Exploring Abandoned Desert Center, California

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Located about 50 miles west of Blythe and 50 miles east of Indio, sits the town of Desert Center, California. Once an important stop on Highway 60/70 for travelers who dared brave the desert, over the last decade most of the town has been largely abandoned.
The town was founded in 1921 by Desert Steve Ragsdale, and with the creation of Highway 60 in 1926, the town became an oasis for early road travelers. With a service station, garage, a swimming pool to cool off in, and a cafe that was open 24 hours a day, business was good.
In 1950 Desert Steve left Desert Center (not before digging his own grave and erecting a monument to himself), and his kids took over. The town continued to flourish for decades, until the nearby mines closed and Interstate 10 bypassed the town. One by one, the town's businesses began to close. A decade ago, the cafe that would never close because they lost the keys, closed. Now, the only open business in the town is the post office.
In this video we explore the abandoned town, taking a look at the garage, the cafe, the market, the motel, the "new" gas station, the hamburger stand, the school, and the not quite grave of Desert Steve himself.
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Опубликовано:

1 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 634

@iowa_don 6 месяцев назад

One time in the 60's when I was 18 or so, I got stranded in Chiraco Summit, just 19 miles west of Desert Center, on a Saturday night on my way to back college in L.A. It was the middle of the night and my battery was not charging. I stopped at the garage and in the morning a guy tried to fix it - no luck. I needed a new generator for my '53 Chevy and they did not have one. In the morning I limped to a garage/gas station in Indio. I had no money. The gas station owner not only fixed my car on a Sunday, he LOANED ME HIS CREDIT CARD in case I had further trouble on my way to L.A. I have never forgotten that kindness and I am sorry that I never really got to thank him properly. I try to pay it forward whenever I can.

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Wow, that's an amazing story that I can't imagine happening today.

@TerryKnight-hw3pg 6 месяцев назад

You meet some great people in our lives.

@Nomadcreations 5 месяцев назад

How times have Changed as well as people/Society....... Hmm, ... 53 Chevy, reminds me of my 2nd car with a bad clutch if You Floored it the engine would speed but Not the car & as what the cars salesman said about It "That (Blank) Dont Burn a drop Of oil" which was only true if it wasnt running, otherwise a quart a week 2 miles to school.

@MarinCipollina Месяц назад

In 1974 I was driving through Glitter Gulch in Las Vegas, driving a 1967 Pontiac Grand Prix.. Well, the headlights were getting dimmer, as were the dashboard lights, and finally my car died, right there on Fremont Av, a few blocks from the Nugget casino.. A Clark County Sheriff Dept deputy stopped by and asked what the problem was, and I explained that I had a dead battery, and my car wouldn't start. He said, well I don't have jumper cables, but I'll radio one of the other deputies, which he did.. The other deputy showed up shortly thereafter and gave me a jump start.. I can't imagine that happening today.. I think today you'll be told to move the car or it will be towed.

@versuskid4232 6 дней назад

He knows you appreciated his kindness. His gift was helping you in the first place so know that and then you can pay it forward with someone else who will be in need someday. The big guy upstairs was keeping an eye out for you. Thanks for posting your experience here because just maybe one individual here will be inspired to do good for others.

@sandranykerk2280 6 месяцев назад

I was there and photographed in March of 2018. Everything was still intact, none of the windows were broken, and the cafe looked like someone had left for the night and just never gone back. The tables were set, and the phone booths were there across the back. The locomotives were still in the garage, and the caboose was there just to the east of the Cafe. The school was also intact and snugly secure behind a locked up chain link fence. I’m so sorry to see what has happened to all of it in just the last 5 years. It’s truly tragic.

@markdoell1834 6 месяцев назад

A shame , isn't it?

@rainer1980 5 месяцев назад

From the looks of all the graffiti, I'd say one of the Blood or Crips gangs out of L.A. or Las Vegas probably came in there, and stripped it bare of any value.

@gabrielreyes5455 5 месяцев назад

we slept there over night 30 years ago cause the fuel pump went out

@BoycottGoogleTotally 5 месяцев назад

Some people can do no good.... If i was there i would clean it up and try to restore it.... The building is very good and big.... It would become a nice home.... But i m too far

@julius43461 5 месяцев назад

You should upload the pics somewhere.

@rayporter6197 6 месяцев назад

Great video Steve. I had many cups of coffee in the cafe between 1973 and 1978 when I was a Phoenix based truck driver. The Desert Center Cafe was a good place to meet for drivers working for trucking companies with operations in Phoenix and Los Angeles. Drivers for various companies would switch off loaded units from El Segundo of other L A terminals for empty trailers from Phoenix. Desert Center was a natural halfway spot used 24 hours a day 7 days a week for this type of exchange operation. It is sad to see the condition of this spot today.

