Forgotten and Abandoned Highway 80 Through the California Desert

[@DW-qe7qe]

I wish my folks were still around to see this. They moved from Phoenix to San Diego in 1952 and, because my Mom was so homesick, they would return to Phoenix every few months taking old Highway 80. As a youngster I remember standing behind the driver, my Dad, in the backseat area (no seat belts back then) and we would try to name the make and model of every oncoming car. It was easy back then. Thanks for the memories Steve.

[@CodeGrayHere]

Well you won a lottery in life, being raised by the ocean rather than the desert! The desert is beautiful, but a beachy childhood?!!

[@joeylantis22]

Would kill to go back in a time machine and take that drive with your family. What an amazing memory! Sincirely, a person who never lived before 2000.

[@jonlee2553]

I can't imagine making this drive back then. Probably miserable.

[@Pushyhog]

heavenly back then, i would go back there now if i knew what l new now.

[@JoelHope-mv6bp]

❤❤❤❤

[@IndridCool54]

Thanks for the memories! I was born in Tucson in 1954 and my family traveled that route often to San Diego in the late fifties. We always traveled at night because we didn’t have a/c in our car. We also had one of those water bags that hung over the grille of the car in front of the radiator. They were canvas and leaked a little and the evaporation helped keep the radiator cool on the steep climb into the mountains. 👍🏼👍🏼😎🌵

[@ricksonora6656]

I remember seeing those bags in the ‘60s. Thanks for bringing back the memory.

[@jackblack3886]

Thanks for reminding me about traveling at night and the water bags. My grandpa's water bag is still hanging in my garage with some type of advertising long since faded plus the cork stopper.

[@janblake9468]

I still have our water bag.

[@tenncutt]

Those water bags say DESERT on them

[@IndridCool54]

@@tenncutt I’m trying to remember all the different styles and brands I’ve seen. I recall one with a Native American head on it. I know we bought one at least from the Western Auto store in Campbell Plaza in Tucson. Western Auto was kinda like the Tractor Supply of the day.

[@Charles-qq7vf]

So, my adopted Dad and I were hauling one of our hot rods over to San Diego, about 25 years ago, and the decision was made to stop and look at the remains of Miller's garage. Everybody like to poke around old buildings! I had been looking for a left rocker trim for my '48 Plymouth coupe, for about ten years. We walked into the remains of the main shop, and literally the ONLY thing left in the shop, was a perfect left rocker molding, for a 1948 Plymouth! My car wears it to this day!

[@monicaclark9581]

Wow that's some experience.! Thanks for sharing. I bet old Mr. Miller would have kicked himself for missing out on a sale for one of his normally overpriced parts.

[@lesliecarr312]

Repair parts from an abandoned garage in the middle of the desert. Such a sweet deal!

[@AudiophileTubes]

Great story! Completely unrelated, I took my daughter to an old Cleveland area cemetery for the first time last week (both our first time), so she could see the supposed graves of her great grandparents (her mother's side). They died in an auto accident in the 50's, and not only was their gravestone found, but it looked well cared for with black & white photos of them around the time they were killed. Just a few gravestones away, I noticed the name 'Tillie P' (i'll keep her real last name private), and her husband Jacko. We bought an old house in the burbs of Cleveland in 1997, and my elderly neighbor would always talk about the original owners of our house, Tillie and Jacko, and how nice they were. I had no idea whatsoever that they were buried near my daughter's great grandparents, or at that cemetery to begin with! They passed many years ago, and I guess they were just 'saying hello' to us!

[@Charles-qq7vf]

Very Very cool!!! Sometimes it's amazing how close this all comes in day to day life. Ready for another weird Coinky-dink? While you were buying your house in Ceveland, this "Arizona or no state", guy, was toiling away in his office, in the Cleveland suburd of Westlake. I was "that guy" that had the most ridiculous commute ever conceived! Luckily it was only every two weeks for five years, though... Had Husquvarna had their way, I might have been a neighbor. @@AudiophileTubes

[@AudiophileTubes]

@@Charles-qq7vf Cue the 'Twilight Zone' theme! Oh man, what a small world! We are in Westlake! In my post, I had said "the burbs of Cleveland", LOL! We are near Center Ridge Road! I just had brunch at Crocker Park this morning with my daughter. Joe's Deli and Restaurant yesterday in nearby Rocky River!

[@mannyfig1408]

My Mother was born in Seely, CA on 9/61926. My grandparents lived in what they called a "labor camp " for immigrants. They worked in the salt mines on the mountains. After the war they were deported back to Mexico. Mom, a USA citizen was taken to Sonora Mx together with my grandparents. Love your videos. Thanks. I live in Yuma now.

