| Amboy, California |
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| CATEGORIES ABOUT AMBOY, CALIFORNIA | |
| communities on u.s. route 66 | |
| ghost towns in california | |
| communities in the mojave desert | |
| communities in san bernardino county | |
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SIGHTS Amboy Crater Amboy Crater , an extinct, 6,000-year-old Cinder Cone made largely of Pahoehoe , rises to the west. Roy's Motel and Cafe Roy's Motel and Cafe was the only gasoline, food and lodging stop for miles around that part of the eastern Mojave and was well known for both its , using a crane mounted on a 1930s -vintage Studebaker truck. In 1938 Roy Crowl opened "Roy's" as a service station on Route 66 in Amboy. Roy, together with his wife Velma, owned the town. In the 1940s Roy teamed up with Herman "Buster" Burris who ended marrying his daughter Betty. Together they expand the business to include by keeping it open 24 hours a day and adding the motel to the service station and cafe. Business boomed in the deluge of motor tourists after World War II .Mike Anton, Breathing life into a faded desert landmark , ''Los Angeles Times'', January 17, 2007. The coming of Route 66 - originally named "National Trails Highway" in the 1910s and reverted to that name after the decommissioning of 66 - saw a steady growth of business, especially at Roy's. The complex was so busy during summer vacation that Burris placed classified ads in other states in an effort to bring in enough help. In 1972 Roy's lost the traffic from Route 66 to I-40 to the north and went into decline. Burris himself told a visitor on July 3, 1977 that his business dropped to zero the day the new Interstate highway opened. Buster also remarked that in 1971 the town held several hundred people; after the bypass they had no choice but to leave the area as there was no longer any way for them to make a living. Buster Burris then destroyed most of the town's buildings to avoid tax liability. In 1977 Roy Crowl died and his son-in-law continued the business; but with his strong views against rowdy bikers and men with long hair, he did chase off many a visitor at gunpoint.Mike Anton, Breathing life into a faded desert landmark , ''Los Angeles Times'', January 17, 2007. Buster sold the town in 2000, just before he died at the age of 92Mike Anton, Breathing life into a faded desert landmark , ''Los Angeles Times'', January 17, 2007. . The town was owned by investors Walt Wilson and Tim White starting from 2000. After the two investors lost it in foreclosure, it was repossessed by Bessie Burris, Buster's widow. Bessie sold the property again in 2005 to Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain, who offered $425,000 in cash and promised to preserve the town and reopen Roy's.Mike Anton, Breathing life into a faded desert landmark , ''Los Angeles Times'', January 17, 2007. Amboy School Right next to Roy's is the former Amboy School. Shoe Tree A tamarisk tree east of Roy's on Route 66 is used as shoe treehttp://www.rt66roys.com/pictures/. EARLY HISTORY Amboy is also one of California's oldest towns, dating from works in the dry lake beds that dot the area as well as the Santa Fe Railroad over which high-speed freight trains still run between Kingman, Arizona and the BNSF Railway giant Barstow yard. The chloride works rank among the world's largest. FROM GHOST TOWN TO FILM LOCATION As of 08/29/2007, it was reported that Roy's gas station was in working order and many people were seen getting gasoline. According to those who live in a nearby town of Yucca Valley, the gas station is only open sporadically. Roy's was the town's only business outside of the chloride works and post office. Roy's is currently closed but the owners state they are trying to restore water and power and perhaps even sell gas. The cabins which were once rented to Route 66 travelers stand unused. Roy's used to be open for food and gasoline, but the hours of operation were erratic under the previous owners. Gasoline was also considerably more expensive than normal at roughly thirty percent above the state average. Roy's even attracted some well-known regulars. Actors . It was also used in Enrique Iglesias ' music video "Hero." Owners Wilson and White maintained Amboy in weathered, unrestored condition for use as a motion picture film site. The 2006 Pixar film '' Cars '' takes place mostly in an abandoned, former Route 66 boomtown called " Radiator Springs " that was based on Amboy. The film states that the town was robbed of all traffic when Interstate 40 opened. The town has a total of 10 surviving buildings and a population of far fewer than the advertised 20. According to the '' Los Angeles Times '', the town's population is approximately four.Mike Anton, Breathing life into a faded desert landmark , ''Los Angeles Times'', January 17, 2007. Amboy is a well known landmark for those traveling to and from Las Vegas from Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley . The "Amboy Route" is well-known among valley residents. The route via Yucca Valley , Twentynine Palms , Amboy, then via Kelbaker Road through Kelso and on to Cima to join interstate 15 at Nipton Road. PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION Currently the water and electricity need to be restored before preservation can begin. Okura estimates he has spent over $100,000 to restore the restaurant, but estimates have the renovation topping $1,000,000 before it will be ready to open again.Mike Anton, Breathing life into a faded desert landmark , ''Los Angeles Times'', January 17, 2007. There has been some vandalism at Amboy recently, thwarting much of the effort of preserving the town. To prevent further vandalism, a caretaker is now living on site. Plans to sell gas again are still on.Mike Anton, Breathing life into a faded desert landmark , ''Los Angeles Times'', January 17, 2007. SEE ALSO FOOTNOTES EXTERNAL LINKS
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