The wife and I stayed in Barstow one night on our way from the Sierras to Arizona. On our way back from Victorville where we had gone to get some camera equipment, we took a road (old Route 66) and came into Barstow from the southwest. It looked like an atomic bomb had hit the place there were so many junky looking, half destroyed houses.
Worked for SAIC in San Diego for a few years. Had a big contract at Ft Irwin north of Barstow. Spent a week at a time up there staying in a Barstow motel at night. Rough town. Got a huge kick out of listening to the police on a scanner. The bikers there were always up for entertainment, dragging fast food guys through the drive up window, etc.
Be nice, I grew up on the west side of Barstow.