[@martinstanley1231]

Wow i lived in seeley ca and remember sunbeam lake the baseball games hunting in the fields outside ocotillo ca

[@DebZaragoza]

Great video! I live in little Holtville! (My brother-in-law Victor is listed on the Holtville Memorial to those who were killed in combat in Vietnam.) Born in El Centro, I work in Brawley; a true desert kid! When I was young, my dad would drive Highway 80 to San Diego because he didn't like driving fast on Interstate 8. 😃

[@lesliecarr312]

You can still drive US HWY 80 almost every step of the way from El Centro to San Diego if you cross the freeway in the right places.

[@PublicRestroom88]

Agreed! Holtville resident here too, it’s cool seeing our tiny little town pop up on my feed!

[@SamCyanide]

Oatmeal

[@jasons1479]

I think that is so cool. Roots. A sense of place. Old California. One can still feel it in these areas.

[@jasons1479]

So sorry for the loss of your loved one. Your sacrifice is never forgotten.

[@optitom9033]

Will turn 79yo on April 28th and as a third generation Californian but now in beautiful Idaho I really appreciate your trips down memory lane in old California

[@GalloVerdesFarms]

We miss you in cali wish you never left love from east Los Angeles it makes me sad that people even leave california it’s so beautiful

[@optitom9033]

@marcosgallo803 it was beautiful back in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s now look at the pictures recently taken that show a major decline except for the wealthy neighborhoods that are well protected

[@craigpeterman27]

I spent some time in the area in 1966. After the Army and before College, I worked for the what is now CalTrans on a Survey Crew. Our crew was sent out to survey the center line for the proposed Interstate 8. We returned to the motel in El Centro CA but spent the day in the desert walking on the hot sand with survey instruments on our backs. Great job before going to college to be a Civil Engineer.

[@bakomusha]

I used to 'work' as a surveyors assistants assistant. (Really just hung out and help my friend who was the assistant) For a small contractor out of Hemet California. The places I have been during those days! Mostly worked for the city, but occasionally we'd get contracted with another city, or CalTrans. Really solidified my love for this state. Despite doing this in 2009 and 2010, I'm sure we used the same kind of gear you did back in the 60s, because our boss was cheap and set in his ways. While we where using our personal cellphones to talk, and look down old scopes and lining up markers by sight, leveling pendulums and write stuff down on paper, CalTrans would just shoot a laser, type on an iPad and go home in less then 10 mins.

[@rxonmymind8362]

My wife used to work for Caltrans and everybody had a territory they would take care of that had a bridge. I feel sorry for the guy that has to inspect that bridge.😂

[@ThatBoomerDude56]

Mom & Dad bought one of the first motorhomes (a Clark Cortez) in 1964. Mom's first movies on our first trip East showing us going through a very dusty Plaster City on Highway 80. (My brother still has the motorhome.)

[@timothykeith1367]

Clark Cortez is cool

[@leroyrushingsr.9157]

be nice to see the movie's

[@morganm9040]

My buddies parents had a Clark Cortez.

[@diviningrod2671]

Early straight 6 iirc. I owned a 74, with the 455

[@ThatBoomerDude56]

@@diviningrod2671 It was the old Chrysler Slant Six. Not quite enough power to be comfortable on some hills. And you had to be careful with the gearbox, too. We heard of some of them cracking if you weren't careful shifting. The upgrade to the 455 made a lot of sense.

[@louispaparella5766]

Thanks for the memories! When Dad retired from the USN in San Diego, Mom drove the family car, a 52 DeSoto, East on 80 on our way to upstate NY. I actually remember Plaster City! I'm 82!!! And yes, we had the water bag hanging off the front bumper!

[@richardtibbitts3841]

We had a '52 DeSoto as well. Ran up hills, down hills, across the desert, through the mountains and kept running. My dad sold it in the late sixties for ten bucks to a kid working at the local gas station.

[@louispaparella5766]

@@richardtibbitts3841 In 61, Dad gave it to a buddy who just wanted the radio. Mom got a 62 Chev Impala Sport Coupe. I was away at school so didn't get to drive it much. Then she switched to Chryslers...big boats!

[@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934]

My the memories you must have! Probably enough to write a book. That De Soto… I can just feel it’s gentle rumbling now..standing up in backseat! No seatbelts those old cars were so much more sturdy than nowadays..

[@louispaparella5766]

@@kathyinwonderlandl.a.8934 Mom was the model for a 'helicopter parent', no standing up in the back!. And up until then it was always 2 door models as they were safer, she said! Can't tell stories, drove it during high school and this is a family site!

[@LeannMyway]

Wow what a memory! A water bag hanging off the front bumper of the car wow, that’s crazy!

[@debramiller6882]

Holy moly!!!...i was raised in Holtville and my mom and aunt still live there.

[@havefaith1474]

I remember a Debbie Miller from Holtville that rode horses.

[@bobegan2121]

E

[@cfinstr]

The Debbie Miller that I knew had a cute nose and was class of 76.

[@alexmadrid6043]

5min from Holtville to the new Port of entry

[@ChrisW-17]

These old highway videos are definitely my favorite. Like stepping back into another era. Great job!

[@fjkelley4774]

I've seen Highway 80 back east in Savannah and through middle Georgia. Still in use.

