Ludlow, CA
Ludlow prospered from the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, which shipped borax between Ludlow and Beatty, Nevada. The Railroad shut down in 1940.
The big site is the 1908 Ludlow Mercantile Company building. Ludlow Mercantile was opened by John Denair, who borrowed the money to build the store from Mother Preston, who owned a saloon and rooming house catering to railroad workers. Denair went broke, so Preston took over the store and operated it until 1918, when she sold it to one of her competitors, who moved his business into the Ludlow Mercantile building. He added a 24 hour garage and a motor court to take advantage of Route 66 traffic. The building has been abandoned and is falling down.
The Ludlow Café is open, and the Ludlow Motel gets pretty good reviews for a motel in the middle of nowhere.
Gas is available at a nearby Chevron Station. If you are heading east be sure to gas up. The next chance might be a long way away.
In Ludlow, go right at the Stop sign onto Crucero Rd and cross over I-40 - Go left on N Frontage Rd/National Trails Hwy - Keep going about 26 miles to Newberry Springs
From Ludlow, follow National Trails Hwy to Amboy
View Route66mc.com - Ludlow to Amboy in a larger map
