Today was such an eventful day! On top of what I'm about to tell you we did, we also drove in 3 states AND went to Calico Ghost Town! So awesome, though. So after Calico, we kept on truckin' and made our way to what I call Lake Dolores and Rock-A-Hoola. This is an abandoned water park that has been abandoned since 2004. It used to be so awesome when it was first abandoned, because it wasn't so destroyed and tagged up. It made me so sad walking through the park because I hate that people are so destructive. Anyway, I hope these pictures can give you insight on just how cool this water park used to be! I'll include a few original photos from when it was at its prime. For a quick history lesson on Rock-A-Hoola... The waterpark is located in Newberry Springs, just off the 15; in the Mohave Desert. In the '50's, a man named Bob Byers purchased the land and built a man-made lake, which he named Lake Dolores; after his wife. Within a decade, a small camp ground near the lake was opened to the public. The site evolved into a waterpark within the next 25 years. Many rides and attractions were added in order to lure in people traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. In the late 1980's the park closed, due to a downturn in the popularity. Byer's sold the then deserted waterpark in 1990 to a business trio, who had plans to grow the park. In 1998 the park was renamed "Rock-A-Hoola" and was known for the constant playing of rock and roll music. In only three seasons of the park re-opening, the trio were already three million dollars in debt! In 2000, they filed for bankrupsy. The property was then returned to Dolores Byers (Bob Byers died in '96). A month before her death, Dolores sold the property, in 2001, to an investment group. The park was renamed "Discovery Park" and had $400,000 in renovations. After cutting back hours and only being open on weekends, the park closed in 2004. So, we found a huge piece of glass, propped it up on a wall in the "Locker Room", and took a selfie! Now, I want you to see a few old pictures of the park, when it was in its prime! And now for the jumpy pictures! Directions: I took the 15 toward Vegas, exited Harvard Road and turned left onto Harvard Road, crossed over the freeway and turned left onto Hacienda Road. Take that road all the way until you see the water park on your right. Arne's Royal Hawaiian MotelArne's Royal Hawaiian Motel opened in 1957 as a motel for people to stay in, when passing through a town called Baker. Baker is just off the interstate 15. The hotel had 43 rooms in multiple buildings, two-stories, a pool and a game room. According to reviews, this hotel was a 1-2 star motel and was in horrible staying conditions. The motel was abandoned in 2009. Despite how apparently disgusting this motel was, what remains is pretty cool. If you are familiar with Bates Motel, this motel definitely resembles it quite well. The hotel was known for having a tropical tiki theme throughout, with retro furniture. Address: 7940 West Baker Boulevard, Baker, CA 92309 What an eventful day it was!!!
Thanks for reading!! Until next time, Ciao
1 Comment
Raymond
12/28/2016 08:44:46 am
Did the Royal Hawiian get demolished?
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AuthorA passionate lover of food, adventure, traveling, and enjoying life! Archives
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