@RevolutionMuscle 6 месяцев назад

It still is used for this purpose, just no services there now.

@ONLY-CARS-FANS 5 месяцев назад

@ Ray what comes to mind since you did that route for many years --how many stories you have to share ...I miss Art Bell and the Truck Drivers Stories

@andyamysarizonaadventures5450 5 месяцев назад

My dad used to stop at that old diner near Salome driving truck in the 80s

@jamessmoth8683 2 месяца назад

I was one of those drivers in the 90's

@billharris7235 6 месяцев назад

Our family stopped here on our way to Massachusetts in the summer of '65. Ate lunch at the cafe. Us kids were just thankful for any sign of civilization!

@TheStuport 6 месяцев назад

Wowzers, that is a great childhood memory! STILL laughing @ "any sign of civilization" 🤣 Having done some desert traveling with my siblings, we all could relate! 👋

@DeeMoback 6 месяцев назад

We also have stopped there on a number of occasions.....back in 1960s ....later in the 1980s when I was a trucker too

@TheStuport 6 месяцев назад

@@DeeMoback For me it's a bit sad to see a Town like this pretty much disintegrate in real time. At least we have the memories! Salute Jay

@DeeMoback 6 месяцев назад

@@TheStuport yes, .....so many of the places I used to stop at are now ABANDONED PLACES on youtube..... yup

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Desert Center must have seemed like an oasis then.

@drgruber57 2 месяца назад

Can you imagine the lasting satisfaction of those who go to bed every night remembering how fulfilling it was to tag and vandalize Desert Center? Yeah, me neither. I will never understand how people get such a thrill out of destroying things.

@StevieWonder737 3 месяца назад

Another great trail guide video. I never have understood the need by some people to destroy something just for the sake of destruction. It's unfathomable to me that people feel a need to leave their mark on the world by trashing everything they can along the way. Not much of a legacy in my view. Great work again, Steve. The spirit of America and those that endured all kinds of hardships to build it is always intriguing to me. You do a marvelous job of showing the human side of this corner of history.

@drkskyes 2 месяца назад

I agree about the destruction. So many people feel weak against the world around them and destruction is their way of rebellion.

@rojoknight 2 месяца назад

The people who destroy these places are what we call the best of lowlifes. Here in California we tolerate them in South west Missouri we have sink holes. Where I was born West Virginia mine shafts.

@PinInTheAtlas 6 месяцев назад

It’s so sad to think Desert Steve built a town from nothing putting his life and soul into it. Hoping to leave a legacy for it to become ruins. Thanks for the tour and the history lesson. Really enjoyed it.

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

At least when he passed it was probably still going strong, though I wonder what caused him to leave Desert Center. Maybe he saw the writing on the wall way back then.

@CarsandCats 6 месяцев назад

There are very few builders left in today's society and far more destroyers. As soon as a business closes, they are already breaking windows and defacing with spray paint in a language only they can read.

@somnolentSlumber 6 месяцев назад

ozymandias moment it all goes back to the sand eventually

@johnbeach7146 6 месяцев назад

Not quite ruins. Those who live here know about big plans. The lack of development until now is for reasons that are no longer in the way.

@johnbeach7146 6 месяцев назад

@@SidetrackAdventures Desert Steve left because of a dalliance with his secretary. His wife didn't approve.

@craigpierce7996 19 дней назад

My family had a place on the Colorado River when I was a teen in the 70's. I drove through this town at least 50 times! This video is a reminder of great times in my life and the stark fact that you can't go back...

@vrmendo 6 месяцев назад

Stayed in the Cafe for several hours back in 1991 when my motorcycle engine ran hot and finally blew up. The nice lady behind the counter said their claim to fame was being the location for an episode of the TV show Airwolf. They had a lot of pictures around the Cafe from the show. Nice place and very friendly people. Thanks again Steve.

@donaldwycoff4154 6 месяцев назад

Wonderful episode. For some reason it plucked my heart-strings, thinking about how one person impacted hundreds of lives, and within a century, what was one a vibrant business town was turned mostly to dust.

@dingo8babym20 5 месяцев назад

Aristotle - 'Time crumbles things; everything grows old under the power of Time and is forgotten through the lapse of Time.

@curbozerboomer1773 Месяц назад

@@dingo8babym20 And remember the Rock group, Kansas? Their signature tune was "Dust in the Wind".

@allanbador7316 6 месяцев назад

I’ve been passing it since I was 16. It was a happy place because seeing it meant you were almost to the river in Parker.

