Located about 50 miles west of Blythe and 50 miles east of Indio, sits the town of Desert Center, California. Once an important stop on Highway 60/70 for travelers who dared brave the desert, over the last decade most of the town has been largely abandoned.

The town was founded in 1921 by Desert Steve Ragsdale, and with the creation of Highway 60 in 1926, the town became an oasis for early road travelers. With a service station, garage, a swimming pool to cool off in, and a cafe that was open 24 hours a day, business was good.

In 1950 Desert Steve left Desert Center (not before digging his own grave and erecting a monument to himself), and his kids took over. The town continued to flourish for decades, until the nearby mines closed and Interstate 10 bypassed the town. One by one, the town's businesses began to close. A decade ago, the cafe that would never close because they lost the keys, closed. Now, the only open business in the town is the post office.

In this video we explore the abandoned town, taking a look at the garage, the cafe, the market, the motel, the "new" gas station, the hamburger stand, the school, and the not quite grave of Desert Steve himself.

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