Local Color

 While we drove from California to Arizona we passed through the Mojave (moe HAH vee) Desert. We noticed this place on our way TO California and commented on how someplace like this could be out in the middle of the desert and obviously thriving.  I suppose that goes without saying, if you're the only show in town you will have a monopoly.  It is technically in a town but again, it was a teeny pass through town, kind of like a place to water your horse and keep going.

 But it was really this sign that made PH want to stop.  Besides that we needed to get out of the car for a bit. We thought some oranges would be good for later.

 These are tangelos, a cross between tangerines and oranges. I took this picture because they were a beautiful display and I've never seen fruit for sale with the stems and leaves still attached.  Fresh? Yes.

We walked into the place and immediately started laughing.  It was a huge barn of a building and it held absolutely everything.  Every piece of chotchky you can think of, every fresh thing you can think of including huge urns filled with honeys and molasses.
And then, there were these nuggets of temptation.

 No, I didn't buy one.  I could only imagine what a deep fried pumpkin spice oreo would taste like and I didn't want to be out in the middle of the desert if my tummy decided it was yucky.

 There was every crazy thing you could think of.  PH and I spent an hour in this place just laughing at each new discovery.

 There was a room - a whole ROOM filled with every rootbeer made.  This is a problem.  I, of course, wanted one of each, but we were flying home and the airline would frown on a suitcase full of bottles.  That's the problem with travelling sometimes.  You find great new things but you can't bring them home.

 This place also did barbecue.  We opted for the brisket because I always order the brisket if it's on a menu.  Everything was home made. That means nothing came from a can. 

 PH and I shared this lunch.  The very friendly young man that took our order gave us two pieces of cornbread because, he said, it's so good.  He was right.  I love cornbread and am disappointed when it's dry and tasteless.  PH isn't a fan of potato salad but he ate most of this.  It was really, really good...what I got of it!  I settled for the cole slaw.

 Driving through the desert in January isn't what driving through in July would be, but it would be desolate no matter when. More than once we commented to each other what it would have been like doing this trip in a covered wagon, walking the whole way behind a couple of oxen.   I stared out the window for hours imagining cowboys and settlers riding this terrain and through these hills.  I thought about the natives sending smoke signals from the tops of these mountains.

And there it was, occasionally a cell tower.  Smoke signals indeed.