@TheMenghi1 6 месяцев назад

My father and I stopped by the Desert Center on route to Phoenix. I still have a receipt from the cafe since my father passed away some few years later, RIP, Frank.

@SolamenteVees 4 месяца назад

Thank you, Steve. I hope all of your hard work also benefits you because you’re doing us a great service with your videos. As a TV/Radio major I appreciate your pacing, diction and tone. All the best for 2024.

@POINTS2 6 месяцев назад

I have stopped for a bush bathroom break by what I called "those abandoned buildings from I-10" on some of my Arizona camping trips. Thank you for explaining the history of Steve and his town. I may have never known otherwise and next time I stop there, I may take a longer look around. I definitely will appreciate it more. I am grateful for your videos and adding Sidetrack Adventures to the list of things to be thankful for at Thanksgiving this year. Thank you!

@stevereed8786 5 месяцев назад

If you went to Parker or Havasu to vacation on the Colorado River we all stopped at Desert Center before taking a left to Rice Road. My Parents would caravan pulling a Boat behind the Station Wagon at 3am to beat the heat. I remember stopping at Desert Center asking if we were there yet. It was always lots of activity at that time of the morning of Semi Trucks everywhere, the Diner, Gas station was a must regardless. Rice road seemed was 1000 miles long. I follow the trend for years and stopped at Desert Center weather or not I needed to. I'll never forget the comfort of knowing that those places actually existed at one time.

@Yormsane 6 месяцев назад

Sad to see Mr Ragsdale's desert oasis has fallen into such awful dereliction. Desert Center would make a great location for a huge EV charger site, as in Kettleman, CA. 100+ charging stalls, solar canopies, and a 50s-themed diner, to bring some old-school road trip vibes to a 21st century installation.

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Its in a great location for that, being so far from pretty much everything else.

@leighsayers2628 6 месяцев назад

That would be a horrible end to a historic area ..yuck

@someguy9778 6 месяцев назад

Right...EV charging site...great

@paulas_lens 5 месяцев назад

@Tesla see to it :D

@kriskabin 6 месяцев назад

As a trucker who did a lot of backnforth between L.A. & Phoenix, I'd stop & do a 10hr brk here once in a while. I always liked that neat cafe sign of an old miner & his burro cooking his supper over a campfire; a really unique painted tin & neon vintage sign. Too bad it disappeared after the town was sold. There was a wooden totem pole too outside of the cafe. I read something about an auction sale took the best goodies away from Desert Center. Sitting in my truck there & watching ALL the ppl drive by on I-10, I couldn't help but think that just a lone In & Out Burger here would be funny & do a HUGE business. Like the Prada store in the middle of nowhere in west Texas.

@sdbackout5247 3 месяца назад

I recognized the Cafe in Google maps. It was in an episode of Airwolf (80s TV show). It was the episode were we meet Catlin in her CHP helicopter. I stopped by on a camping trip.

@andyamysarizonaadventures5450 5 месяцев назад

As a truck driver its always much more enjoyable passing desert center heading east to Arizona!!!

@Leggyblond22 5 дней назад

past BLIGHT and into Ehrenberg... home free after that,Roll on Driver!!!!

@andyamysarizonaadventures5450 5 дней назад

@@Leggyblond22 hammer down ! 😁

@Leggyblond22 5 дней назад

@@andyamysarizonaadventures5450 I'm selling the small amount of shit I have and heading that way next weekend. GTFO out of California and I'm gonna hunker down in cottonwood with my jeep and my dog. also, you know that little market i Ehrenberg has showers and laundry if you wanna bypass the truck stops.

@andyamysarizonaadventures5450 5 дней назад

@Leggyblond22 everywhere is getting crime riden and over priced, we moved to Oklahoma where Amy is from ,paid $65,000 for a nice brick home and I'm hualing crude oil.Just board to death some days off not having my mountains

@LivingOnCash 6 месяцев назад

Another example of how the interstate highway system was the start of the demise of our society. I've stopped here many times over the years. What's sad about seeing it now is that for some reason, people feel the need to smash and destroy buildings. Why is that?

@curbozerboomer1773 Месяц назад

The rich get richer, the poor get poorer...and the frustration mounts. That is your answer.

@dougtodd305 6 месяцев назад

I used to stay in Joshua Tree ,when it was a monument.l would explore all around it .Desert Center was a place l would end up at often,a little run down but still pleasant, I often thought I could retire there ,little did I know this would happen to it.

@TheStuport 6 месяцев назад

Great share Doug! Salute

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Lots of trucks are still stopping there, but unfortunately no services for them.

@juliojames5986 5 месяцев назад

Steve, you do a great job on these adventures to almost forgotten places, and bringing them back to our memories of old stories heard or experiences… You deserve an award ! Thanks.

