area-
Middle Rio Grande Valley/Albuquerque Metro Area-
Lower Rio Grande Valley-Sandia/Manzano Mountains Including Edgewood-
Estancia Valley-Central Highlands-South Central Highlands-
Upper Tularosa Valley-South Central Mountains-
Johnson and Bartlett Mesas Including Raton Pass-
Far Northeast Highlands-Northeast Highlands-Union County-
Harding County-Eastern San Miguel County-Guadalupe County-
Quay County-Curry County-Roosevelt County-De Baca County-
Chaves County Plains-Eastern Lincoln County-Southwest Chaves County-
San Agustin Plains and Adjacent Lowlands-
246 AM MST Wed Dec 25 2019

This hazardous weather outlook is for portions of north and central
New Mexico.

.DAY ONE...Today and Tonight

Lingering rain and snow showers will continue through the afternoon
although will not be as widespread or as heavy compared to yesterday.
Any additional snow accumulations will be light with the exception
being areas in the Tusas and Chuska mountains which could pick up an
additional 2 to 4 inches.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday

Another storm system will arrive by late Thursday. This system looks
to be stronger and colder which will be more impactful for much of
the state with valley locations having a chance of snow. The area of
most concern will be areas along the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as
well as northeast NM where the heaviest snowfall is possible. The
most likely period for travel impacts will be late Thursday and into
Saturday before the system finally exits.

Stay tuned to any forecast updates as well as any watches,
advisories, and/or warnings that may be issued.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotters are encouraged to report snowfall amounts through the
National Weather Service Albuquerque web site at weather.gov/abq
or by calling 1.888.386.7637.

Merry Christmas!

Above and below, Santa and Mrs. Claus paid a visit
 to my cousin's in Wildomar, California last night.

Another Business Fleeing California

Since the Democrats have a vice grip on California, people have been moving out of the state. Also leaving the state are companies due to the state's anti-business climate and the resulting high cost of doing business in the state.

Another, founded during California's Gold Rush of the 1840s, is headed to Idaho.

According to the Idaho Statesman:

When Dan Drouault compared his electric bills from Southern California Edison to Idaho Power’s rates, he was astounded by the difference. 

The president of Covington Engineering, a Redlands company that manufactures lathes and other machinery used to grind and polish stones and glass artwork, Drouault learned that he could save about $22,000 a year in electricity costs. 

“The savings were enormous,” Drouault said in an interview Thursday. 

It’s part of the reason Covington Engineering is moving next month from San Bernardino County, east of Los Angeles, to Meridian.

The Democrats may have total control of the state's government, but people and businesses are voting with their feet. And, you know who controls the state's utilities (which includes power), the state government.

The once "Golden State" is now the "Sh*thole State", thanks to the Democrats.

To read more, go here.

NOAA Christmas Day Weather Map

Oh-oh!

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Wants Taxapayers To Pay For His Gun Control

One has to feel for gun owners in Virginia. They have a radical leftist state legislature, bought and paid for by Michael Bloomberg, and a wacko governor in Ralph Northem. They have their work cut out for them in battling their anti-Second Amendment proposals.

Here's the latest from NRA-ILM:

As if Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s wholesale attack on law-abiding gun owners wasn’t enough, the disgraced public official and his Michael Bloomberg-bought allies in the General Assembly now want the state’s hard-working taxpayers to foot the bill for their unconstitutional schemes. The budget bill (HB30) includes an appropriation of a quarter million dollars to carry out a host of gun control measures that Northam and his anti-gun allies hope to enact.  

The $250,000 is appropriated to the Corrections Special Reserve Fund in order to provide for the “increase in the operating cost of adult correctional facilities resulting from the enactment” of Northam’s gun control measures. Among the enumerated laws that this allocation is meant to fund is a ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms, the criminalization of private firearms transfers, and gun confiscation orders issued without due process. 

