Slow down! Enjoy these side trip adventures on the way to Las Vegas
For those headed to Las Vegas, Nevada's entertainment capital of the world, for poolside martinis, concerts at the Sphere or a few minutes at a poker table or video slots, a suggestion: Don't be in a hurry to get there.
And if roadside speeding ticket defense attorney billboards aren't enough to slow the rush to spend (or lose) money, remember the adventure is the journey. Just like the seldom-heeded attractions of fly-over states, the road to Vegas is dotted with oddities, wonders and sights more than worth a few minutes off the interstate.
Here are a few stops we found worth exploring. Let the schedule go, and be prepared for the wide, wildness of Southwestern open spaces.
Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch
24266 National Trails Highway, Oro Grande, CA
Directions: Exit 153A from I-15, travel 11 miles north via CA 18 and N. D St. and National Trails Highway.
The route to the Bottle Tree Ranch follows a winding road that travels past a rustic California landscape with a cement plant, antique shops and the Cross Eyed Cow Pizza stop with its colorful bovine sign. The outdoor art installation is an unattended collection of antiques and oddities mounted atop what look to be steel posts, most of which are adorned with all kinds of bottles. Walking through some two acres of this bizarre landscape, visitors can find typewriters, signs, children's toys and a wide variety of rusting metal artifacts welded atop the bottle trees. On a sunny day, the beams of light refracting through the glass make for a host of Instagram-worthy photos. Quirky. Free.
Western America Railroad Museum, Harvey House and Route 66 Mother Road Museum* (*currently closed)
685 N. 1st Ave., Barstow, CA
Directions: Exit 181 from I-15; follow L and Main streets to N. First Avenue to the Barstow depot, a little more than 2 miles.
While the current closure of the Route 66 Mother Road Museum kept this from being a trifecta stop for rail and road enthusiasts, the static displays of locomotive engines and a collection railroad artifacts at the railroad museum, the depot's impressive architecture and Harvey House rooms still make this worth a sidetrip. Among the collections, a room filled with railroad spike caps is in display cases.
When railroads were in their heyday as the nation's primary industrial transport and people mover, the spikes that anchored railroad tracks were numbered. The numbers referenced both the year of installation and the metals used in the spikes. The system helped railroaders to determine which metallurgic mixes best withstood wear and the elements.
Also at the site: dining rooms where Harvey House hostesses served travelers. These young women of "good character," also known as Harvey Girls, were recruited by entrepreneur Fred Harvey to travel the West and serve as waitresses at rail depot dining rooms. (At last check, the Route 66 Mother Road Museum was closed due to water damage.)
Calico Ghost Town, a San Bernardino County Regional Park
36600 Ghost Town Road, Yermo, CA
Directions: Exit 191 from eastbound I-15, turn left on to Ghost Town Road, follow it about 3.5 miles to park.
Calico Ghost Town is a family oriented park with attractions and shops utilizing a variety of Old West buildings on a hillside that was once home to a silver mining town. If the commercial attractions - including shops, dining, gold panning and a mining ride - remind one of Knott's Berry Farm, it should come as no surprise that the town was originally purchased and restored by Walter Knott, then gifted to the county in 1966. While not suited to toddlers or parents pushing strollers, a rocky scramble to the top of the Calico hill offers sweeping views of the town and the adjoining valley as well as a chance to get a close look at the remnants of an old house just below the crest of the hill.
Peggy Sue's '50s Diner
35656 Yermo Road, Yermo, Calif.
Directions: Exit 191 from eastbound I-15, right on Ghost Town Road/Daggett Yermo Road, then left on Yermo Road.
If, instead of or after visiting the Calico ghost town, diner food is in order, Peggy Sue's '50s Diner is a popular spot with travelers. During a recent stop, even in mid-week, it was bustling with hungry visitors. While offering a traditional menu of hamburgers, sandwiches and french fries, it was a chance to wolf down a piece of apple pie à la mode at the counter, a most delightful treat for a mid-afternoon stop.
Liberty Sculpture Park
3757 Yermo Road, Yermo, CA
Directions: Turn off on a dirt road at the Liberty Sculpture Park sign, a little more than 2 miles east on Yermo Road from Peggy Sue's '50s diner.
The "No Communists Allowed" warning at the entrance to Liberty Sculpture Park underscores its recurring theme: Reject communism, commemorate its victims - particularly those in China - and promote democracy. Travelers on the adjacent I-15 can clearly see an installation recalling one protester's obstruction of a tank in Tiananmen Square in 1989, but visitors to the park get a close-up view of sometimes graphic art installations including that of a chained woman, which recalls communist China's one-child policy; a pyramid of skulls topped by a hammer and sickle memorializing those killed in communist countries; as well as tributes to those who escaped communist rule and those who died in the pandemic.
One particularly unusual display, called "The Garbage of History," is built around an earth mover, known as a front-end loader, which in its scoop carries the sculpted heads of Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler and Mao. While not for everyone, the art is compelling and provocative. Free.
Eddie World
36017 Calico Road, Yermo, CA
Directions: Via Yermo Road after Liberty Sculpture park, or directly off I-15, Exit 194.
