Borderland Buses
Brawley, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
Standing near Highway 86 in Brawley, the old sign for Borderland Buses looks like it has seen more than a few hot and dusty Imperial Valley days. Faded panels advertise bus transportation and “Chuck’s Box Lunches,” while a few broken pieces of neon still cling to the weathered frame. At first glance, it looks like the remains of an old charter stop. The real story runs a little deeper. 06-06
Borderland Transportation operated more than 20 buses during the Bracero Program, which brought Mexican contract workers into the United States between 1942 and 1964. The buses carried agricultural laborers from the processing center in El Centro to farms throughout the Imperial, San Joaquin, and Salinas valleys.
Borderland Buses
Brawley, CA Photo courtesy David Winston
Chuck’s Box Lunches was not just feeding vacation travelers. The business prepared packed meals for workers facing long bus rides to agricultural fields across California. Those few words on the bottom of the sign turn out to be an important piece of the story.
UPDATE: The old Borderland bus lot, maintenance shop, and depot buildings have disappeared. The sun-baked sign remains standing near Highway 86 and Malan Street, one of the last visible reminders of the company and its place in California agricultural history. 09-26
Texaco Marine (Gone)
Salton Sea, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here’s the old Texaco Marine sign at the North Shore Marina along the Salton Sea. Its faded red star once pointed boaters toward fuel at what was then one of the busiest recreational harbors on the lake. By the time this photo was taken, the docks were gone and the sign was standing over a very different shoreline.
The marina served the nearby North Shore Beach and Yacht Club, an Albert Frey-designed resort that opened in 1962. Boats, vacationers, and even a few celebrities once filled this part of the Salton Sea. As the water grew saltier and the resort era faded, the marina and its Texaco fuel operation were abandoned.
UPDATE: The Texaco Marine sign and old fueling facilities are gone. The yacht club has been restored as a community center, while the former marina grounds now serve as a park. The sign disappeared, though the stinky fish and occasional Salton Sea aroma are still around. 09-26
Brawley Animal Clinic (Gone)
Brawley, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
This old sign still stands on the rooftop of the Brawley Animal Clinic in Brawley, CA. The animal clinic closed its doors a few years back. It sits on the bank of the new river- designated the most polluted river in the United States. It flows from Mexico north to the Salton Sea. there was no truth to the rumor that your pets would glow for days after treatment here. Many thanks to Bill Herzog for info. 12-06
The clinic operated for decades as a mixed veterinary practice, caring for household pets as well as livestock from the surrounding agricultural region. Dr. Joe Clark and his family ran the practice before relocating to Colorado in the early 2000s.
UPDATE: The Brawley Animal Clinic closed in the early 2000s. Its vintage rooftop sign remained above the vacant building for several years afterward but was eventually removed. 09-26
Welcome to Needles
Needles, CA Photo courtesy Alex Schultz
Welcome to Needles, land of the heat and plenty of it. The heavy wooden entrance sign along Highway 95 greeted travelers arriving from the north with a bit of old Mojave style. Its thick timbers and rustic frame recalled the wagons once used to haul borax and other supplies across the desert. By the time this sign came into view, the air conditioner was probably already working overtime. 07-07
Another entrance to town featured an old wooden wagon that had welcomed motorists for years. Photographed in 1992, the carriage looked right at home against the dry Needles landscape. Nothing fancy here, just a weathered wagon serving as a reminder that this was once the kind of country crossed by horses, miners, and desert freighters instead of air-conditioned automobiles.
This wooden carriage is located at another entrance to Needles, and has been a welcome standby for years.
Needles Wagon
Needles, CA Photo courtesy Alan Culley / 1992
Needles grew as a railroad town beside the Colorado River and later became a familiar stop for motorists following Route 66. It remains one of the hottest towns in the country, with summer temperatures regularly climbing well past 110 degrees. The name may sound sharp, but on a July afternoon it is the heat that really gets your attention.
Between the timber sign and the old wagon, Needles offered travelers a couple of appropriately rustic welcomes. Stop for a photo if you like, but that rolled-up window and running air conditioner might be worth keeping.
UPDATE: The timber-framed welcome sign along Highway 95 survives, although its center panel and civic graphics have been updated over time. 09-26
Shield's Dates
Palm Desert, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
When stopping around Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley, what usually comes to mind? Swimming pools? Desert sunshine? How about a date? Follow the giant knight along Highway 111 and he’ll point the way to Shields Date Gardenin Indio. Date shakes, fresh dates, and plenty of other date-related goodies are waiting inside.
Floyd and Bess Shields started the farm on Christmas Eve in 1924, clearing a patch of desert and developing their own varieties of dates. The familiar store and medieval knight sign arrived in 1953, giving motorists a hard-to-miss landmark along the highway. A knight advertising dates may not make complete sense, but that is part of the fun.
No visit is complete without seeing the 1951 film The Romance and Sex Life of the Date. Floyd Shields created it to explain how date palms are hand-pollinated. With a title like that, learning about desert agriculture suddenly sounds a little more exciting.
Shields Dates
Indio, CA Photo courtesy Bill Herzog
UPDATE: The Shields is still attracting travelers. I remember as a kid seeing "the sex life of the date" here. They're still running it. Many thanks to Bill Herzog for info. 06-06
UPDATE: Shields Date Garden remains open in Indio, serving date shakes and other treats beneath its famous knight sign. The property also includes a cafe and a garden walk filled with biblical sculptures. Now more than a century old, Shields is still giving travelers a good reason to stop along Highway 111. 09-26
Borderland Buses
Borderland Buses
Texaco Marine (Gone)
Brawley Animal Clinic (Gone)
Welcome to Needles
Welcome to Needles, land of the heat and plenty of it. The heavy wooden entrance sign along Highway 95 greeted travelers arriving from the north with a bit of old Mojave style. Its thick timbers and rustic frame recalled the wagons once used to haul borax and other supplies across the desert. By the time this sign came into view, the air conditioner was probably already working overtime. 07-07
Needles Wagon
Shield's Dates
Shields Dates
