As I gazed upon the sun-catching aluminum side of the Airstream trailer, there was something missing.

Custom made Airstream with no windows on one side

“Do you notice that windows are only on the front, rear, and the entry door side?” asked Jared Pearce, Senior Director of Retail and Food and Beverages for the AutoCamp Hospitality Group.

The other folks on this tour looked confused. I was not - trailers routinely have windows on all sides, otherwise it would be like camping in a coffin.

I raised my hand to show I actually can notice the obvious, despite what my lovely wife, Laureen, believes. Jared ignored my hand waving in the early morning sun in the town of Joshua Tree. 

I felt right at home.

Unique entrance to the main guest lobby

“These are specially manufactured Airstream trailers for the AutoCamp Hospitality Group,” Jared continued. “They are thirty-one feet long with tiled floors, glass walled showers, and other amenities that are not offered in their trailers for the average consumer. Thus, the reason for one side not having windows.”

And, the reason Jared?

He explained that at the AutoCamp in Joshua Tree, they wanted guests to have privacy. So no camp can have looky-loos with their noses smashed against a window seeing what the other campers were having for dinner next door, or if they are wearing clothes while eating that dinner outside.

Lots of trailers to choose from at the Joshua Tree AutoCamp

I had been invited to attend a promotional event at the AutoCamp in Joshua tree by July Zaleski, a public relations guru for Jam Collections, who wanted to showcase this unique style of camping.

No, there were no remunerations - I went because I like camping. I was brought up by parents who loved the outdoors. My father liked roughing it in the woods, and my mother liked having her coffee in the exterior seating area of her favorite bistro.

So checking out a campground sounded good to me, and off I went to the town of Joshua Tree to learn what I could learn.

This was no standard campground.

Not far from the Joshua Tree National Park is a huge developed portion of desert reserved for those visitors who love the outdoors, dark night skies, pleasantly laid out paths around native desert plants, unbelievably comfortable quarters, and just a feeling of relaxation.

I was so relaxed that I fell asleep in a comfortable cushioned armchair situated on an exterior patio overlooking a sparkling blue pool, which also has an amazing view of the majestic mountains on the  northeastern section of the national park.

Large comfortable pool with loungers for guests to enjoy

The relaxation was so wonderful that I dreamed - I dreamed I’d lay myself down to rest in a big field of tall grass. I laid there in the sun and felt it caressing my face. . .

“Those are the lyrics from Eric Burden’s nineteen-seventy song, Spill the Wine,” a voice interrupted my slumber.

It was Heather Villanueva, another public relations big-wig from Jam Collections. “Do you want to join the group for the tour?”

Had I actually been so comfortable in that gorgeous site I had expressed my dreams out loud in song?

I once asked Laureen if I sang when I slept, she being the loving spouse just looked at me, “I wouldn’t call it singing. More like a herd of goats running wild.”

According to Heather, “At this AutoCamp we really wanted to mix the camping experience with the uniqueness of the desert. As you can see, all the lighting here is designed to point downward toward the ground so as not to interfere with the night skies.”

The nearby national park of Joshua Tree is a registered Dark Sky area and the Joshua Tree AutoCamp wanted to honor that. Guests have plenty of lighting so as not to trip and fall on those pointy-hurty cacti that are growing along the well defined dirt pathways all through the area. 

“We sponsor star-gazing parties here once or twice each month,” stated Amanda Wasnock, General Manager. “A lot of people love to come and just marvel at the heavens, and our guest speakers not only bring high quality telescopes but fun stories to match the exciting views of the skies above us.”

The camp also has various other speakers to entertain the guests about Native American heritage, the local history of Joshua Tree, the geological makeup, weather patterns, and the last time the Dogman was sighted in the vicinity.

AutoCamp has 55 rooms available for guests to stay in around the large park (including numerous ADA compliant spaces). The rooms are actually the very roomy Airstreams that are spread out over the entire site allowing each one plenty of room for privacy for the visiting folks.

Each site has a covered patio, fire pit, plenty of room, and some even have outdoor showers for those visitors who really want to enjoy all the wonders of nature. Possibly a good reason for no windows on the facing Airstream.

Group firepits to sit around and chit-chat

As I walked into a few of the upscale trailers available to occupy, I was very impressed with the roominess and classy decor. Bougie all the way - and I don’t even know what the term means, but my daughter Erica uses it to mean a place that is really cool and worth staying at.