@ki6lkp 6 месяцев назад

The wooden phone booths within the cafe were classic and certainly collectable. I hope they found a good home and didn't end up as firewood.

@MCTeck 6 месяцев назад

The last time I was in Desert Center was 1972,returning from the Barstow to Vegas motorcycle race. The truck I was riding had a wheel bearing fail just out side of town The people at the market gave my friends and I free food and drinks while we waited for parts to arrive from Barstow . Sad to see it now 😢

@stevef.8041 2 месяца назад

Desert Steve must have been quite a character and one with great insight. Amazing story.

@steveturner3864 6 месяцев назад

I used to drive for Conway Trucking and for twenty years we did turns there meeting drivers from Arizona and Nevada. There would be no seats in that cafe it was so crowded and you had to park 200 yards away sometimes. They had pics on the cafe walls from the air wolf episode that was filmed there. They were very proud of that in DC. That’s what it’s called DC not desert center. The thing that I remember was the restrooms at the cafe were inside but not air conditioned lol so you only went in there as a last resort. But the people were friendly. Everyone bought cheese fries. The tables had a fifties look with red checkered tablecloths. It was booming for awhile. Too bad it died. Good memories

@jamessmoth8683 2 месяца назад

I drove for Conway also. UFV pacomia yard

@verbalwidget7267 6 месяцев назад

Big Thumbs up, very well done, as always. I have stopped in Desert Center a few times driving to California. My dad was a truck driver, and it was special when I got to go with him in the cab of the big truck. I have fond memories of sitting at that counter with him as he drank a coffee in the late 1960's, I still remember the waitress being very nice. Thank you for putting together this video.

@Koguma52 6 месяцев назад

Thanks for the video! I grew up in Rialto and during the late 50’s and into the 60’s we would often spend weekends at the Colorado River. I remember heading out in the pre-dawn hours and stopping at the Desert Center Cafe for an early breakfast, or sometimes having dinner there on our way back home. I have fond childhood memories of that place.

@anthonygonzalez7488 6 месяцев назад

When I was a truck driver in the middle 1990's, I would stop there to take a break. The cafe would have breakfast, lunch and dinner blue plate specials ( two eggs, bacon or sausage, hash browns, toast and coffee for less than $4.00 ) . The hamburger place also sold ground beef tacos, burgers and fries with coca cola, rootbeer and Sprite in paper cups . Desert Center market had cold sodas, juice, milk, bread etc . There was an old caboose outside the cafe and a locomotive and a 1930's sedan inside the cafe's garage ) i was told that the railroad equipment belonged to the Eagle mountain railway . I purchased several postcards at the cafe that showed the town during its heyday.

@TheStuport 6 месяцев назад

I'm VERY grateful this 2023 Thanksgiving on being a part of Sidetrack Adventures with you Steve, your lovely Family AND of course The Posse of Fans who leave awesome comments of their own adventures that tie in with the videos you post! My Hump Days are now Happy Days and I'm Thankful! Maybe it's just me BUT seems like it takes a character of eccentric qualities like Desert Steve to literally establish a Town and help it thrive! Huge Smiles hearing his story and the history of his time out in the desert! Sort of a sad shame to see the remnants decaying away too but glad to be able to see and hear the history! Wasn't a Mayberry and Booze was a no no, so no Otis either! 🤣Thank You Steve for taking care of Us! MOO From COW-lumbus, Ohio 👋

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Thank you and happy Thanksgiving to you as well!

@robertwalen4976 6 месяцев назад

I’ve enjoyed all of your videos that I have seen. Keep up the good work. It’s been great to see the history of our country.

@wadewithcoffee1207 5 месяцев назад

Did you notice the Christmas Wreath on Wall

@dougsworldtour3755 6 месяцев назад

Very sad, I did a video there 6 or so years ago and everything was still locked up. Vandals really suck.

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Yeah, things would last so much longer if they were just left alone. Being so close to the interstate though I guess Desert Center is an easy target.

@RoadDogSteve 6 месяцев назад

I frequently hitchhiked from Phoenix to San Francisco in the early 70s. I got "stuck" there for 7 hours..... The cafe was a welcome sight at 3 am. I eventually got a ride from someone that was eating there. Kaiser Steel, i believe, had a mine close by. The company's all inclusive health care system there was the model for Kaiser Permanente I heard.. great video.... thanks.

@billquailes7882 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for this video - I retired from trucking in 2014, and this was one of my stops when passing through.

@edwardlincoln5680 4 месяца назад

We stopped and ate at that cafe in 2006 when we hauled a car to the Barrett-Jackson auction in Phoenix. The station was closed but the gas pumps were still there. That circle of dead palm trees was still standing.