Also freeway-adjacent and just down Yermo Road from Liberty Sculpture Park, the 65-foot water tank decorated as an ice cream sundae beckons travelers to stop, refresh and refuel. A cool, airy central hall at Eddie World offers a wide variety of food, drinks and snacks. It even offers a bit of Lakers history with a section of floor from the old Great Western Forum that serves as the centerpiece of a tribute to Los Angeles basketball history, with signed jerseys and photos of great players past.
While there are many stops where travelers can find food and fuel, Eddie's boasts of being California's largest gas station - and if a recent visit is any indicator, it also can claim to offer the cleanest, most well-appointed bathrooms between Southern California and Las Vegas.
Zzyzx and Soda Dry Lake
Directions: Formerly Soda Springs via Zzyzx Road; I-15 Exit 239, Mojave National Preserve.
Once a health spa operated by Curtis Howe Springer, who in 1944 filed a mining claim on some 12,000 acres here, the site is now home to a Desert Studies Center operated by Cal State Fullerton. While the old resort buildings are not open to the public, visitors can wander around Lake Tuendae, which was originally part of the spa. Direct access to most of the site is prohibited, but the roughly 4.5-mile drive to Zzyzx is reason enough for the side trip, offering expansive views of the lakebed and the adventure of about a quarter-mile of unpaved road.
The Mad Greek
72112 Baker Blvd., Baker, CA
Directions: Downtown Baker, Exit 246, from I-15 to CA 127, Kelbaker Road.
While ample opportunities for food line the I-15 corridor from LA to Las Vegas, perhaps as iconic as any is The Mad Greek. With white columns and statuary, this spot serves up lamb and beef gyros, falafel pita wraps, hummus as well as salads and burgers for those wanting less ethnic fare. Save room for walnut and pistachio baklava, turnovers and the powdered-sugar almond cookies found in the display case. If weather permits, the outdoor patio is a quiet, shady spot for dining.
Kelso Depot Visitor Center
90942 Kelso-Cima Road, Kelso, CA
Directions: Exit 246 from I-15, turn onto Kelbaker Road, travel southeast 35 miles into Mojave National Preserve.
While the depot center was closed for renovation with a projected 2026 opening, adventurers seeking open expanses of pristine landscape may choose to visit Kelso's historic 1924 train station. Peek inside the downstairs windows to see the ticket booths, station master's office and lunch counter as they were in their heyday. Outside on the walk from the parking to the train station, visitors will find the Kelso jail - a pair of iron-band cages reserved for miscreants of the day. While the depot building is closed, the Park Service's well-maintained bathrooms are open.
For those who don't want to just double back to the interstate, an alternate route via Cima, Ivanpah and Nipton roads awaits; just be sure to have fuel, water and a good spare tire because help could be long in coming if problems occur.
Pioneer Saloon & Goodsprings
310 W. Spring St., Goodsprings, Nevada
Directions: Heading east on I-15, Exit 12 for Nevada 161, Jean and Goodsprings. Travel 161 northwest roughly 7 miles.
A relatively short drive off I-15, the Pioneer Saloon, established in 1913, claims the title of the oldest bar in Southern Nevada, and with its dark traditional interior - featuring a cherrywood bar, stamped tin walls and ceiling and open airy patio - it's a perfect refueling spot for travelers who eschew chain restaurant dining.
In addition to the saloon, visitors will find interesting collections of old gas station pumps, 1940s or earlier era trucks, cars and random rusting signs on display around weathered old buildings nearby.
Seven Magic Mountains, The Last Spike
Directions: From the same Exit 12 off the eastbound I-15, travelers who take a right turn, then a left on Las Vegas Boulevard, need travel only 3.8 miles to the Last Spike marker sign and only about 1 mile more to the Seven Magic Mountains art installation.
To really appreciate their size and enjoy the space, one has to stand beside the seven stacks of day-glo painted boulders known as the Seven Magic Mountains art installation by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. The rocks are huge and immediately prompt questions about the effort it took to collect and assemble them. Originally built as a two-year installation in 2016, the paint was somewhat faded during an early April visit, but a makeover is planned and the sculpture is expected to remain in place at least through December 2026. Free, but no facilities are available on site.
For those interested in railroad history, a backtrack toward Jean of a little more than a mile will offer an Instagram photo opportunity: the sign commemorating the last spike driven to complete the last transcontinental rail line connecting Salt Lake City with Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the sign reads "near this site," and the actual last spike location is not identified.
Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
Directions: About 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip off Charleston Boulevard/NV 159.
Any off-the-beaten-path venture to the Las Vegas area has to include the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area with its 13-mile scenic loop and visitor's information center. Because of Red Rock's growing popularity, time-based reservations are required Oct. 1 through May 31.
The area comprises some 195,000 acres, impressive rock formations and 30 miles of hiking trails. It is especially busy on weekends.
For those wanting a more personal engagement with the rock formations, a map from the visitors center has hiking suggestions ranging from easy to difficult. Visitors who venture beyond overlooks from the scenic drive should carry water and be aware of temperature forecasts.
Blue Diamond
Directions: Off NV 159, about 12 miles past Red Rock Canyon Conservation area.
For those not ready to head downtown, a visit to this little berg might be in order. With a population of 268 in the 2020 census, Blue Diamond is a collection of both rustic homes and upscale domiciles set high on the hill. It has the fun little Village Market and Mercantile, a Trek rental bike shop and dining at Cottonwood Station.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 6:22 PM.