OOIDA’s tour trailer stops at Barstow, Calif.

Jon Osburn, skipper of OOIDA’s tour trailer, survived the Grapevine once again, climbing from Wheeler Ridge in the San Joaquin Valley up through Tejon Pass to Barstow, Calif.

The Spirit of the American Trucker is scheduled to be parked at the Barstow TA on Jan. 22-24. It is at the Lenwood Road exit from I-15, Exit 178.

There are more than 300 parking spaces for commercial trucks at the Barstow TA plus a Black Bear Diner (dining room closed because of COVID-19), a Subway and other amenities.

The Wheeler Ridge stop before Barstow was especially notable for the Santa Ana winds that blew through the region. Osburn said there was a wall of tumbleweeds 3 feet tall piled up behind The Spirit. Semi-tractors were blown over on I-8, as San Diego NBC News reported, and drivers were generally keyed-up, Osburn said.

Calico Ghost Town is nearby

Several major highways converge at Barstow, including Interstate 15, Interstate 40, and California Route 58.

Barstow is a major transportation hub for the Inland Empire, a region adjacent to Los Angeles.

Not far from Barstow (about 20 miles from the Barstow TA, according to Google Maps) is the restored ghost town of Calico, Calif. It is a former silver mining town in the Calico Mountains. Silver mining ceased in 1896, according to a monument sign there. In fact, it has been designated by the state as its Official State Silver Rush Ghost Town.

The city’s name has been spelled on the side of a mountain, and it is visible from the highway.

The town was bought and restored by Walter Knott of Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, Calif., in 1950, according to LegendsofAmerica.com. A short railroad, the Calico & Odessa, chugs through canyons and past old mines and buildings north of Calico. Knott’s donated the town to San Bernardino County in 1966, and it is operated as a county park.

Stop by when you see The Spirit

If you see OOIDA’s tour trailer, stop by and say hello to Osburn. He enjoys visiting about the Association’s activities and current issues. He usually has copies of Land Line Magazine to hand out. You can join or renew your OOIDA membership for $10 off the regular price there. Free face masks are available for anyone with a commercial driver’s license at The Spirit. You also can get forms for uninsured drivers to get flu, shingles and pneumonia vaccine vouchers at The Spirit.

After Barstow, The Spirit is scheduled Jan. 25-27 to be at the Ontario, Calif., TA.

Here is the schedule for The Spirit. LL