Travel Guide Amboy

Ten miles west of Chambless, Amboy is a ghost town that was purchased in 2005 by Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain, and also the McDonald Museum in San Bernardino. His goal is to return the former small mining town (salt extraction from lakes south of town), founded in 1858, to its 1950s appearance. This began with the renovation of Roy's Café and Motel, built in 1927. Here you can get coffee, snacks and gas. The lodging portion, which was planned, is now completely abandoned. On the right, you can still see the portico of the old school of the city. On the other side of the road, a brand new post office and, well in the back, the old church. Finally, 3.4 miles to the southwest, you can see Amboy Crater, an ancient volcano whose lava flows lick the highway as you drive west again. Do not enter the western part of the crater, because it is a military camp. Warning: in 2022, and a priori for a long period, the route 66 was cut between Fenner and Amboy, but also between Amboy and Ludlow, leaving the Roy Cafe totally isolated on The Mother Road. The only option to reach this stopover from the nearest accessible points on Route 66 (Fenner to the east and Ludlow to the west) is to take I-40 (exit 107 for Fenner and exit 50 for Ludlow) and exit at exit 108 to take Kelbaker Road south for 11 miles. Note that south of Amboy, Amboy Rd still connects Amboy to Twenty Nine Palms