The Plan
Now, the actual shooting plan was at Amboy Crater. Amboy Crater, you might notice is not Joshua Tree, JT (as we called it) was simply our base of operations. Amboy Crater, out off old Route 66 is an extinct cinder cone volcano. While smallish, it’s quite striking. It’s also a notorious ‘dark site’ with a Bortle Scale score of 3 or better at the parking lot most of the time.
Amboy is also home to Roy’s Motel & Cafe.
In 1938, founder Roy Crowl opened Roy’s as a gas and service station along U.S. Highway 66, in Amboy.
In the 1940s, Crowl teamed up with his son-in-law, Herman “Buster” Burris. They expanded the business to include a café, an auto repair garage, and an auto court of small cabins for overnight rental by Route 66 travelers. (wikipedia)
Today, Roy’s is a tourist destination and popular with influencers looking to get that selfie in the middle of old Route 66.
After goofing around at Roy’s and getting the requisite photos, we headed off to the crater itself to scout around and wait for dark.
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