Our California roadtrip seems so long ago, and yet it feels unreal that our return was almost a month ago. I took so many gorgeous pictures so I'm determined to write a blogpost on every part of the trip, even if it takes me a while to get to it. Today's post is about one day driving through the desert from Palm Springs to Las Vegas, with stops along the way in the Mojave desert, Amboy and the Seven Magic Mountains. It seems that everywhere you look in the U.S., there's history and cool landmarks to be found. Enjoy!
Amboy is a former boom town, current ghost town with 4 remaining residents, in the middle of the desert near the Amboy volcanic crater. The town came to be as a popular stop to refuel and stock up on the historical Route 66, but lost most of its relevance after the Interstate 40 was opened. Roy's Motel and Café is its one remaining source of commerce, a Googie architectural landmark which is the only gas and service station for miles and miles. A must stop along the way, if only for its rich historical relevance. BTW, Enrique Iglesias' Hero music video was filmed in Amboy. How cool is that??
The Amboy crater - an extinct volcanic crater in the middle of the desert. So cool, and you can actually hike up there!
We stopped at Roy's Motel and Café for a bathroom break and a refuel without even knowing of its historical and pop cultural relevance. The group of bikers who were just passing through really added to its instant visual appeal. Such a photogenic spot, especially its retro-futuristic architecture and weathered neon sign!
After Amboy, we passed through the Devil's Playground where we stopped for a group pic and to take in the views. Seriously stunning, scenic drive here. But the September heat was no joke.
Plenty of Joshua Trees along the road too, if you missed out on those in Joshua Tree Park! I must admit I dozed off a couple of times during the drive from California to Nevada, which (as always, on a U.S. roadtrip) took longer than anticipated I always recommend keeping your drive time to a maximum of 4h per day to allow some time to enjoy the stops and the views, but even then you often feel like you're rushing to see it all. When it comes to California: always take more travel time than you think you'll need!
We only had one more stop on our itinerary, the Seven Magic Mountains just outside of Las Vegas. A strange place where just along the highway, brightly painted boulders were stacked by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone in 2016 as a temporary public art installation. Because of the popularity, the mountains will probably extend their stay beyond their initially planned 2 year run, but still: go there as soon as you can, before the boulders roll off! It's absolutely worth a quick visit. If you're staying in Vegas, I'd go here around sunset or sunrise (or even after dark if you have the right photographic equipment) to experience the mountains without dozens of tourists surrounding you. It wasn't too bad when we dropped by in the afternoon, but I still had to work my angles and photoshop some people out to get these shots.Worth it!
rainbow stripe top: Shein - floral embroidered shorts: Bershka - sneakers: Vans - rainbow stripe socks: Pull and Bear - fiddler cap: Brixton
And then we were only a short drive away from Las Vegas - a photo story for another blogpost. Soon online ;-) Hope you enjoyed this little roadtrip!
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