“Since these are actually real Airstreams,” Jared said, “They have to be registered by the DMV. But, we don’t want to move them since they are so heavy with all the upgrades our company has installed.”

As I wandered away from the group, as I usually do in group settings, I found myself watching a couple of families enjoying the nearby playground. Children climbing on ladders. Children swinging on swings. Children ignoring commands from their parents, and the parents ignoring commands from their children.

It was a delightful scene.

I noticed folks sitting within a very artistically crafted outdoor meeting area just east of the huge entrance lobby. It is hard to describe - perhaps a humongous wine cask cut in half, large enough for fifty adults to sit in. The interior of this Quonset Hut designed building is protected from the wind, sun, rain, allowing each guest a chance to enjoy the wonders of the outdoors in comfort.

A photograph would better explain what the room looked like and perhaps my editor, Eric, may include one - if not, that’s cool.

“We host a lot of company gatherings and retreats here,” Amanda said. “Those people you see are from all around the world, primarily working remotely. But this is the second year they have stayed at our complex. Each has their own Airstream and they gather for their meetings daily under the cover of the corporate space available. Of course, we also arrange tours of the park, give advice on local eating establishments, and anything else that will make their stay that much more memorable. Then again, we do that for all our guests.”

Joshua Tree AutoCamp welcomes corporate meetings

The camp also offers a good variety of food which can be enjoyed back at individual campsites or eaten at the numerous tables, chairs, and other locations near the entrance hall. A large gift shop sporting comfortable leather furniture and a fireplace has the rudimentary offerings any tourist may need - toiletry items to bottles of wine. They cover it all for the road traveler.

Of special interest is a full bar of adult libations. They even have a daily happy hour, but since I wouldn’t be there at that time, I was not a bit happy.

One interesting note is that no guest vehicles are allowed within the camping area itself.

“Our guests park outside the quarters so as not to interfere with the natural aspects of the Autocamp ideal,” July said. “A guest enters through the keyed gate, park their vehicle, unload what they need into our wheeled carts, and make their way to their designated room. In this aspect, people do not have to deal with the comings and goings of vehicles which could ruin their stay here.”

There are even bikes to guests to utilize

I liked that. And looking around the camp, I understood the ideology behind AutoCamp. An atmosphere of natural beauty, with as little human footprint as possible, and allowing us mere humans to sit back and take it all in.

But as Laureen packs for any outing, I wondered if a Sherpa would be available.

For more information: AutoCamp Joshua Tree - ReservationDesk.com

 

Garlock - the lifeblood of Ransdburg

Welcome to Garlock

Starting in Hesperia and extending all the way north to the Oregon border, runs a wonderful highway most are familiar with - the 395. From the dry deserts to the  snow-covered Sierra Nevadas, this 567 mile trail of black asphalt has everything a traveler could wish for in terms of expectations.

Vast tracts of vacant land with wildlife for visitors to view and enjoy. Lakes for fishing, boating, or just relaxing next to. Miles of hiking trails begging for the adventurous to tug on some boots and explore.

Highway 395 is a wonderful road to drive and experience, no matter the season.

The author Robert Louis Stevenson stated; “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake.”

I find myself in that same mental state quite often. Of course, my lovely wife Laureen may believe I might be in another state of mental wellness - but I’ll keep that between myself and the little green men inhabiting my cranium at this time.

Driving north or south Highway 395 is always a joy. Small locales like Randsberg, Lone Pine, Bishop, and others come to mind but often it is right off the well traveled highway to the byway where other adventures await.

Recently I took one of those byways and made my way to the ghost town of Garlock, approximately nine miles west of Randsburg.

Ghost towns are wonderful experiences for the visitor. To wander where folks had made their hopes and dreams come true, even for a short period. We humans have this endearing quality that makes us believe in our dreams and pursue them. If we hadn’t, the moon would still just be a large bright thingie that circles our earth.

Things to see in ghost towns - Garlock, CA

I first heard of Garlock years ago during a conversation I had been having with another traveler. But honestly when the gentleman mentioned it to me years ago, I actually thought he was talking about garlic - he had a lisp in all fairness.

“I use a lot of garlic, that’s why we don’t have vampires around our home,” I replied.