[@muffs55mercury61]

I agree. Interstates are so boring. Nothing but packs of semi trucks and billboards for chain establishments that I never patronize.

[@kozzackkelt]

Ha. El Centro. The "ugly" Imperial County Services building you noted across the street from the courthouse was built to replace an even more horrid looking County Services Building that was rendered unsafe following the 6.4 earthquake in 1979. New River contains pathogens from Mexicali RAW SEWAGE and toxic wastes from factories in Mexico. Unfortunately, when it comes to dealing with, or at least talking about it ad nauseum, the Tijuana River gets most of the attention. Imperial County used to grow a lot of cotton. Cheaper cotton from foreign countries killed a lot of California's cotton production. Thanks for another interesting video !

[@dougsmuaythai]

Not to mention that the Salton Sea is a huge ecological disaster. I am amazed that all the liberal tree hugging politicians in California aren't up in arms about the plight of the inland sea.

[@Dkthearn]

They build them like fortresses

[@WilliamBay]

I live in Imperial Beach, and am very involved in the Tijuana River sewage issues. In fact if you google William Bay and Parts Per Million you'll find my art project that informs people of the pathogens and chemicals in the water. I've been wanting to make some connections with people in Calexico that are fighting the same issue there. If you are connected with some of the organizations there I'd love to chat with you.

[@magatsMakingAmericaGrossAgain]

@@WilliamBay NBC7 did a report a few months back. Were you able to contribute? Hopefully the new President will help make great, needed changes. Please reach out to all the surf shops (and coast restaurants) even in Baja. A catchy bumper sticker? THIS SHIT HAS TO STOP!

[@confuseatronica]

brutalist buildings can be good, but not in the desert and not if they aren't kept up. In coastal cold-fog areas, they're nice in a Forest Moon of Endor kind of way

[@johnlee9265]

I was born 30 miles just outside of Plaster city in January 1951 in the back seat of the car. My birth certificate lists Plaster city as my birth place. Nice to see where it is. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, hope to see it one day.

[@Mimzie-Arizona]

I've driven past Plaster City many times. What was the industry there?

[@RonJoséJr]

@@Mimzie-Arizona… I believe Plaster City used to deal with gypsum from local mines in the nearby mountains. Today, I think it produces ‘dry wall’ for home construction. ( My Father was stationed at Naval Air Facility El Centro in the late 1970’s .)

[@anonymustly7818]

I'm impressed with the amount of research that goes into your videos. Kudos.

[@petehealy9819]

"Trough"...like "cough." Not like "though," "through," "bough," or for that matter, "draw." Anyway, aside from that, your story-telling and editing just keep getting better and better, and I truly enjoy your videos, Steve! This one in particular feels meditative and lets me reflect on the folly of so much we humans do. Keep up the great work!

[@kenwood3511]

Thanks. You saved us all from doing it ourselves. Where I grew up a loooong time ago it was pronounced "trouf".

[@sirvalhart7464]

As an Australian watching this video I thought it was just a regional pronunciation. Agreed though, it is a great video.

[@bullwinkle6483]

Was going to post this, but you beat me to it!

[@garthbutton699]

Thanks for taking the time and allowing us to tag along,really enjoy your travels🤗😎🤗😎

[@pigeonpallz1733]

Just moved to Nebraska 6 months ago and I lived in the small town of ocotillo. The one at the bottom of the hill coming down from San Diego. I lived there for 13 years and the hot summer finally got to me and my family and I needed a break lol. Thank you for making these videos as I had tons of fun exploring the imperial valley and areas around.

[@johnkaper1129]

Is the Lizard Lounge still there in Ocotillo? Tis

[@fremontpathfinder8463]

What is Nebraska like?

[@xtbro78]

I believe it is, haven't been through in a year or so. Living in AZ now. What ruined Ocotillo's charm for me was the ugly wind-farm the BLM allowed on the desert. I heard many folks just sold & moved out due to that. It ruined the pretty, dark starlit sky at night.

[@magatsMakingAmericaGrossAgain]

give Steve some more info on the imperial valley and areas around for another great video.

[@carlshowalter9629]

@@fremontpathfinder8463 Just like Kansas where I grew up,nothing to see. Mostly flat and boring. But at least your car will be there in the morning when you get up😉 unlike Cali!

[@BertH-wo9bp]

Thanks, Steve. I can feel my blood pressure level out while watching your videos.

[@semiproactive9625]

I put it up on the big screen today and the ride in the car was panoramic. The old concrete roads are amazing, enduring craftsmanship. Somehow you continue to find these new spots and take us there every week. Thanks Steve. Happy Humpday.

[@margarethorrall8621]

I used to go out to NAF El Centro every couple of years when I was stationed at NAS Miramar. I explored a lot of those old highways back in there. I was always curious about Miller's Garage at the end of 80.