@johnallred716 6 месяцев назад

Great video, and narrative. Used to stop there all the time and take photos. Last time I was there was 2017; the Chevron gas pumps were still there (last Riverside County Weights and Measures inspection sticker was dated 1966,) the Cafe was still intact somewhat, wooden telephone booths lined the back wall. All the glass was there, it had not been tagged inside at all. The neon sign over the entrance was still up too. Outside, just to the east of the Cafe was a Kaiser Steel railroad caboose on a small section of track and several late 40's, early 50's GMC dump trucks embedded in the sand. There was a directional sign for Eagle Mountain (handpainted non CalTrans) around back. There were sections of the green interstate mileage signs from The 10 that used the button reflectors too (c. 1970.) I thiink those were replaced around '99 or so and the old signs were left behind. It's all gone now. Those vistas...timeless for sure. Keep up the great archaeological work!

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

I was actually wondering what happened to the caboose. I seem to remember a plaque for Kaiser there too, but that seems to be missing as well.

@tvdinner325 6 месяцев назад

I regularly used that gas station in the 80s and 90s. The palm tree design was really cool. The ones at each end, leaned at 45 degrees.

3 месяца назад

Palm trees aren't cheap. One of that size costs around $1000 each.

@tvdinner325 3 месяца назад

Not back then.

@allenmurray7893 6 месяцев назад

I stopped to eat there at night in 1971, and tried to sleep a little. Then again in 1972 in the daytime. Unsuccessful both times. I liked it there. It was a great place to stop and rest. Sorry to see what has happened to it.

@PaulStellwagSr. 2 дня назад

I remember having breakfast at the cafe when Desert Center was very much alive, also remember meeting a gentleman who showed me the warehouse full of military equipment and a 1942 Harley Davidson totally military with 15 miles on it. A episode of AirWolf was filmed in front of the cafe used as the Sheriff’s Office. Good times.

@janblake9468 6 месяцев назад

Desert Steve also owned and worked some mines in the Coxcomb Mtns. I ate many lunches at the counter in the cafe before they closed in 2013. Good hamburgers. It is rumored that the new owner plans to construct a truck stop there.

@ChrisW-17 6 месяцев назад

How appropriate you introduced your video in front of the plaque for "Desert Steve, no relation". It's one of the first things I found on Google maps before watching. 😂 Thanks for another great video. Glad to be along for the ride!

@mariateresamondragon5850 6 месяцев назад

I always stopped here when driving to L.A. from New Mexico or Arizona (but rarely when traveling east). I was sad when the cafe closed. Now I stop to eat in Blythe or Chiriaco Summit, but neither appeals to me like Desert Center did. I stopped to watch the 2017 solar eclipse at the corner of Ragsdale and Eagle Mountain Roads. I don't think I've stopped in the area since. Thanks for the tour and information.

@hereIam1965 5 месяцев назад

I live thousands of miles away across in North East England 🇬🇧 .. but after watching the vid and listening to the commentary" I get " the desert cafe. Morso when I read the comments from the viewers which have added their own memories dating back to the 50s . Someone said its sad to see it desserted with Steve's town in ruins now especially last five years, that said I bet the guy never envisaged a world wide audience and such a good vid with comments . I've been fortunate enough to have some family in AZ and visit . 😊

@user-qf1it8jc9y 6 месяцев назад

Thanks Steve on another great place full of memories! One trip out to Parker in the early 80's we got a flat on the boat trailer 20 miles north of Desert Center, no problem as we just put on the spare. 20 miles later the other tire blew out. Had to leave the trailer on the side of the highway and head back to Desert Center hoping that they had something. Luckily the only place open had some used tires and that saved our trip! Great hamburger joint used to be there also across the street.

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

I can only imagine how many people were pretty much saved by Desert Center over the years, having the only service station for 50 miles in either direction.

@Bellyupandbored 6 месяцев назад

They Fil;med the first episode of Airwolf There, I drank a lot of Coffee and ate some great Pie in that Cafe, Use to Park my Truck over by the Store when Driving thru there Last time I went thru was around 1990 on way to Corona, Man that is a shame nobody will experience that place!

@heyoldman2003 6 месяцев назад

thank you again Steve . i love the desert. and i too have a hard time with booze been dry almost 50 years 😎 take care 👍🏼

@gary6449 4 месяца назад

Broke down there in Sept, 1990. My ol' Ford Pickup truck blew a top radiator tank - We got to the (then open) cafe and procured some aluminum foil to "McGuiver" the radiator to hold enough water to get us to Indio and a radiator shop that was owned by an old guy that was a *dead ringer* for Aristotle Onassis .. good times !