He looked at me, shook his head and walked away.

“Seriously,” I said. “Not one.” 

Taking the advice from my fellow explorer, I decided it was time to actually visit the town in Kern County.

The ghost town has a very interesting history, as do most places, but this one was created for the benefit of other small towns nearby.

Garlock was originally known as El Paso City, after the small mountain range nearby, and then later as Cow Wells, since this is the area where many cattlemen and freighters would stop to obtain water for their cattle. The only other local place available was the wash of Red Rock Canyon which could be very dangerous during certain times of the year - especially monsoon season.

In the late 1880s some small traces of gold were discovered in the El Paso range and then in 1893 a gold nugget worth $1900 was found near Goler Heights and the rush was on. That amount would be approximately two gazillion dollars today. No wonder prospectors were tripping each other with their picks and shovels.

“That’s my claim,” one prospector may have yelled at another as he raced flat-footed across the desert landscape in search of his riches.

With an evil laugh, the other prospector stretched out his shovel. “And I claim you just done fell down on your noggin.”

In 1894, gold was being located all over the place and Eugene Garlock, a very successful businessman who was living in Tehachapi at the time, decided that it would be a good venture to set up a stamp mill in the growing small town. 

And that’s what he did.

An eight stamp mill was built and miners from all over the territory utilized Garlock’s ingenuity. In fact, the town started to have name changes - first miners would say they were going to the ‘Garlock Mill’ then ‘down to Garlock’ and finally just to ‘Garlock.’ The name stuck and the previous ones went the way of the desert sands - blowing into the wind.

A historical marker erected in 1958 allows the traveler to know how important this once booming town once was: ‘NO. 671 Site of the Town of Garlock. In 1896, Eugene Garlock constructed a stamp mill near this spot to crush gold ore from the Yellow Aster Mine on Rand Mountain. Known originally as Cow Wells by prospectors and freighters during the 1880s and early 1890s, the town of Garlock continued to thrive until 1898 when water was piped from here to Randsburg and the Kramer-Randsburg line was completed.’

A very important part of the history of this whole area, and worth a look around.

There’s not much there, but that isn’t always the point when venturing into an unknown destination. Just walking over ground that others in the past have tread is worth the effort of getting there. To take in a vision they had for their future and wonder what it was like in their past.

Most of the time, it is humbling.

I once met a person who asked why I would want to visit old ruins of a bygone civilization - I happened to be on my way to Greece at the time and could not wait to walk where Socrates or Plato sat and thought.

“Humanity’s past is what made our present,” I responded.

“What's a humanity?” she asked.

As I looked across where the town of Garlock once stood, I realized that the people who had lived here had created a life not only for themselves or their families, but for the surrounding communities as well.

It was mid-morning when I found myself treading across Garlock Road investigating this and that of what was left of this town. As I stated earlier, not much, but there are signs which tell the history of the place as well as ones that tell the onlooker not to trespass across the chain link fences guarding the few remaining original structures.

Always respect the signs at historical sites

But, unfortunately one building had been graffitied with the typical nonsensical scrawlings of a person desperately hoping someone can figure out who had been there.

Since this is a family blog, I will not write what kind of person would desecrate a historical site in my opinion.

The other structures are intact, though years and weather have taken their toll - as those same years and weather have taken their toll on the guy typing this column.

Not bad after a hundred years - Garlock, CA

One area, behind a locked fence, seemed to be that of the original arrasta that was built during Garlock’s time to crush the ore on the premises.

Original arrasta in Garlock, CA

No one was present. In fact, not a single vehicle cruised by the entire time I was wandering around admiring the ruins available to see. Then again, right off of Highway 395, there were signs and a road block stating that Garlock Road was closed due to flooding.

Being a professional, I traveled the roadway to investigate if it were true. Nope, it was not. The road was dry as a bone, but caution should be taken when ignoring road signs. In fact, it is always better to take caution seriously since in the desert flash floods can occur at a moment's notice.

I did not tell Laureen I had abandoned logic on this venture.

Garlock had a functioning post office from 1896 until 1904, and then again from 1923 until 1926. The building which housed the government business was made out of railroad ties and can still be seen today, with a flagpole still standing proudly - absent the flag.

