Highway 395, Again!

Took another trip down highway 395 again for a doctor's appointment, this time I threw the kid in the car before I left.  It's still Spring, and the flowers are still blooming!

This is 'Desert Peach'

 They have no-kidding thorns.  Clearly one of those 'deer-resistant' plants.

Stopped at the Mono Lake overlook, checked out the view...

...and the stickers & writings that are all over the entire length of the guardrail...and everywhere else.

The 'Pot for Potholes' thing is, at least, a novel idea.

Lots of people make this place a regular stop.

They leave notes for each other.

And their friends!

And I *do* mean stickers are everywhere.  Any available surface is covered, not even this snowpole was missed.

Although I got a good laugh out of the 'IRS gone!' thing.  Yeah, right.

I think the addition of the cat head vastly improves this sign..

I like to stop off at at least one new roadside attraction on each trip, a bit further down the road was the 1872 mass grave for the earthquake victims.

It's one of those things that is really easy to miss.  It sits up on a small hill.

There are two markers.

It's sad that they don't even know who some of these people were.

The gravesite itself is pretty stark.

But people do stop, and leave little remembrances.

So we did, too.

We stopped for lunch and fed mama duck and her assorted ducklings.

Cool old building...

With a cool old sign!

Not fancy, just doing it's job.

One of the things you see a LOT of on highway 395 are trucks, trucks, and just to switch things up a bit...trucks.  I had a bit of trouble figuring out the logo on this one.

Look out, the lamb's got a knife!  Not sure what the bloody knife logo is trying to convey. 'Move your goods with us or we'll shank you straight through your skeevy heart while you sleep...?'

Stopped at the 'Give & Take' sculpture garden near Olancha again, this time there were little origami gifts in the 'Take' container!  Ah ha, someone is responding in kind to the origami I've been leaving!

What's in the box...?

A pretty pink lily!

During the trip we stopped at a motel that has the world's coolest carpet:

And in-room ducks!

 She showed up and very soberly watched us unload the car to make sure we were doing it right, she was an excellent supervisor.

Then politely ate the bits of crushed pork rinds we offered before moving on.

She declined to actually enter the room.  Smart duck.

While unloading the rental car, it tickled me to realize that the Chevy Sonic I was driving was actually the correct color.

We had a great view from the room.

The next day on the way back, we were treated to this on the 15 freeway at Cajon Summit.

I don't think I've ever been over Cajon and not seen something weird.

You know, there isn't a whole lot to do in the high desert...so sometimes I guess getting your drunk on and climbing a billboard to share your message with the world seems like a good idea.

Even if what seemed profound the night before *is*a bit incoherent in the light of day.

This becomes especially confusing when you try to read what is actually written aloud.

Stopped in at Pearsonville, they are quite proud of their fame.

Next to this water tank stands the Pink Lady.  She's very cool...

Even if she does have that 'dead, soulless eyes' thing going on.

Behind her is a semi-abandoned playground, all the more depressing because someone has recently tried to fix it up, and it looks like they lost heart halfway through.

Anyone who grew up in the 70's-80's and went to McDonalds recognizes this thing.

Juusstt plain creepy.

I DO love the jet, it's cool.

You can see the brush strokes the artist made.

My Pretty Darned Faded Ponies.

Beyond the playground are some basketball courts, picnic areas and lots and LOTS of grasshoppers that liked to fly up and smack me on the forehead.

'OK little Jimmy, go play on the rusted farm equipment until the hot dogs are ready!'

Hopefully no one was sitting here when that branch came down.

The plaque commemerates the founder of Pearsonville.  Hopefully it didn't fall on him and they just left him there, the flowers are a bit disconcerting.  They...they wouldn't have buried him in the city park...right...?

World's most dangerous bleachers.

Yikes.  Only die-hard fans would sit on these things.

When I was a kid these merry-go-rounds of death were a staple in every playground.  If your friends got it going fast while you were on it and you flew off or threw up, they'd just laugh.

'This is fun, mom!'

'Pose like a Frazetta painting!'
"What's that?'
Oh, dear.  I've missed an aspect of my child's upbringing.  'Pretend you're a rodeo rider.'
Ah.  Ok.

Next to the Pink Lady are the closed market & trading post.  I'd been through here in the 70's & 80's when they were still open, they were cool.

You can tell when time stopped here.

Farther up the road we swung off and went to Garlock, a tiny ghost town that time and travelers have not been kind to.

The entire townsite was fenced off, sadly, and this is as close as you can get.  I'm quite sure that the rattlesnake warning was no empty promise.

In this building you can peek in juuuust enough to make you wish you could see more.

This stuff is called dodder, and is a tendril-y parasitic plant. Yikes.

The place was duly posted.

Again, it made you wish you could get closer.

Don't know how much longer Garlock will last.

Outside of Bridgeport I was pleased to see a brand new marker!

I was impressed by how elaborate this E Clampus Vitus marker is.

The tile and coins I fully expect to be vandalized or stolen sooner or later.

'I believe it because it is absurd', the Clamper's motto...although it looks to be misspelled.

After this it was time to head home!