| Posted by Dan I. on August 10, 2020 | |
I would say that if a person wanted to get away from everything including TV, cell phone service, computers and be completely alone for a while, Kelso and the surrounding area is it. The only thing that seems out of place is the magnificent Mediterranean-style depot is located in the middle of the Mojave National Preserve. As a retired long distance truck driver, I spent the night several times over the years in the parking lot across from the Depot as a cut through from Interstate 15 and Interstate 40. Saved a lot of fuel, time, and mileage doing so and in the meantime saw a lot of great scenery including Union Pacific trains. Getting to the Kelso Depot is an experience in itself due the remoteness of the land. You can take three different routes South from Interstate 15 - Kelbaker Road, Cima Road, or Nipton Road with a couple of right turns (don't remember the road names) which intersects with Cima Road. My favorite is Cima Road. There is the White Cross Memorial to World War One veterans on the way. Cima Road also parallels Union Pacific for quite a distance before you get to the Depot and there is pretty good action along the way as well. You can also take Kelbaker Road from Interstate 40 and head North as well. The area around Kelso, Cima, and the Preserve is very isolated so you better get fuel before you attempt to travel there. All in all, there is quite a bit of high-ball train traffic including stop and go. I see a lot of folks taking pictures and videos of the Depot as well as the trains flying by. It is worth the effort to get there. You are in the middle of nowhere when this ornate Depot comes into view. You will know that you are getting close to Kelso when you see two tall water (I assume) tanks across the tracks near the Depot.
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Ditto to Dan's comments. I passed through that area several years ago and there is a whole lot of nothing between major cities. If you like vast open areas, sand, and Joshua Trees - this area is the place for you. Although, I did get one of my best sunrise photos near here while traveling through this area and it is one of my background photos on my computer (the sun was just rising over the mountain and the Joshua Trees were silhouetted).
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