Railroad tracks heading southwest from Garlock, CA

Though the town did boast a population of several hundred during its heyday, delivering water and crushing ore and offering other services, soon other issues would spell its doom. In 1903 a stamp mill had been built in Randsburg and water had been piped to Randsburg and other close locations since the late 1880s.

Perhaps old water cisterns at Garlock, CA

Eugene Garlock passed away in 1907 and the town seemed to drift away as well into the pages of history. 

A school had been built in Garlock utilizing adobe for the walls. Later this structure was a store and rumor has it in the 1920s it may have served as a brothel and speakeasy for the local miners still managing to pull precious ore out of the ground in the nearby hills.

According to various sources, Roberta Ruth ran a curio shop in Garlock until the 1960s.

I ate lunch along the Redrock Randsburg Road and almost could hear the old wagons creaking by carrying water east toward the bustling mining town of Randsburg. It was probably just the slight breeze in my ears.

Then again . . .

The Not so Ghost Town of Ransburg

Welcome to Randsburg, CA

Standing midway down Butte Ave, I believed I was in a new filming for the hundredth Mad Max series.

Run for your lives - nope, everything is safe

Dozens of RZRs, dune-buggies, dirt bikes, off road golf carts, and gyrocopters came screaming out of the northwest through this tiny burg.

Folks dressed head to toe in leathers, cottons, tree bark, and stretched out leggings barreling through this living ghost town one mile south of Highway 395 made a person pause.

There were mullets on helmets. Sideburns on helmets. Mohawks on helmets, and helmets on helmets.

It was surreal, but I did not stand in the middle of the road for long, not wanting to end up as roadkill, which was being served for lunch I was told at the local park. 

“It’s really good if it is fresh, with not too many tread marks,” a grizzled miner may have uttered.

I was in Randsburg, a supposed ghost town that seemed pretty alive.

“Fall, winter, and spring are our busiest times of year,” noted Neil, the owner of The Joint. “People love camping out in the desert nearby and then rolling in here for lunch and perhaps a cold beverage.”

Sort of funny, “rolling in here” by the owner of ‘The Joint.’ Just saying.

The Joint in Randsburg

Actually, in all transparency stopping by any saloon usually makes my day. It gets mighty thirsty on the road.

Interior view of The Joint in Randsburg, CA

I had traveled through Randsburg many times on my way here and there along Highway 395. It’s a quaint locale with friendly folks, an interesting history, and clean free public restrooms in the town’s city park.

A must for a traveler.

The definition of a ghost town, according to Dictionary.com, is a town that was once thriving  that has been completely abandoned. According to Geotab.com a ghost town was once a thriving community that has dwindled over the decades. According to Oregon.gov, ghost towns are abandoned villages or cities, often with substantial visible remains.

Well, that last one could mean a whole lot of towns and cities now in California.

“You know, Neil,” I said. “You live in a ghost town according to what I’ve read.”

He just looked at me and wandered back into The Joint.

I should have stuck with the one definition I knew had to be accurate from theydon’tknowwhattheyaretalkingabout.com which stated that a ghost town is what people call places they have not traveled to.

Downtown Randsburg

Randsburg is not a ghost town. Sure, there are ghosts, according to the paranormal folks, locals, and a few miners who told me they have shared bottles of whiskey with the ghosts - okay, but it is not a ghost town in any sense of common sense.

Prior to Neil abandoning me in the street, he did state there is a ghost of a miner that sits atop the roof of The Joint. The ghost is supposedly a disgruntled ex-customer who was told eons ago that he was no longer welcome due to his bad behavior. I glanced up to ensure no wily bearded miner was lingering atop the building and dashed inside in case I may end up with a dropped pickaxe on my noggin.

No, this tiny town 68 miles northwest of Victorville and 138 miles northeast of  Los Angeles has a lot of life to it and a wonderfully interesting history.

Randsburg is known as one of the small towns within the gold and silver mining belt of Kern County.

 Randsburg, as well as Red Mountain and Johannesburg - other so-called ghost towns, that were once hustling and bustling jurisdictions where gold and silver could just be picked off the desert floor.

“Looky, Maxwell,” a dandy of a miner may have shouted after picking up a three ton solid gold nugget. “I be rich!”

That is not true. 

Community church in Randsburg, CA

Randsburg is located in the Rand Mining District, named after the Rand Mountains where it is located along with Red Mountain and Johannesburg.

