Barstow

I call this place “Barstool”, and it’s sole purpose is to provide a place for people who are driving to Vegas from SoCal to eat lunch.

We make an annual trek to Southern California. After passing through Baker, CA, Barstow is the next city of any real size that we see.

The things that we remember most about Barstow are the McDonalds which is located the Barstow Station. Barstow Station is a conglomeration of eateries and souvenir shops in a railroad themed building. It’s frequently quite busy, as a lot of tour busses stop here for a break on the way between Las Vegas and the Southern California population centers.

When the offspring were young they loved to stop here. Now that they’re a little bit older, McDonalds has lost some of its allure, and they don’t normally demand that we stop here anymore.

Now that they are older, the daughters echo the sentiments of Mrs. viii and usually demand a stop at the Barstow Outlet Mall.

this is a place to pit stop on the way to vegas. and they have some outlet shops also

I lived here all through the ’60’s… Home of Ft. Irwin, Yermo Marine Corps Supply Depot, Goldstone Tracking Station (NASA) and Calico Ghost Town. Barstow was the butt of many Johnny Carson jokes. Barstow is in the middle of the Mojave Desert. I remember when I was a kid that it seemed that Barstow was always competing with Needles as being the “Nation’s Hot Spot” (110-115 degrees). Barstow, at least when I lived there was not much more than a seven-mile main street… Yes it had neighborhoods, but as far as Barstow businesses go, there was the one main street.

One precious memory I have is when I was a kid living actually three miles outside of Barstow (just off Rt. 66) in a place called Lenwood, laying on the hood of the family ’63 Ford Country Squire nine-passenger station wagon listening to Vin Scully (LA Dodgers) and Dick Enburg (Angels) announce baseball games out of LA!

I joined the US Navy while I was a senior at Barstow Union High School in 1973. I haven’t been there since ’75 while on a short leave. I would like to go back there someday. I have met people who have been there who have told me that it has changed a lot (grown) My brother was there a couple of years ago and told me that our old neighborhood has not changed at all! He said some of the houses have worn down a bit, but there are few of the same neighbors living there!

I live here!

But I’m moving to a bigger town soon….