[@johnkaper1129]

Steve another interesting and historical video. I remember this area well, did a lot of dove hunting and exploring in this area in the 70s and 80s. Your highway trips are like stepping back in time, it is like visiting old friends, but bitter sweet to see the decay and vandalism . Thank you Steve, keep up the great work.

[@nicholasglisonn836]

Did you notice the narrow gage railway that serves the drywall plant at plaster city?

[@SidetrackAdventures]

We crossed over the tracks for it, but didn't see anything out.

[@lesliecarr312]

I've been through there when the place was empty except for 1 or 2 cars in front of the administration office, and other times there were like 8 or 10 freight cars on the tracks, obviously to deliver a load of gypsum to the plant or take drywall (United States Gypsum) back to Los Angeles for distribution.

[@gunningopher]

That Naval Airfield by Seeley is home to the Blue Angels. At least it used to be. I worked out in the Valley for years building highways and they were out there flying all the time.

[@tomrope2613]

Yep. It still is.

[@TnTMyers2010]

Still is. January to March each year.

[@2264ish]

The sky in that part of the world goes on for ever.

[@lesliecarr312]

The sky stops at the mountain tops, but when you get to the View Point area just west of Descanso and Hwy 79 on Interstate 8, you can watch the Sun sink in the ocean and raise a cloud of steam.😅 If you're lucky, you might even see it turn green. Some people have said that they actually saw that happen.

[@FounderofGoogle]

​@lesliecarr312 yup it's called the "Green Flash"

[@For_What_It-s_Worth]

@@FounderofGoogle A rare phenomenon to catch. It is an optically separated ‘sliver’ of the setting sun just above the main face. Very brief.

[@rustypugh123]

Love your videos. Especially when they deal with old U.S. highways. Excellent job!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you very much!

[@rustypugh123]

@@SidetrackAdventures I’ve always had had a fascination with the old Highway 80. It runs through my home state of Mississippi. I usually take a trip to drive on Route 66 every couple years, but I have also made trips to drive on old 80 in different places. I have driven it at its eastern terminus at Tybee Island Georgia. You are exactly right, Route 66 gets most of the attention, but old Highway 80 carried probably just as much if not more traffic to the west. When I was a kid, I remember taking a trip out to see my dad‘s brother in El Paso and I remember that we drove 80 a lot.

[@daleslover2771]

​@rustypugh123 Ha, Haa thanks for the jolt back to memory lane, I knew I've travel on that hwy, just couldent remember why? Untill you said ElPaso, Station at Ft Bliss, back in 1975/1984 Always had to take those roads, to see something different. 😊

[@woodencoasterfan]

I noticed a platform scale for trucks at the 7:15 mark so it could’ve been a truck stop with the diesel pumps under the tall overhang.

[@justme-n-gracie]

Another great video Steve! Just a couple things... Trough is pronounced like cough. The Salton sea was once connected to the Sea of Cortez hundreds of years ago so the breach in the Colorado levy didn't really "create" it... more like recreated it or refilled it. I enjoy every single one of your videos. They are all well done. I was born and raised in So Cal, lived there for 46 years and I explored the places you visit many many years ago. My family has always used the "back way" into Baja through Calexico instead of San Diego/Tijuana when visiting our house in Baja. Thank you for another interesting video! EDIT: LOL I see that numerous other people have lampooned you for the "traw" and I read your comments... just keep up making the excellent videos and don't worry about mispronounced words... it does add some levity and that isn't bad!

[@L.Spencer]

Good, I'm glad I'm right on the pronunciation of trough. LOL! I know if I were ever smart enough to get on Jeopardy, I'd be dinged for my mispronunciations. Thanks English!

[@ShiddyFinkelstein]

Good point about the Sea of Cortez. The problem is that the Salton sea is a salt sink. The water has no way to get to the ocean so it just evaporates and gets saltier and saltier. At this point it's so saline and polluted by agricultural chemicals it's an environmental disaster. I don't think it's safe to eat the Tilapia if they're even still able to live there. We used to fish at Bombay Beach and catch freshwater clams in the All-American Canal in the 1970s.

[@justme-n-gracie]

@@ShiddyFinkelstein yes I was there from the 1960s on and watched it go downhill... it's sad. m We used to camp, boat, fish and ski there. Much of the toxic pollution is from all the military hardware, bombs etc and wrecks lying in the mud on the bottom. Ag runoff has not helped either. There have been several groups with grandiose plans to connect Salton Sea either to the ocean via a tunnel/pipe or via a canal from the Sea of Cortez which would make the most sense... however now that a huge Lithium deposit has been discovered and the mining plant built at the south end... the Salton Sea is likely doomed.

[@4wdboss230]

Thanks for the memories. Grew up in the IV, worked 17 years in Holtville, even lived outside town for almost 10 years, right off old hwy 80.

[@djoldskool5763]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you for taking us along “The road less traveled.”

[@donalddodson7365]

Thanks, Steve. About 1972 there was still a guy doing welding at Coyote Wells (17 minutes). I had a tow bar mounted on my 4x4 Suzuki Brute and a bolt sheared off. The guy welded the brackets on, never to fail again. Good to see it, again.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Nothing looked opened for business now, but it still seemed inhabited there. Maybe descendants?