Aside from the insult of forcing law-abiding Virginia taxpayers to pay for the diminution of their rights, the gun control allocation is a severe waste of resources. Northam’s Bloomberg-backed gun control measures will not make Virginia safer. 

In additional to being unconstitutional, a ban on commonly-owned semi-automatic firearms will not reduce violent crime.

To read more, go here. 

Democrat Voters DO Want To Take Your Guns

Free stuff, handouts and gun confiscation are some of things that Democrat primary voters are in favor of. 

Zogby polled Democrat voters and found several startling results.

From AmmoLand:

Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- From 5 December 2019 to 8 December 2019, Zogby Analytics ran an online poll of 443 likely Democrat primary voters. Of those voters, 36% approved of confiscation of legally owned firearms from American Citizens who have not committed a crime.  These are the Americans who really do want to take your guns. 

There were 20.4 million Democrat primary voters in 2018, the highest number in two decades. 

36% of 20.4 million is 7.34 million voters who want to confiscate firearms from Americans who have not committed a crime. 

This contrasts with about 18 million voters who have firearms carry permits and roughly 100 million voters who own guns.

To read more, go here.

Winter Weather Impacting Holiday Travel

Above, I may be greeted home by this kind of scene. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The storms that are hitting us in Southern California will be moving east and will be dumping snow in the Four Corners region later this week. This'll make my drive home rather interesting.

According to TravelPulse:

According to Weather.com, soaking rain will also hamper travelers in Southern California this Christmas. The system is expected to bring several inches of snow to parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and the High Plains later this week.

This why I am taking a route further south. I can contend with rain, but driving in snow isn't exactly a favorite pastime.

To read more, go here. 

Arizona: Snow In Many Areas

Above, it is currently raining in Wildomar. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For the past half hour or so, I've been checking the weather forecast for much of Arizona. I plan on heading back home Thursday and the storms are going to be in the state during the time I am driving.

It is currently raining in Wildomar, California, where I am at now.

Going east on Interstate 40 is out of the question as snows will be hitting along that route, that also includes Winslow and Flagstaff in particular.

I am looking at the map and the weather, it appears I may head east on I-10 through Phoenix and then take Highway 60 to Globe. There may be some rain there, but that is better than driving in snow.

It will get a bit dicey when reaching Show Low, Arizona, where there's a 60% chance of snow showers. From Show Low, I would take Highway 77 to Interstate 40 in Holbrook where there's 20% chance of snow showers.

Whichever way I go, it promises to be an interesting drive home.

My Meeting With Pelosi and Schumer

My meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer:

Above, Chuck Schumer (left) and Nancy Pelosi (center). We didn't accomplish anything. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Tokyo Tower Hits 61 Years Today

Above, Tokyo Tower from Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It had been demolished by Mothra, Gamera and Godzilla over the years, but Tokyo Tower still lives.

In fact, Tokyo Tower is celebrating its 61st anniversary since it opened on this day in 1958.

From the Japan National Tourism Organization:

Seeing the bold red and white stripes of Tokyo Tower will tell you that you have, at last, arrived in Metropolitan Tokyo. 

Tokyo Tower is both an active broadcasting facility and an ideal spot for travelers to take in the dazzling cityscape below. The structure's modernist charm can be appreciated from the outside as it lights up at night, but the real thrill comes as you climb to the top to catch dynamic views of the city. 

At the base of the tower, you'll find a shopping complex called Foot Town, which features an array of international shops and restaurants, and even an aquarium and an anime theme park. 

Due to construction work, one side of the main observation deck (the lower deck) will be closed through late 2019. The other three sides are still open. 

Renovation work recently finished on the top deck and it fully reopened in March 2019.

To read more, go here. 

Heavy Rain

Above, The Beast in Wildomar, California. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It appears that we're in for some heavy rain tonight in Lake Elsinore/Wildomar area tonight.

But, Sierra and I will be nice dry and snug in The Beast. At least the RV will be getting a free wash tonight.

