Roy's Motel & Café

Roy's Motel & Café in Amboy, California, is a Route 66 stop in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Roy Crowl founded it in 1938 as a filling station on what was then U.S. Route 66, today the National Trails Highway. In the 1940s his son-in-law Herman "Buster" Burris joined him; the business grew to include a café, a garage and accommodation for travellers. The distinctive boomerang-style neon sign was erected on 1 February 1959. Architecturally the complex belongs to Googie and mid-century modern design.

With the opening of Interstate 40 in 1972, business collapsed. The café building and filling station reopened on 28 April 2008 after restoration. According to Wikivoyage, Roy's is the only working filling station in the area; the motel is not in operation and the café kitchen is closed, though snacks and drinks are sold. Sources differ, so check beforehand (as of October 2026).

A short stop is enough to photograph the sign. Bring plenty of water and fuel, as the area is very remote. According to Wikivoyage, climbing the nearby Amboy Crater takes two to three hours there and back without shade; temperatures of around 45 °C are possible in summer.