|click image for full size|

Day 11, 09/15/2009, of my Route 66 road trip started in Kingman AZ & ended in Barstow CA, with notable stops in Cool Springs AZ, Sitgreaves Pass AZ, Oatman AZ, Topock AZ, Park Moabi CA, Needles CA, Golfs CA, Cadiz Summit CA, Chambless CA, E Amboy CA, Amboy CA, Ludlow CA, Newberry Springs CA & Daggett CA. After jump starting the day in Kingman with a brisk early morning walk & breakfast with friend & OC,SHer JIM H, I started the journey by driving part of the same road Jim had driven me down the evening before. Then, I took the road to Oatman, making stops in Cool Springs & Sitgreaves pass before arriving in Oatman ~10:35a. After walking around & taking in the sites & stores, I continued west, arriving in Park Moabi CA ~11:50a, after a bit of backtracking as I somehow missed the exit the 1st time I drove past. 45 minutes later, I arrived in Needles CA & had some fun following different Route 66 alignments there before heading west again. Throughout this road trip, I was amazed by how many times I was SURE I had missed something I wanted to see only to happily realize moments later I had not. Such was the case with a few different stops between Needles & Barstow. Even with all of the famous spots I saw during that stretch (Goffs CA, a rest area pullout between Danby & Cadiz Summit, Roy’s in Amboy & Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs, etc.), 1 of my favorite views was seeing this train traveling along the tracks in the distance.

At the time I saw it, I was slightly concerned I had somehow missed the rest area pullout between Danby & CS; so, I stopped to take a couple photos of the train, wondering where it was going & who was on board. I arrived in Barstow CA ~4:55p, took a brief nap, then ventured out for some food & to see the neon lights.