According to the National Weather Service:

This Afternoon

A chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 67. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tonight

Rain, mainly after 10pm. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 45. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Monday

Rain before 10am, then rain and possibly a thunderstorm between 10am and 4pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 4pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 58. Light and variable wind becoming east 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Monday Night

Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 10pm, then a chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tuesday

A chance of showers, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. Light west wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

The Trip Home and the Weather

Above, Flagstaff weather forecast.

The current plan for returning home to Jamestown, New Mexico is to get on the road Thursday.

However, it appears that a storm is heading into Arizona beginning tomorrow with snow showers hitting the Flagstaff area tomorrow night and will continue through the rest of the week.

That is smack dab in my route along Interstate 40. The forecast is likely to change, so I am keeping a watchful eye on the weather reports.

If it turns out that Flagstaff is going to be hit hard by snow this week, then I will take a more southerly route, likely Interstate 10 to Phoenix and then US60 to Show Low, Arizona and then Hwy. 77 from there to Holbrook and Interstate 40. This route will take me around Flagstaff and then up to I-40 to home. It should be a warmer route. Or, I can take US67 through Payson, Arizona and then up.

Luckily, I'm not in any hurry, so I can take a longer or slower route if necessary.

According to the National Weather Servic, this is the week's forecast for Flagstaff:

Tuesday

Snow showers. High near 35. South wind around 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 3 to 5 inches possible.

Tuesday Night

A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 24. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.

Christmas Day

Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a high near 30. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 3 inches possible.

Wednesday Night

A 40 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21.

Thursday

A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 32.

Thursday Night

A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 21.

Friday

A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32.

Coffee and Alcohol = Living Longer?

Above, yours truly having a morning cup of coffee in Tokyo. 

Here's something that I would never have considered.

Drinking coffee and alcohol can actually help people live longer.

According to an article in Travel + Leisure:

You may want to rethink your New Year’s resolutions. A new study suggests that drinking alcohol and coffee may help you live longer. 

Perhaps coming as good news in the break between Christmas and New Year’s, a study from the University of California Irvine suggests that people who “drank moderate amounts of alcohol or coffee lived longer than those who abstained.” 

“I have no explanation for it, but I do firmly believe that modest drinking improves longevity,” Dr. Claudia Kawas, one of the study’s main researchers, said earlier this year at a conference for the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 

The operative word in this finding is, of course, moderate. According to the study, those who drank only two glasses of wine or beer per day decreased chances of premature death by 18 percent. Two cups of coffee per day decreased chances by 10 percent.

I usually have a glass of wine with dinner and I am a definitely a coffee-drinker. Maybe I'm doing something right.

To read more, go here. 

New Hadley Fruit Orchards Store In Cabazon

Above, the old Hadley Fruit Orchards store building sitting idle for four years. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For over 50 years, since we visited my grandmother in Twentynine Palms, we stopped at Hadley Fruit Orchards store in Cabazon, California (along Interstate 10) to have a date shake and buy some nuts and fruit items.

Above, the new Hadley's store in Cabazon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I was last there four years ago and the store was as I remembered it back in the 1960s.

Yesterday, after entering California to spend Christmas with my family, I stopped at Hadley's and found that they are no longer in the building they've always been in. They were in a new building next door.

Above, inside Hadley's new store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I liked the look of the old building. It had a rustic and kitschy look to it. Like a country store.

I went inside the new store to pick up a few things. The store was nice and modern and the products are the same as they always were, but there was just something missing. It doesn't have the character of the old store.

Above, the new store is nice, but it lost the character of the old store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I talked with the clerk at the date shake counter and she said they moved out of the old building four years ago as it was "falling apart." She agreed with me that it should be restored and preserved as a museum. She said that the general consensus of longtime visitors was that they preferred the old store.

It is interesting that the whole area along Interstate 10 is so built up from Indio on west to Beaumont. I remember when there was nothing along that route except for Hadley Fruit Orchards store and the Cabazon dinosaurs. One can barely see each along the road as there are buildings around each.

