Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Desert Center, California










Over the years I've driven many times to Los Angeles, California on Interstate 10. It's 350 miles to my sister-in-laws front door. When you enter California there's a high desert community called Chiriaco Summit, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiriaco_Summit,_California. It's about 35 miles East of Indio and Palm Springs.

Beyond the General Patton Memorial Museum http://www.generalpattonmuseum.com/ and the Chiriaco Summit truck stop gas station there is this eerie forgotten community to the east that resembles a modern ghost town. I've driven by it dozens of times over the years and was always curious about its isolated emptiness and abandoned buildings. These are a few of the pictures I took while fulfilling my curiosity.

Addendum: I've been corrected by a blogger that the photo's I'm showing in this post are from Desert Center just East of Chiriaco Summit. For additional information about the area visit or call the Chiriaco visitors center. Here is a link to the center: http://chiriacosummit.com/information_center.php

6 comments:

Morgan Bellinger said...

These are great, Brad. I've stopped for gas and to pick up some sort of CD that a local made (bad country music... not worth it for anything besides novelty) but hadn't explored. I shot a little bit at Desert Center (I had a fascination with the little diner there for a while) but never really poked around too much there either.

Heather said...

Brad - Really enjoyed your work, but these weren't taken near Chiriaco Summit.
The trailer park is at Desert Center, about a mile east of the old diner. The building is just north of I-10 on 177.
I love the old Sunland gas station that's just south of the 10, on the frontage road between the 177 exit and Eagle Mountain Road.
If you'd like to see a modern-day ghost town, check out Eagle Mountain. Lots of little-known history around the area, just waiting to be discovered.
Happy travels, and keep your eyes open.

Brad Armstrong said...

Your right about the location. I thought that was all Chiriaco Summit. I stand corrected thank you. You sound like you know the area well. I would like to check it out. Maybe this winter. Thanks for the tip.

Brad Armstrong said...

I just read a thread that Eagle Mountain ghost town is fenced off and no longer accessible. Bummer sounds really cool.

Heather said...

If you'd like more information about the area, feel free to contact us.
Hope you'll stop in someday!


http://chiriacosummit.com/information_center.php

Pandora Karavan said...

I love these photographs.