Barstow and Calico

We drove directly from Santa Barbara to Barstow via the highways skirting LA and the temperature rose again. The first two pictures show the heat and then  a rain storm which began with big streaks of lightening.

Barstow itself was a rather uninspiring place but it is the cross roads of highways and commercial trains in the middle of the desert so you can't expect much! We went to see the outdoor exhibits of the railway museum which was lovely as we are rather fond of trains.

We stayed in a basic Travelodge - but for £28 it had ALL mod cons and breakfast! The next day we hit 113 degrees (phew). We spent the first part of the day visiting Calico Ghost Town. It is the remains of a mining town where they used to mine silver and borax and quarry for the sandstone. It was very interesting though we did wilt a bit!

 This is the school house for the town.

 

Above - the inside and outside of a miner's hut.

 Miner's living quarters actually IN the Maggie Mine.