Mohave desert is many things. It is only the middle of nowhere today. But it was the portal into California – a place to pursue everyone’s dream, from gold rush to the entertainment industries in Los Angeles. It was the Route 66 that opens up the trades, and it was a key rail route to connect the state to the nation.

The life in desert isn’t particularly easy. There are attempts by the brave souls, and there are never lack of stories of epic failures. But over centuries of exploration, it becomes a time capsule that seals many stories and past glory in this Golden State. And if you find hard enough, you will be able to discover many hidden gems in this enormous lifeless place. Amboy is one example that demonstrate the history of Mohave desert.

Amboy is not a big town. In fact it is barely “town”. It is just a ghost for the past. We decided to visit here after decided to take a detour from I-40 to Joshua Tree National Park. Driving in miles and miles of featureless desert is a boring task. Any place you can see a Post Office, a gas station, and really anything other than dirt and cactus is a place worth to spend some time. So definitely when we saw the big “Roy” sign and this abandoned Cadillac next to the old Route 66 we immediately thought of snack and much needed restroom. Although I’d say you probably won’t be too excited to see the price of the gas, unless your car is about to run on fume soon.