I guess that's progress for you.

Visit Oatman, Arizona

Above, a crasher at the Oatman shootout show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Along Historic Route 66 in Arizona is the "ghost town" of Oatman.

According to Visit Arizona:

You’ve got to see Oatman to believe it. This tiny town is in a rugged area carved out of the wilderness by determined miners and now populated by more wild burros than people. 

They know how to have fun in Oatman, where good-humored shops line the street and the furriest “residents” – small donkeys descended from miners’ beasts of burden – contribute to the annual fall Burro Biskit Toss. 

More than 500,000 visitors are drawn annually to Oatman’s gold mine history as well as the legend of its namesake. Olive Oatman is entrenched in western lore as a woman who was kidnapped by an Indian tribe, then sold to a friendly local tribe before being freed to her family near what became Oatman. 

Oatman might have suffered the same fate as many Arizona mining towns and faded into a ghost town if not for Route 66 nostalgia and nearby casinos. The town prides itself on maintaining a Wild West feel, down to the wooden sidewalks, staged shootouts and kitschy shops. (You can even adopt a wild burro and take it home!) 

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard allegedly honeymooned at the 1902 two-story adobe Oatman Hotel after marrying in nearby Kingman. Some say the lovebirds’ spirits as well as other former lodgers still vacation there. The hotel remains open as a museum and restaurant. 

Oatman is surrounded by Bureau of Land Management wilderness, which is also home to desert bighorn sheep. Outdoor activities include hiking, camping, hunting, photography, and rock climbing.

And, according to Wikipedia:

 In 1863, mountain man and prospector Johnny Moss discovered gold in the Black Mountains and staked several claims, one named the Moss, after himself, and another after Olive Oatman, whose story was by then well known. For the next half-century, mining waxed and waned in the remote district until new technology, reduced transportation costs, and new gold discoveries brought prosperity to Oatman early in the 20th century. The opening of the Tom Reed mine, followed by the discovery of an incredibly rich ore body in the nearby United Eastern Mining Company's property in 1915, brought one of the desert country's last gold rushes. The boom of 1915-17 gave Oatman all the characters and characteristics of any gold rush boomtown. For about a decade, the mines of Oatman were among the largest gold producers in the American West. 

In 1921, a fire burned down many of Oatman's smaller buildings, but spared the Oatman Hotel. Built in 1902, the Oatman Hotel remains the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mohave County and a Mohave County historical landmark. It is especially famous as the honeymoon stop of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard[9] after their wedding in Kingman on March 18, 1939. Gable fell in love with the area and returned often to play poker with the miners. The Gable-Lombard honeymoon suite is one of the hotel's major attractions. The other is Oatie the ghost. Actively promoted by the hotel's current owners, Oatie is a friendly poltergeist whose identity is believed to be that of William Ray Flour, an Irish miner who died behind the hotel, presumably from excessive alcohol consumption. Flour's body was not discovered until two days after his death, upon which it was hastily buried in a shallow grave near where he was found.

Last Friday, Mitch Geriminsky and I took a day trip to Oatman. I haven't been there since the late 1980s with E Clampus Vitus. There are two ECV plaque in town (but I was only able to find one that was placed by the Lost Dutchman Chapter).

My earlier post were photos from my cell phone. Here are some from my Canon camera:

Above, Mitch Geriminsky feeding the locals. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a collection of books for sale in one of the shops. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the main street (Route 66) of Oatman. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Olive Oatman Restaurant and Saloon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the locals strolling down Route 66. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Oatman Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, inside the Oatman Hotel lobby. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the stairway leading to the Gable-Lombard honeymoon suite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Gable-Lombard honeymoon suite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, another shot of the front of the Oatman Hotel. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the daily shootout is about to begin. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, this building was used in the movie, How The West Was Won (1962). Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, an ECV plaque by the Lost Dutchman Chapter. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, inside the Olive Oatman Restaurant & Saloon. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

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.