[@ed.puckett]

Thank you, your videos are always a feast of information and nostalgia. Best wishes to you for your continued reporting!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you.

[@timstanton2241]

I went to elementary school in Sealy. The school covered all grades through HS. My father was stationed at NAF El Centro. I have very fond memories of the El Centro area. Thank you for the memories!

[@jefflunt9615]

Thanks, young fella. Your videos are tops in my book. Great handling of video and great narration. Perfect shows every time. May I ask what camera you are using? It doesn't hunt like so many videos now playing everywhere. Thank You.

[@russell-di8js]

As some1 from the UK who tries to watch all your videos I'm always amazed at the number of small places that existed & shut down all within a century or less. Thankfully you explain the reasons for people trying to make a go of new areas, say for mining or other hopefully profitable ideas! Love your work anyhow Steve so stay well & best wishes to you & your family.

[@toymaster5464]

Hey Steve. Yet another great video. Enjoyed it while watch it on my living room television and eating my breakfast! Thanks!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@lesliecarr312]

You're not the only person who eats breakfast in front of a viewing screen.

[@Desert-edDave]

As a relatively recent transplant from the Pacific Northwest to the SW (Southern AZ) who knew nothing about the Southwest, this channel has been a blessing in learning the history of the area. Keep up the good work, thank you for making these videos.

[@stevemccoy8138]

Years ago I hauled a lot of produce out of the Holtville area . Thanks for the tour. 😊

[@diviningdragon]

This brought back serious memories for me! My first year teaching was in Holtville 40 years ago. I left and eventually returned to Texas, but all those images you shared were like traveling in a time machine...

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Hopefully it hasn't changed much.

[@lesliecarr312]

Come back. Though a lot of the little businesses are long gone, the road and dilapidated structures are still there.

[@Heydrich43]

Did you know a teacher by the last name of Garand? She was from San Diego.

[@diviningdragon]

I'm not sure I remember the name. But it has been near 40 years, and I was only there for one year at the high school.@@Heydrich43

[@thehapagirl92]

You are old😅

[@Cobysant]

The desert is full of history we can’t see!!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yeah.

[@josephbingham1255]

Thank you for the journey. The map of Highway 80 from 1927 was a real surprise. The major West bound traffic of automobile, truck and bus traffic went Lordsburg, Rodeo, Douglas, Bisbee, Tombstone, Benson, Tucson.

[@Mimzie-Arizona]

I'm in Benson and didn't know that!

[@SmokingJacket]

Thank you for telling us about this road. I love to hear what was here before, what previous generations did to get around these places.

[@bassethound1]

You can’t imagine how much I appreciate you bringing me along! ❤

[@PinInTheAtlas]

Just love these old roads and the stories behind them.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yeah, sure beats the interstate.

[@Jblk9695]

Another great old highway video. One thing is the railroad in Plaster City is the last narrow gauge industrial rr in the US. They haul gipson from Split Mountain for the production of drywall.

[@ScottDLR]

Exceedingly well done vid, Steve. I don't know how you keep coming up with fresh content and making it interesting but you do an amazing job and we look forward to every episode.

[@tienv]

Beautiful video, thanks for sharing the history of this highway 80, stories of many town you drove by and the pictures along with them. It takes lot of research, compiling their stories to share with all your viewers. I'm no longer in California but still treasures all the memories there. Please take care, be safe Steve while filming all of these clips to share with us "oldies". Thank you so much... 👍

[@garyvincent5619]

Thanks Steve! So many times you drop videos of places I've been but I always find out something I didn't know before!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Glad I can fill in some gaps.

[@steve8567]

Love these videos Steve. I drove Route 66 from LA to Chicago in 2013 and did a few little detours to explore some abandoned settlements. I find them fascinating, and sometimes sad that they've decayed into crumbled ruins of what were once homes and businesses of thriving communities. Regards from Melbourne, Australia.

[@gogibbo7151]

I have been to Melbourne while in the US Navy. A wonderful city! Thanks for stopping by!

[@nedludd7622]

This brings back memories. As a child, my parents often took us to the desert with it from San Diego. We had an Airstream trailer for camping out.

[@Frank-mu5yz]

Thank you Steve..not knowing you've might have brought some old school classmates. From the 50s and 60s..to present to share old memories.. Hello to all from the state of WASHINGTON to The Imperial Valley

[@cheryl_the_horsechick]

I took that all the time to ocotillo desert. Grew up in San Diego. My favorite is the tower. Still there!

[@Me2Lancer]

Thanks for sharing. I remember riding in my family's car on Highway 80 from the Dallas/Fort Worth area to San Diego in the early 1950s. I remember driving across sand dunes west of Imperial Valley on wood planks but didn't see them in this video.