@delfincruz6786 Месяц назад

Thank you for your hard work in giving us a window to the past.

@scotts.3600 6 месяцев назад

"Sidetrack Steve", would you be offended if we called you that. I've watched many of your videos, for some odd reason, this is my favorite. "Nuff sed."

@kensakamoto258 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for the memory. My father and I used to stop for gas there on our trips around the desert back in the last 60's. I don't recall eating at the cafe. I think my father said there was a military base nearby where soldiers trained to go to Africa back in WW2.

@JOHNDEGUIRE 5 дней назад

As always, well done! Your storytelling style is so easy to listen to. Thanks for all the travel and research you do!

@themindofmr.h9929 5 месяцев назад

What you're doing is on my bucket list. 30 years ago, on a trip to Laughlin, I passed into Ludlow, about 40 miles east of Barstow. I took photos of all the buildings. I went there again recently, most of the buildings have deteriorated considerably. The photos are still framed and adorn the walls of my home office. Charming memories.

3 месяца назад

Nothing stays the same for long. I've lived in Tempe, AZ for 20 years. Every single restaurant my family used to eat in 20 years ago has now gone. Lots of the stores we shopped at have gone as well.

@muffs55mercury61 17 дней назад

Went thru there in 1970 on a Greyhound bus to Los Angeles and coming back on Continental Trailways. We stopped there about 15 minutes. When I took the same bus trip in 1972 it had been bypassed by I-10. In 1985 I drove on what used to be old US 60 from Blythe to Desert Center to reminisce. There were still a few things open but not as much as 15 years earlier.

@dagmaryuppaderivera2399 2 месяца назад

Back in the early 2000s, there was a clinic building and a plaque next to the market. They were for the Kaiser hospital that originated there at the mines at Eagle Mountain. Last time I visited was 2013 or so, and the town buildings were still intact. It is sad to see what has become of it. Most of the damage was most likely during the pandemic when people were frustrated and bored. I now live in Alabama but am grateful for you and your channel. It's good to see the desert through the eyes of someone who appreciates it. Thank you so much.

@KosmeticKritter 6 дней назад

When I was a kid (probably ‘95 or’96) this was the closest town to the cabin we stayed at and we stopped there frequently. I remember thinking the cafe had the best chicken tenders I’d ever had, and after we ate we’d take biscuits or crackers to feed the llamas at the house behind the cafe. Mom told us the service station was a museum, but we never did more than look at the old cars and carriages through the doors.

@travelingman21000 5 месяцев назад

I stop fairly often since my brother works for Fisher and you can see his trailer in your drone footage of what left of the man camp. I let him know that his trailer now has been made famous for being in your video. Keep up the great work your doing!

@SidetrackAdventures 5 месяцев назад

That's pretty cool. So he stays out there while working or does he live out there full time?

@travelingman21000 5 месяцев назад

@@SidetrackAdventures He lives there as long as the job is on going. Once the job is done he'll move on to the next job.

@michaelhorn2557 2 месяца назад

We used to have Eagle Mountain High in our league, along with Needles, 29Palms, Yucca Valley, Imperial, Holtville and Calipatria. My understanding was the whole area was owned by Kaiser Steel. Apparently except for Valley Center. All the homes, stores, streets, schools, etc. were owned by Kaiser. When the mine closed, so did the town. Nice video, sorry to see it now. It was a nice area before the mine closed.

@dakotabowes2387 6 месяцев назад

I have been to that cafe a few times back around 05 they had great food I would always get the ups chicken salad and a tall, iced tea. they also would bring a bowel of sliced lemons for your drink that were grown nearby there was some really old phone booths by the back wall someone probably stole those. Also, that garage and gas station was still being used back then it's really sad some people have to destroy and vandalize stuff to have fun.

@Rfk1966 6 месяцев назад

Glad you documented this, Steve. I go through here frequently and it has really gone downhill in the last 9 months due to the vandalism. With the new travel stop going in, all of this won’t be around much longer sadly.

@jyzo 6 месяцев назад

Has there been much building progress on the new travel stop? I’m trying to decide how soon I need to go check this out haha

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

It didn't look like anything was started on it at all.

@johnbeach7146 6 месяцев назад

@@jyzo No progress - the new buyer lost his developer due to the coronavirus pandemic and is looking for another developer.

@trent1984 6 месяцев назад

When you picked up the newspaper I thought it would say sometime in the 90s, but 2012!?! Amazing how much entropy can happen in 11 years .

@curbozerboomer1773 Месяц назад

Yes...and it reflects just how fast our society is deteriorating..Something has to change in the culture of America.

