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Barstow to Ludlow - 1923
Starting from Ludlow the west-bound motorist will next cover a distance of fifty-five miles to Barstow. The road, while somewhat irregular, parallels the Santa Fe Railroad almost due west. The country is similar to that covered west of Amboy, being practically level and broken occasionally by dry lakes, extinct volcanic craters, and mountain ranges in the distance. The roadway is graded and graveled and offers comparatively good going. The Mojave River, which first becomes visible to the motorist at Daggett, is followed into Barstow.
Continuing on from his last stop the motorist finds the same arid spaces. Sagebrush and greasewood cover the land, mingled with occasional clumps of cactus. At rare intervals, the traveler may see faintly outlined on the shore of some dry lake, that mystic illusion of the desert—a mirage. It is a weird and fascinating cheat, this picture of mirrored water and waving foliage. Once seen it will never be forgotten. Framed by the burning sands below and a scorching blue dome of cloud and sky above, it is the supreme mockery of these desert surroundings.
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Barstow
Daggett
Newberry Springs