According to the Los Angeles Daily News, three down-and-out miners wandered the Rand Mountains in 1895 and stumbled across a huge gold bonanza southwest of Ridgecrest - later to become Randsburg.

The miners who had been down-and-out were Frederic Mooers, John Singleton, and Charles Burcham and rumor has it that Frederic smiled at his two buddies and said, “Guess we are no longer down-and-outers.”

Where Singleton may have replied, “I can’t wait to see the face on my mother-in-law now.”

But with all history things can become a bit wonky. According to other research it was actually Frederic Mooers and William Langdon who actually found solid traces of gold in the Rand Mountains  in 1894. It was in 1895 that Singleton and Burcham were brought into the partnership, along with Dr Rose. 

Whatever be the case, the Rand Mining District was created in December of 1895 and a gold rush began. Some reports state that it was one of, if not, the largest gold rushes in California history with the Yellow Aster mine being the centerpoint of gold discovery.

Starting with just a few folks mining for riches soon turned into a boom and by 1896 more than 1,500 people were calling the area home.

Of course, where there is one mine, soon many more started opening up as more and more deposits were located. King Solomon, Jolly Girls, Monkey Wrench, Bully Boy, and Look What I Found were just some of the mines that soon opened.

By the end of 1897, folks were getting very rich working the various mines in the Rand Mining District, especially the Yellow Aster which produced more than $600,000 in gold, which is about $22,000,000 today.

Another rumor is that when Singleton’s mother-in-law heard the news, she simply said, “You call that money?”

One of the old mines located in Randsburg, CA

So much ore was coming out of the earth that it was hard to transport to various locations for processing; Garlock and Barstow. Shipping the ore over the newly built Randsburg Railways was slow due to the extent of the output, so a thirty-stamp mill was built in 1899 in Randsburg. Soon a much larger one hundred stamp mill was called for to handle all the ore being taken from the various mines in the area.

By 1901 the Yellow Aster mine was kicking out $120,000 worth of gold each month, well over four million dollars today. Silver was also being mined with huge profits from adjourning mines that covered the Rand Mountains.

Like all boom towns, it wasn’t just miners that got into action. Nope, plenty of saloons, gambling halls, and brothels showed up to ensure the miners did not walk away with all that cash in their pockets alone.

To save the souls of the now nearly 2,500 citizens of Randsburg in 1897, churches began to sprout up along the narrow and congested streets. Since some of the miners were married, as well as the shopkeepers, schools also were constructed.

It was a good time for all.

In 1898 two devastating fires erupted and nearly destroyed the entire town of Randsburg, but some quick thinking individuals used dynamite to blow up structures creating a break where the fire could not spread from block to block.

With the tough spirit of these pioneers, the town was rebuilt even better than before.

An interesting side note concerns neighboring Red Mountain, where numerous accounts state that during prohibition, folks all the way from Los Angeles would travel there during the weekends to partake in the over 30 saloons and brothels located in the area.

A tidbit here, Dr. Rose Burcham is not only considered one of the first pioneer female physicians in Southern California but in 1904, the Los Angeles Times honored her with, ‘Men of Achievement in The Great Southwest Mining’. - the only successful woman mine operator in the southwest.

A hardy and smart woman, she outlived her mining partners, dying in 1944 after retiring to the state of Alabama.

By 1934, with the depression and the ore not producing as much gold or silver as in the past, the town started to dry up. Folks moved on to the next boomtown but today Randsburg is still very much alive with shops, restaurants, saloons, and places to stay for the night.

The small town offers wonderful events throughout the year, including; Old West Day, Bluegrass Jamboree, Mohave Dirt Bike Rally, Don’t Fall Into An Empty Mineshaft Day, and so much more for the visitor. 

And if camping in the wide open desert isn’t your cup of Joe, then there are places to stay for the night in Randsburg, from the Cottage Hotel Bed and Breakfast, to numerous Airbnbs - some supposedly used as cribs utilized by the soiled doves in the day. May have to use the Old West Dictionary for that description.

Cottage Hotel, one of many places to stay at Randsburg, CA

Though I’ve traveled through Randsburg for years, I learn something new with each visit, and isn’t that the way adventures go?

Daniel, a bartender at the Joint, poured me a drink. “Are you coming back?”

I may be there already.