Hysterical Journey to Historic Places

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CALIENTE



The Quest For The Rock got underway this morning at 0712am. Drive of 581 miles has left me with an overnight at the Shady Motel in Caliente. My cousin, Lori, will be laughing her ass off up there in Heaven when she sees this. We once went up to Walla Walla for the re-dedication of Great Great Grampa Joseph Johnson Oliver’s grave site. On the way back we passed through this little place and I was awarded a safe driving award by the Nevada State Patrol. This little town cannot support itself on the revenue it raises on its own so they need assistance in the way of fines imposed on the unwary traveler passing through. Moving violations in this judicial district all carry heavy fines. My insurance carrier was so dismayed at the fine that they decided to increase my premium by two hundred dollars for five years. It cost me twelve hundred goddam dollars to pass through here last time. Gasoline in Wickenburg was an adventure. Coming from the south the first gas station was 2.499. The next one closer to town was 2.549. The new traffic pattern bypasses town, so the drunk people there are less endangered when they try to cross the street. On the north side of town gas was 2.599. I hadda go pee so I paid the extra dime. Stopped in Wickieup for a bite to eat. I had brought some leftover pizza from home and a couple of peaches. When I gassed up again in Boulder City the heavens had just opened up and all of the rain in the world was falling all on me. Might as well gas up, you couldn’t drive in it. Sure enough, soon as I got my gas the sun came out. It probably won’t rain there again until next January. Traffic through Vegas was horrid as it always is. Road Construction I-15 was also horrid as it always is. Uneventful ride up to Caliente from there though. I was hoping to make a few more miles, but the weather where I was going had been ganging up. Hopefully they will have a helluva storm over there and it will be gone by tomorrow. This is a decent little motel for $70. Caliente is very proud of their train station. It was built by a couple of guys from Los Angeles in 1923 in what was being called the Post-Mission Style. When they built it was a lovely station, but it was long ago abandoned by the railroad. Now it houses the city offices and is in a dreadful state of repair. As all unwary travelers know the town is broke. When I was inspecting the train station I noticed some pain in my left foot. I was hobbling badly when I got back to the motel. When I pulled off my shoe a cherry seed fell out. I traveled all day long with that cherry seed in my shoe without any problem. Caliente brings out the worst in things I guess.

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Photos

CALIENTE STATION
A train still goes by here once in a while, but none have stopped for many years.