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| This picture shows a part of Highway 395 passing by what was then called Sunnymead (now Moreno Valley.) Later this same road was renamed Highway 215 and it is now called Old Hiway 215 Frontage Road. |
ADELANTO
The first chance you have to pick up Highway 395, going from south to north, is off Interstate 15 just east of the Cajon Pass. Twelve miles after leaving I-15 east of the Cajon Pass the first town you come to is the city of Adelanto. A friendly little town that allows overnight parking next to the municipal park. There are even restrooms for you to use although they are not very clean. Several water faucets and a narrow dog area complete this nice place to stop for the night after a long day on the road. Right next to the park is a convenience store where you can buy the basic supplies including a good cup of coffee. There is, however, a 24-hour limit on how long you can stay there. Use it as a stopover only and don't start sliding out your awning or putting down your Astro Turf. PLEASE don't spoil it for your fellow traveler, FREE overnight spaces are getting harder and harder to come by.
KRAMER JUNCTION 
Kramer Junction is just that, a junction where U.S. Highway 395
crosses California State Highway 58 about 34 miles north of Adelanto. On all four corners
you'll find gas stations from major oil companies and coffee shops not far behind those.
Many long haul truckers park their trucks on a giant dirt lot that you pass just before
you enter town. I imagine that it is OK to park your rig there too for a quick nap or even
an overnight stay if you can put up with the noise and the smell of the diesel engines.
Also check out a lot behind the ARCO station east of town. Because of its size you can get
away from some of the noise if you park way in the back.
We are now entering gold country. Actually not only gold was mined in this area but also silver, borax ore and tungsten. Some 25 miles above Kramer Junction are the remnants of what once was the town of Atolia. Don’t blink when you drive by at 60 miles an hour or you’ll miss it. Hard to believe that during WW I more than 4000 people lived and worked here in the tungsten mines that yielded well over $60 million. GOLD COUNTRY 
Just a stone’s throw away are the towns of Red Mountain and Johannesburg. Both are sleepy towns where you will see signs posted along the highway that overnight parking is prohibited. I asked a local resident if one could stay on the back roads and he told me that most of this area is BLM land and therefore it belongs to the tax payers. Some antique stores are trying to make a go of it and hope to lure the tourists passing through town but every time I have driven that stretch, no matter what day it was, the stores are always closed. Some stores, I’ve been told, are only open during the winter months.
RANDSBURG
On the weekends you will have better luck in Randsburg. Please make this two-mile side trip and rediscover the past. What made me leave the hi-way was a sign that said: " visit Randsburg, a living ghost town," now tell me who can resist a slogan like that? The town maintains a very interesting museum staffed strictly by volunteers. My only gripe is that the museum and all the stores are closed except on weekends and holidays. There is, however, a small bar that is open 7 days a week all year ‘round. Make sure to stop by there to have a refreshment on a hot day, after all, you are in the desert and during the summer it can be HOT! You are allowed to dry-camp overnight anywhere in town but not next to the park. If ....... you can find a level spot that is. |
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