But First

And all of the sudden we’re in the age of Coronavirus and self-quarantine. It has been my intention to keep on blogging through these times, after all, there is plenty of time for it now that I am home so much. But as with many people, I have become a victim of this pandemic. No, Trish and I are not infected with Coronavirus, at least not to our knowledge. But I have, over the past two weeks, developed a severe case of writer’s block, which I am attempting to cure at this very second. Maybe it was trying to keep up on all the crazy developments in the news that did it. Maybe it was a subconscious trickle about the possibility of society crashing, or maybe just a fear that the liquor store might close next. I really don’t know what caused the block. However, I do know it ends now.

Luckily, way back when the Coronavirus was still “That latest thing in China,” Trish and I were on a road trip gathering blog material. I previously put up two posts from that trip: (https://outerrealmz.com/wonder-valley-keeper-of-broken-dreams/) and (https://outerrealmz.com/the-beasts-of-borrego-springs/).  I am now putting up this third post of several more yet to come. Enjoy!

 

How many Bagdad’s: Getting the story straight

Bagdad, California exists in several realms. In the realm of reality, Bagdad was a town located in the heart of California’s unhospitable Mohave Desert. I would call it a ghost town, but there is not even enough left of the place to qualify for that loose term. A few hunks of pavement, some broken glass and a solitary tree with a marker identifying it as the only thing left of the town of Bagdad, are all that remains. This is because the few remains that did exist were razed in 1991.

Founded in 1883, Bagdad served as a railroad town and supply depot for nearby mines. Bagdad found its true heyday when Route 66 opened up in the 1920’s. Becoming a savored stop for early motorists, this small oasis contained gas, food, lodging, shopping, auto repair and all the amenities travelers on the Mother Road might want or need. The hotspot in town was the Bagdad Café, which contained the only dance floor in these parts and people traveled near and far for a good time there. Bagdad continued to thrive right up until 1973 when the newly completed Interstate 40 bypassed the town. No longer able to host travelers, businesses closed and the residents moved away. Despite its colorful past, Bagdad is most famous for its lack of rain. From 1912 till 1914 Bagdad held the longest dry streak in U.S. history at a cost of 797 days with no rain.

In the realm of confusion there is still a Bagdad Café. But it’s not in Bagdad (You’ll remember there is nothing left there.) This Bagdad Café is in Newberry Springs, some 54 miles to the west on Route 66. This tends to confuse the weary traveler. “Hey, we’re in Bagdad, but the GPS says Bagdad was an hour back, but we’re at The Bagdad Café. Oh, but we’re in Newberry Springs too. Where the hell are we? Coffee please.”

Luckily this didn’t happen to Trish and myself. Why? Because we came prepared. How? We had SEEN THE MOVIE! What? This takes us to the next realm.

The realm of fiction and film. That’s right. There is a film called, “Bagdad Café.” You may have heard of it if you are a film buff and into the cult classics. The film, by German writer and director Percy Adlon, takes place in the fictionalized town of Bagdad, which is actually at the site of the Bagdad Café in Newberry Springs. When the film was made (1987) there was also a gas station and a motel at the site, and this comprised the town. Starring CCH Pounder and Jack Palance, nearly all of the movie was shot at this location.

The film depicts a German tourist, Jasmin, separating from her husband while on vacation in the American southwest. On foot, she comes across the tiny town of Bagdad with its dilapidated café and motel. Brenda, the motel/diner owner played by CCH Pounder, who is also down on her luck and broke, eventually collaborates with the strange German lady to turn the forgotten café into a popular stop for truckers and travelers.

 

Post Movie Bagdad Café

Each year, busload after busload of German tourists and movie-enthusiasts descend upon the Bagdad Café. Luckily, there were no such throngs of people present when Trish and I were there, as it was still February. We ate lunch there in the darkened back room and studied all the memorabilia on the walls and ceilings, including pictures of the cast, scenes from the movie and notes and flags from all over the world. Of course, in the movie, the place looks much more bland, but the layout is the same and the outside looks almost identical.

In order to help ease the confusion, I think it is noteworthy to add that the Bagdad Café did not always go by that name. In fact, before the filming of the movie it was called The Sidewinder. A few years after the movie, when the place began to experience the good fortune of tourism, the name was permanently changed to Bagdad Café. This is a good example of fiction becoming fact.

Trish and I enjoyed our trek through the Bagdads’. The vanished, the resurrected, the fact, the fiction and the movie were all educational, interesting and fun. These places are along historical Route 66, also called National Old Trails Road, which was the original name of this thoroughfare. There is so much to stop and see in the Mohave Desert! This particular stretch lies between Amboy and Barstow. It often crosses paths with I-40, so the option of getting somewhere faster is always there. However, you might just prefer a leisure drive on the old route, where history and adventure await.