@627apache 6 месяцев назад

I actually had to fill up at the gas station a couple of times when I attended ASU. I always wondered what the place looked like in it's heyday. Thanks for uploading. This brought up memories of road trips to and from school even though usually I drove right by.

@RonnKnox-vs9jl Месяц назад

I passed through Desert Center last year, on the way to do some field work on highway 177 ( I work for Caltrans). It is a starkly beautiful area, and very remote, especially to the north along highway 177. Our vehicle broke down and we were stranded for 3 hours waiting for a tow truck. Luckily it wasn't summe ! We got our work done!

@surge384 6 месяцев назад

Dang, what a great video👍. I lived in Coachella for 15 years and routinely drove my big rig through Desert Center. Thanks for taking the time to make this video.

@user-wp3cy3fl2j Месяц назад

Great video Steve, thanks.

@andyamysarizonaadventures5450 5 месяцев назад

The last time I stopped there was the early 90s I remember the cool looking chp camero z28 police cars patrolling near.Those dining booths in the diner would be awesome to restore and put in a modern restaurant!

@tedkerr2230 6 месяцев назад

Thanks,Steve, for stopping at all the places we race by . We give them a glance and then they're gone. But you stop and bring that little piece of local history alive!

@slurpee27 6 месяцев назад

On the way to the river from Orange County , we used to stop at the “ new” gas station (that is now used for a bathroom) back in the 80’s-90’s I believe it was a Texaco station … We’d walk across the street and get a burger and a shake too… was always a welcome stop. I do remember the palm trees …

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

It was a Texaco, you can just make it out on the sign.

@austinpischner7734 6 месяцев назад

gotta tell you about the time I went there. It was about 3-4pm and we were passing in to see this plae on the way home. We went out by the old junkyard where a young child came out of the bushes and began waving at us. I was freaked out and began backing out of the area. While backing out, the childs (presumably) parents came out of a different set of bushes. All 3 began walking towards our card, at which point I back up straight into another bush. Was so freaked out, i sped out of there so fast!!

@lloydsplace101 6 месяцев назад

something serene and lonely yet exciting and welcoming about the desert.

@TerryKnight-hw3pg 6 месяцев назад

Hard to explain the feeling about the desert especially when old structures are involved.

@paulas_lens 5 месяцев назад

I remember when they used to light the palm trees with Christmas lights - I would whistle that tune (like on the Corona commercial) as I drove by. Thanks for the history lesson. I was always curious of the story.

@sheldonduffy9442 Месяц назад

I remember driving past this place while driving along the 10 when i first drove to and from Fort Huachuca, Az. I am so surprised that a town along highway 10 shut down since it still received traffic. I remember marveling at those Palm Trees.

@memowilliam9889 5 месяцев назад

I enjoy these episodes. I grew up in the desert. I have a lot of great memories of exploring. I moved to Montana in 2001. I love the summer there but miss the wide open spaces and warm winter weather of southern California. I keep thinking about retiring in Arizona near the river -- to snowbird back and forth.

@RobinHullBuilds 6 месяцев назад

Hey Steve I love your channel. It’s all about the things I love about America, and California in particular. I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited the west several times and there’s nothing I like more than exploring off the beaten track. My brother lives in Leucadia and has lived in California since the 1980’s. He is currently here in the U.K. visiting our 91 year old mum. Part of me wishes he’d squeeze me into his luggage when he returns home on Sunday. Another great video. Thanks mate 👍

@mikemiller9119 5 месяцев назад

That diner is the coolest and would be a great tourist attraction.

@diane1390 6 месяцев назад

I love the art deco look of the outside of the old cafe.

@debidehm9129 4 месяца назад

Even in a place remote like this still has graffiti. That’s so sad people can’t just leave things be.

@stevemccoy8138 5 месяцев назад

I remember stopping at the Cafe back in the 70s truckin ,hauling produce. 😊

@1cavscout160 6 месяцев назад

Drive through there all the time going to Havasu from San Diego. I remember when the burger place was still open. Coo vid!

@igavehimadollar3354 3 месяца назад

im an aussie and i really love these type of videos really interesting stuff

@hurr1c4ne 2 месяца назад

Great video and very interesting story!

@johngaither9263 6 месяцев назад

I stopped at the Burger stand once while enroute to LA in 1999. There was a whole desert to park the truck in as evidenced by a number of other big rigs parked for the night. They had run out of beef patties and only had buns, fries and drinks.

@oybay 4 месяца назад

Thanks, Steve. Have seen the exit signs for ever and wanted to stop and shoot. Hamburger stand was exceptional.

@robertreynolds1044 6 месяцев назад

I remember when the palm trees were first planted, he even tried to recreate the great big W from it's a mad mad mad mad mad world. My name is Bicycle Bob and I approved this message and I'd like to see your take on Fort Courage on I40,mm348,in Arizona on the Navajo res.