[@michaelsimonds2632]

I learned SO much from this episode! Thank you, Mr. Adventures! I remember in the 1960's and 70's there were large cotton farms in the Imperial valley. Many were replaced with lettuce, hay, and other things. I will certainly get off I-8 to take old 80 next time I drive through there. Keep 'em coming; you're the best!

[@pingjockey1911]

Same memories

[@lynnef3297]

We always enjoy heading out on an adventure with you, Steve. Thanks again! 👋😀👍

[@JohnCouch-m4f]

Great day for a nice trip thru the desert, along with history from days gone by! I've been both ways on I-8 thru here many times and never knew that the old road was still there. As always thanks Steve for another nice adventure thru history! I see you have a new Padres hat for the new season!

[@juliogonzales5441]

THANKS FOR THE RIDE...STEVE 😊

[@SidetrackAdventures]

My pleasure!!

[@johnr4898]

Thank you for this trip.

[@rahkuaschount]

Please do a close-up picture of some of the rusted and degraded road signs you find. There are image processing techniques that are amazing at revealing what is underneath even if it looks completely destroyed when you're on the road. Love your videos!

[@SpanishEclectic]

Such a pattern of abandoned buildings when roads and railroads change locations. You are keeping us well informed. My husband and his friends have driven out to the open area near Plaster City to shoot off model rockets. It must be either Miller's Garage, or the Cafe that I recall seeing during every trip east once I've passed the runaway truck ramp and made it to Ocotillo. Going the other way (west) I recall the cement rings containing 'radiator water' along the incline going up toward the Desert Tower.

[@matthewgauthier7251]

My dad was addicted to roaming the imperial desert and surrounds. I'm grateful I shared much of his enthusiasm as a passenger. I greatly appreciate that through your interests, I am able, more often than not, to further explore many places, that I have a modicum of familiarity with. There is nothing quite like the American southwest. Thank you for your endeavors.

[@13_13k]

I'm second generation born and raised in Los Angeles city proper and I've done a lot of driving throughout all of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Oregon and it always amazes me how many old highways and roads there are in California. So many people moved out here after the gold rush and after both world wars and during the great depression with the great Dust Bowl problem in Oaklahoma, Texas, etc... as told in the book and famous film The Grapes of Wrath. People thought or were told of all the lush farmable cheap land in California and they moved their lives to find themselves a lot of times in the vast California deserts which weren't the choice prime real estate they were told it was. At least not in those parts of California.

[@lesliecarr312]

Texas has more than 100 tiny counties. Other states don't have as many, but the counties are a little bigger. But did you know that the biggest county in the Lower 48 is right smack dab in the middle of Southern California? It's called "San Bernardino County", the biggest patch of nothing this side of Nevada.

[@13_13k]

@@lesliecarr312 --- I did not know Texas had so many counties. That's crazy. Yes, I know San Bernadino pretty well. My parents had a second house up in the mountains of San Bernadino. It's about a two hour drive from the house we lived in which was about a mile from the beach in Los Angeles. I may be wrong but California has a couple more very large counties, Los Angeles is the most populated county in the U.S. , but as far as size, 2nd largest in the state is Inyo County, which is East Central California, and Kern County is pretty big. There are 58 counties in California

[@r7calvin]

​@@lesliecarr312 yeah, it's mostly empty, but there's still a pretty large population in the tiny south west corner. The population density there's is about the same as LA, with about 2M people living in that tiny little corner.

[@diviningrod2671]

Texas actually has 254 counties

[@Mimzie-Arizona]

My grandfather worked the fields. They came from Oklahoma just like the Grapes of Wrath. The grandmother in the movie looked like my grandmother. I think of that when I watch the original movie with Henry Fonda

[@MiguelToro-dg1te]

Hitchhiked Highway 80 through Holtville back in the 60s before the freeway , met some nice people. Also on Thanksgiving 1969 I was with a friend driving through Ocotillo, we had just picked up a hitchhiker who was about a year older than us, he had just returned from Vietnam and had lost his lower jaw. We had some car problems and the people at the gas station south of the Highway fixed the car for free. I’ve always believed it was in consideration of the soldier. He was like our guardian angel on that thanksgiving day.

[@Allen-is7ul]

I really like your channel and appreciate all of the effort you put into it 👍🏻👍🏻

[@pingjockey1911]

Excellent!! Brought back lots of childhood memories. When I was a kid in 60’s and 70’s, we’d travel on way to desert and river spots. The cotton fields and onion fields were in full bloom n production then. Also those manmade lakes are a haven for mosquitoes!!We camped nearby one time, didn’t know they were there - got ran off at sunset by hundreds of mosquitoes!!! El Centro is where the airfield is - Blue Angels practice out of there. Free shows over desert. Also, near Holtville is one of Patton’s camps. Was being used as an RV storage about 7 years ago. Great videos, don’t stop

[@deplepfan]

Great historical route. Love um Steve Thank you so much🇺🇲

[@RoHo702]

4:36 while not in the 1950s, that part of downtown was used to film the homecoming of "Jarhead" and just east of there was used to film the climax of "American Sniper". Just shows the range of time and location El Centro can represent.

