Amboy and the Mother Road

Forested red-rock walls of Oak Creek Canyon viewed from above under a deep blue sky

More than 300 million years of earth’s history. Winding up and out of Oak Creek Canyon.

Gotta make Lilo’s for lunch.

Lilo’s is the kind of place where a retired state trooper asks to sit across for a minute to count his cash before paying. We talked about before the Interstate went through. He was there for it. I was a kid (or maybe a twinkle) in the back of a station wagon. Two memories of the same road.

Inside Lilo's: wood-paneled walls and ceiling, wooden tables and chairs, a few diners at lunch

And that burger came in hot like the waitress was waiting by the grill. Anaheim chili: perfect.

Shared the table with a Latino couple with kids. Two steaks, one well-done, the other “with blood”. Didn’t hear an order for the kids. Family steak lunch, I think.

Time to make time, get across the California line.

Two-lane road through the Mojave seen from the driver’s seat, side mirror in the corner, distant mountains under scattered clouds

A couple hours of I-40, “Wonder what’s up in those hills?” and “Wonder where that old road leads?” And then, some old road. Not 66, but a bridge from the Interstate to that.

Abandoned Amboy School behind a chain-link gate, weathered school sign overhead, mountains beyond

Amboy, where the past becomes the present of the past.

Amboy post office in afternoon light: low white building with blue trim, palm tree, US flag, Route 66 painted on the asphalt

Amboy wants you to know, I am not a ghost town. (Yes, Amboy has a working post office.)

A couple walks into the Route 66 shot at Amboy — But wait. An Italian couple bombed my shot!

The Italian couple poses in front of the Amboy post office — (Good thing they spoke English.) I offered to send them photos, we exchanged emails. Then they asked for a couples shot. Forza Italia! 🇮🇹

Cars heading west on Route 66 across the Mojave under a wide cloud-streaked sky

Others are heading out, but I’m not done yet.

Full moon rising over distant mountains across the Mojave at dusk

The sun sets in the West, the moon rises in the East. As it ever was.

Roy’s Motel & Cafe neon sign at twilight: ‘No Vacancy’ glowing red, ‘Motel Cafe’ lit in yellow and white, deep blue sky fading to amber at the horizon

Got what I came for. Now show me the way home.