@Brendan-Black 6 месяцев назад

Why do so many people feel the need to tag and destroy historic abandoned buildings? It's pathetic. And the absolute destruction of property is simply inexcusable, period; have some damn respect, folks.

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Yeah, unfortunately being so close to the freeway makes it an easy target, but I always wonder who is driving around with spray paint in their car, we are miles from anything.

@MarinCipollina Месяц назад

@@SidetrackAdventures Idiots

@tonym.9186 3 месяца назад

So Much lost. Can you imagine the stories of living there.....

@charlesroberts8803 5 месяцев назад

I ate in that cafe around 15 years ago. Seems like there were pictures of General Patton on the wall. You should have driven a couple of miles to the west on the old highway next to I-10 at the next exit. There was a plaque and the foundations of an army hospital from WWII still there.

@jamessmoth8683 2 месяца назад

Back in the late 90's the truck company I worked for used Desert Center as a turning point/meeting point for our drivers from LA to meet phoenix drivers and trade trailers. We used the Cafe as our waiting point at night. They used to have old wooden payphone booths inside the cafe that had doors on them along with the old style payphones. The Cafe used to sell dates from those counters near the door. There was also an episode of the TV show Airwolf that did a sceen infront of the post office

@hughjhardon8080 Месяц назад

I think the last time I was there was about 15 years ago. Good burger and cool old vintage diner. Somewhere I have a picture of the cool neon sign above the diner.

@murlough23 6 месяцев назад

My wife and I stumbled across this place on the way back home to L.A. from Arizona in February of 2012. We got a smoothie at the cafe, which at the time looked like it wasn't getting a ton of business, but nevertheless it was still up and running. Looks like it closed not long after that. Man, looking at ghost towns is depressing when you can tell everyone just gave up and left and nobody was on the hook to clean things up. But, uh... hey, some of the graffiti looks nice!

@victorcontreras3368 3 месяца назад

Had stopped there to work on my car's gas filter in 2010. Was next to an abandoned store to get some of it's shade. Moment was a bit rough but now, what beautiful memories😂

@johnchedsey1306 6 месяцев назад

Just passed through there a couple weekends ago! I only briefly stopped to get a photo of the Last Gas Station and headed on to Blythe. Thanks for the more in depth visit of this town!

@jennysjourney02 6 месяцев назад

I so want to check this place out. Shared this video with my husband and daughter. We're planning a long roadtrip for next spring through Southern Nevada, Utah, Northern Arizona, and coming back through the Needles area. We love exploring abandon buildings and towns. Great video!

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Its a fun place to check out. Lots to see there for sure.

@sebrandt1 6 месяцев назад

Happy Thanksgiving Steve. Thank you for sharing your adventures with everyone.

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family as well.

@tammybrown4901 5 месяцев назад

Dessert Steve was a badass, r.i.p sir had alot of vision very impressed.

@yjharrta91 4 месяца назад

I love ghost towns & ruins. The vandalism at those easily accessible is usually so disappointing and severely distracts from the experience. However, the school here quite fittingly has some very beautiful artwork 👍

@brianpowell5082 6 месяцев назад

Great video! I've heard of Desert Center and Desert Steve, but never knew the 2 were intertwined! My experience with Ragsdale was seeing his cabin site on top of Santa Rosa Mountain (only a chimney left!), and the painted poetry (repainted over the years) on the pine, fir, and cedar trees along Santa Rosa Mountain Road. So I am glad to learn a lot more about colorful Desert Steve watching this video! Cheers!

@SidetrackAdventures 6 месяцев назад

I've thought about going to check that out. Its interesting to hear the poetry has been repainted.

@brianpowell5082 6 месяцев назад

@@SidetrackAdventures It would make a great video topic!

@chadly1337 6 месяцев назад

Great video as always. Just went by there this past weekend. Really interesting story. Something about the loneliness and history out there in the most desolate part of the PHX > LA drive is so cool.

@Canleaf08 4 месяца назад

would like to come back to the Californian, Nevadian and Arizonian dessert.. Traveling for 100s of miles and then all of sudden a motel and a strange art installation show up at Death Valley Jct for example. I love that.

@davisworth5114 6 месяцев назад

Great job, fasinating story about a good man.

@gerwalk1 6 месяцев назад

I used to drive for Swift container division back in 06’ . We would meet the trucks coming from Phoenix, switch trucks and take them to the port. While waiting I would eat at the cafe. The food was good and it was still 24hr then. Fun fact DC was used in a episode of Airwolfe and they had a picture of it “blowing up” the cafe.