[@segriffincom]

Love the Old 80 videos. My dad talks about the old road back in the day before I8.

[@weseng1]

Thanks for the part you showed. Thought you were going to San Diego but your still eighty miles east and not even in San Diego county. If you had taken the freeway up the mountain and exited at Inkopah you could have picked up many more miles of the old 80 route. Was watching with great anticipation as it's my old stomping grounds and you just stopped in the middle of nowhere, definitely not the end of old 80. I live in Arizona now for 15 years so was curious about current conditions. But the rest was fun, I have been to every place that you did film so thanks for that.

[@muffs55mercury61]

I wish the mountain part was mostly driveable but some is not. I have seen some pics and it brought back memories when dad & I drove thru it in late 1966.

[@KeithPickeringGuy]

Those lakes are absurd, I love it

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yeah, I could hear boats on them too.

[@EricT3769]

Thanks! There’s so much more to the SW than I realized. Very cool stuff.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you, I appreciate it.

[@trainsinkansas576]

Enjoy your videos. I haven't been to California since 1971. Was in the Marine Corps, went through boot camp San Diego and then Camp Pendleton. Spent time at 29 Palms. My brother was in the Navy and stationed in California .

[@lesliecarr312]

Come back. The road is still there.

[@glenncoody]

This was well made and presented. I may have to put traveling this area on my bucket list because I love old backroads and such. I thoroughly enjoyed the in-car views and scenery! Thank you for taking me along for the ride.👍

[@robbergstrom943]

Great trip. Added to the list of places to check out.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Have fun. Its more interesting than the interstate for sure.

[@WildWestGal]

Steve, I absolutely love your videos! Seen them all. Loved the music bed you used on this one, you always do a great job with editing. Looking forward to next week!

[@bossmann7592]

another bit of 'California's gold'🤠. thanks Steve!

[@confuseatronica]

hah there's a lot of videos on this channel where I think it's going to end with another example ... of CaliFORnia's Gold.. gbye everybody! (cue california here i come)

[@gregorylunsford3991]

Another great video of HWY 80. My Dad's first duty station on the California Highway patrol was El Centro 1951 to 1956. My brother and I were in grade school and visited our Grand Parents in San Diego many times on HWY 80. That part out of El Centro to the mountains on Hwy 80 saw a lot of accidents - in 1954 and 55 cars were getting powerful V8's. My Dad and his fellow Officers would chase speeder's up to 100mph on that part of 80 - many bad accidents. One day my Dad was chasing a 1955 Chevy west out of El Centro 80/90 mph and his fellow Officer was chasing a 1955 Buick east bound coming Into El Centro same 89/90 mph. You guessed it they hit Head-On. Collison speed of 150mph or more !! And they didn't know until the next day how many died because there were body parts everywhere.

[@dmm29]

😥 So sorry for your painful loss.

[@PackFan-tv5pj]

You have a very interesting style on your videos that keeps viewers watching. Thanks for this one!

[@choppermontana8212]

Nice work! I enjoy how you explain the sights and history while avoiding getting bogged down. Well done!

[@richardtibbitts3841]

Our family traveled from San Diego to Kansas in the summer of 1961. We left about four in the afternoon because of the heat earlier in the day. My next memory is of eating our dinner at a rest stop between the eastbound and westbound lanes of U.S. 80 somewhere in the Imperial Valley. At any rate, we had to consume all our food before we got to Arizona because of agricultural regulations, and I remember munching on the grapes as traffic whizzed by on either side of the picnic tables and the cicadas buzzed.

[@realsetanta70]

So great to see those sections of road from 1916, love that you got to drive a section as well! Soulful video, thank you for for taking the time to record this history!

[@VintageVermilion]

Recommend catching a bite to eat at Red Feather Cafe and Market in Ocotillo--good food and friendly staff. Also check out the Great Escape as it features a lot of interesting military themed items.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I'll have to check the Great Escape out.

[@hopemanley4358]

I remember the barrels of water on a freeway that we drove past, in the 1960's. Great video

[@heyoldman2003]

love your shows Steve . thank you so much for taking us along . it’s so nice to see warmth , dry and sunshine from up here in northern washington. where it’s wet , windy and cold . yuck . but your adventures sure warm me up 👍🏼 take care 😎

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I'll have to admit, it wasn't that warm unfortunately. That wind was cold coming off the mountains. When we went up them it was in the 30s at the top.

[@heyoldman2003]

@@SidetrackAdventures but it looked like t shirt weather for a while .. hey it sure looked better than here 😊

[@leechjim8023]

It HAD to be nice in the Imperial valley! It is below sea level😂

[@kathrynsinclare8459]

Oh thank you, what a lovely and informative couch, road trip. Lovely! Now I can go in and help my precious 90 year old Mother and share with her where I went and what I learned on my current road trip, in which I never left my living room to take it. It’s Incredible where time has taken us from when that Hwy 80 was installed to our current times. We’ve all traveled a lot of different Types of highways. I’m very thankful for all ground covered on the tech highway since the 80 road Hwy was put in. Amazing!Just think of it, I took this road trip through country I am familiar with and grew up around on my phone while waiting for my precious Mother.

