Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is a roadside stop near Oro Grande, California, and a popular stop for anyone passing by on Route 66. The 2-acre ranch was created in 2000 by Elmer Long and has an excess of 200 bottle trees. It is open from sunrise to sunset and is free to enter.
As a child in the 1950s, Long camped in the Mojave Desert with his father, Elmer Long Sr., collecting objects they found and keeping notes on their location. Long Sr. was an aviation engineer with an interest in the desert. After his father's death, he acquired many of the colorful bottles his dad had collected. Long, wanting to put the bottles to use, tied some to a wooden post, creating the first bottle tree. When the sun rose the following morning, he was fascinated by how the light caught them and decided to make more.
Elmer's son, Elliot now maintains the property.
This is one of those roadside stops that is a great place to stretch your legs and enjoy a generational piece of art work. Walking through the maze of bottle trees, I felt a child-like curiosity about what I would find around the next turn.
Though the pathways are challenging and uneven natural ground. I found this stop very enjoyable in the early morning hours.
This roadside attraction would be nearly impossible for anyone in a wheelchair to navigate. Anyone with a walker would be limited to some paths, and a person with a cane might find some areas challenging.
LINKS:
https://californiathroughmylens.com/elmers-bottletree-ranch/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmer%27s_Bottle_Tree_Ranch