Cadiz Summit, Yesterday and Today

Sometimes its the small or even invisible things that get our attention, as is the case for me every time I drive Route 66 between Amboy and Essex through the area called Cadiz Summit.  The summit is relatively close to the half-way point of these two town’s, every time I pass this area I slow down to look at the old crumbling buildings, stairs and walls.  I look at the graffitti on every surface and wonder when this place was functionable?  How long has it taken for the desert to re-claim this victim and most of all I wonder what it was in its heyday.  I imagined that at its most it was a small gas station but I was surprised by the answer.

Cadiz Summit was a desert oasis comprised of a gas station, cafe, ice house and some tourist cabins.  By today’s standards it is not much of a summit and the grade that leads to the summit is hardly noticable, especially when you see large SUV’s pulling boats and large RV’s whizzing by at 60+ miles per hour.  In the 1940′s and 1950′s many cars reached the summit overheated and in need of repair, it was a perfect place to repair, rest or eat before heading into or out of California.  Most people can drive by this spot dozens of times without giving it much thought but the next time you drive by you just might stop your car and examine it.  This is the spot that 1000′s of people used to quench their thirst, eat a meal, repair their car or even sleep overnight to get ready for the big day ahead.

Click on the following link to see a video that shows the drastic change that happened between the years 1948 and 2010, 62 years.  After you watch the video you can click on each picture on this page to see it in more detail then click on it again for full detail.

Take It Easy – Mojave

CLICK HERE to see a video of Cadiz Summit changing between 1948 & 2010