I really doubt that Barstow is. They aren’t going to put up with clowns annoying the travellers going to and from Vegas. And Mojave is too small.
No, the deadbeats are in the LA basin where the people are. They can hit the food banks and panhandle along the edge of shopping centers and freeway ramps. I certainly see way more of them in OC than I used to. Must be the thriving Obama economy.
August 1974
I’m 16...my first of many that continue to this day...sojourns to the West is the Best from little old Jackson MS
Long haired led Zep southern boys with weed acid and of course pistols...we’d hiked around College peaks in CO and Bozeman MT area where a pal was in school and then over to Mt Baker then down to Portland for hippie time then to San Fran where we knew older siblings of our contemporaries from back home who’d gone out in 66-68 for all that free love..lol
One had played in Quicksilver Messenger Service and one joined brotherhood of eternal love bunch down in Redondo Beach....an acid slash pot smuggling gang of entrepreneur hippies..lol.....Nick Sand ....Orange Barrel
After the visitation pilgrimage and us being fairly post toastie....we headed over the Bakersfield for the nite....I was already a Merle and Buck fan even then but found Bakersfield to be basically Ardmore Oklahoma moved to southern California near desert
Next day explored death valley and Mojave...but not Joshua Tree...Gram was still freshly deceased still
....the allure not quite cemented.
That night we stayed in Mojave....I remember how it went from over 100 down to below 65 that night ....and so dry and to the SW the whole sky glowed from Los Angeles over 130?...miles away
Next day in unairconditioned Datsun wagon we headed across to Barstow and Needles and by that nite yet again another hippie haven where we knew someone who had a free place to stay....Flagstaff...which I still like...I was just there 2 months ago and ate at that old Mex joint....Kachina as always
Then on to Santa Fe and Taos...my WWII aviator uncle and yes...more hippies..lol
Then Big D with a luxury suite at Fairmont which my aunt helped manage...and back to cotton fields and Jaxfrica
Those were great times...I loved the west...shamey how Cali and Colorado have gone...