[@robertfritz9916]

Thanks for doing Miller's Garage and the story of "Hot Iron Springs". If you know where to look you can still see the trail up the mountain to the south a couple of miles west of where the new garage you showed.

[@jonisaacs5176]

Steve: Thanks for the video. It's Easter Sunday and my wife and I did the I-8, S2, 78, 86, El Centro and back to Boulevard loop. I wish I'd seen your video before we went rather than after.. I never realized the Evan Hewes Highway was the old 80. Next time.

[@OkieJammer2736]

Thank you so much for your hard work on these excellent videos!

[@garryferrington811]

My wife and I enjoyed your highway adventure very much. We currently reside in San Bernardino, not far from the concrete teepees.

[@glennclark4582]

This a note for the author. You mentioned C markers. FYI ... These markers were placed to denote where a curve in the alignment occurred. Popular belief, even with many in Caltrans, is that they are to mark the alignment. Which is not entirely correct. They would reference a change in alignment, as the alignment is a straight line and when ever a curve was needed to change direction, it had one of the "C" markers to give reference to the curve. I worked for Caltrans in District 09.

[@lesliecarr312]

Hmmm. Your information about C markers is interesting. Should I presume that the "C" had something to do with the word "curve" and the curve in the letter "C"?

[@glennclark4582]

​@@lesliecarr312 The C is for California. You can still find monuments in Nevada state routes with the letter "N" on them, the same exact monuments. So these marked the beginning of a curve in the alignment. Alignments follow a straight line until the need for a deviation in that straight line to change direction of the route. These monuments were placed at the beginning of the curve and not at the start of the next straight line after the curve. State routes in California run West to East and South to North.

[@beckyweissberg7644]

I grew up in San Diego. I can remember the segmented section of the old highway. We never had A/C and the cadence of the segments made me sleepy. Great memories, great job.

[@lockdot2]

On March, 26th, 2024 I was down there. I took I-15 to I-8, and took it to Yuma. Then headed to Calipatria to see the tallest flagpole, and headed back passing by Bombay Beach, and taking I-10 back to the CA-60, to the I-215. It's an awesome drive! I-8's downhill is a bit sketchy with all the wind though.

[@lesliecarr312]

The windiest place down the mountain on Interstate 8 is just down from the Desert View Tower to the Mountain Springs offramp. On the way back up, the bridge over Devil's Canyon 1 (or 2?) still has that 10-foot tall fence for a windbreak. Been there for 50 years at least.

[@tommerson5121]

Steve - great video. There’s just something about old and especially abandoned roads that evokes a melancholic nostalgia. Your film captures that artfully. The music also perfectly matches the experience of going down the old road. Where did you find that tune? It’s excellent traveling music.

[@roywhitman7109]

Another good one, Steve!👍 As usual, your soundtrack is impeccable! Some of those towns are really inviting! Small town America!🇺🇸 Beautiful!!

[@kisscactus]

That old Highway 80 was the route for my bike across America trip in 2017. Thanks for the trip down memory lane from Ocotillo to Holtville. 🙂

[@williamhinshaw6838]

I pull out the map every time Steve's videos come on...planting the seed for my own such trips. The clouds are awesome in winter/spring.

[@PalmBeachDog]

I do the same thing!

[@desertfox486]

Love paper maps.

[@tommurphy4307]

@@desertfox486poor-people wallpaper

[@chinoyhealingfoodstravels8888]

Greetings from Redondo Beach 🇺🇸 Nice work on this video. I like how you showed this in the map. Cheers 🥂

[@tzadik36]

Another great video! The closest we can get to a time machine. I was stationed in China Lake, CA (next to Ridgecrest, CA) from end 1978 thru mid 1981 and the terrain was the same: makes me feel back in that area again.

[@tettazwo9865]

Holtville is a charming place.

[@tommurphy4307]

steve- could you cover the holtville carrot festival and parade in february? that would be an awesome vid. rob

[@k.b.8412]

Love your video's and back stories. I have traveled I8 many times and 80 as a youngster. I remember the two lane road and the car swaying as semi's whooshed by. Also the winds through the mountains. Keep up the good work.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you. I plan on it.

[@williambliss6087]

I rode old Highway 80 in the fifties. My father, William Bliss, was the San Diego county surveyor and he laid out much of 80 through Mission Valley, which in those days had cows in it. He groused about "stoplights on a freeway" and awaited the day when those stop lights in Mission Valley would go away. He and I would go fishing in the San Diego River. His best friend, another surveyor named Charlie Walker, was badly hurt by a bull pastured in the valley while surveying the land. I remember steam pile drivers building bridges in the valley.