This isn’t a convent—it’s the Harvey House rulebook, and it applied to every woman who signed up to become one of the legendary Harvey Girls. On display at Casa del Desierto in Barstow, this exhibit lists the expectations: no makeup, no jewelry, no men in the dorms, and don’t even think about flirting. But there was freshly squeezed orange juice and polished silverware—always.
The Harvey Girls were part of the Fred Harvey Company, a hospitality empire that partnered with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. Beginning in the 1870s, Harvey House restaurants, hotels, and newsstands were established at rail stops across the American West, providing the first standardized, high-quality service for train passengers. The women who worked there weren’t just serving food—they were defining civility and modern hospitality in a rugged, fast-moving world.
📍 Casa del Desierto, Barstow, CA
📸 From a recent photo excursion
May 11, 2025 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: American West, Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, Barstow CA, Casa del Desierto, desert travel, Fred Harvey, Harvey Girls, Harvey House, Harvey House exhibit, historic Barstow, historic preservation, hospitality history, photo road trip, railroad history, railroad museum, Route 66 history, train travel, vintage uniforms, Western America Railroad Museum, women in history | Leave a comment
Spotted Wednesday on a photo road trip: this Barstow building once known as the Hacienda Tequila Restaurant. The food is gone. The staff is gone. The only thing left? “Tequila” And frankly, that feels like a solid business model for the Mojave.
Bright yellow stucco and fresh green trim suggest someone’s trying to bring it back—or at least make it look like they might. There’s no menu, no hours, no explanation. Just a sign, blazing in the desert sun, whispering: “Tequila”.
Is it coming soon? Is it performance art? More roadside mysteries, faded ambition, fast food and eroticism on my website at http://SecondFocus.com
May 10, 2025 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: abandoned buildings, Barstow, California desert, desert travel, Hacienda Tequila Restaurant, Highway 58, Mojave Desert, photo road trip, quirky landmarks, repainted building, restaurant revival, roadside Americana, roadside architecture, roadside photography, Route 66, satirical commentary, stucco architecture, tequila sign, travel photography, visual storytelling | Leave a comment
Met this great model on a photo excursion yesterday. Never talked too much at all, but can really strike a pose and has an amazing sense of style.
Been so busy lately and not keeping up with my blogging. So I am just starting here from yesterday. One of the stops on this photo excursion was Peggy Sue’s 50’s Diner in Yermo CA. An original Route 66 roadside stop built in 1954.
June 21, 2018 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: 1950's, fashion mannequin, fashion model, fashion style, great model, Peggy Sue's 50's Diner, photo excursion, photo road trip, Route 66, sense of style | Leave a comment
SecondFocus Blog 
Just Tequila: Maybe That Works!
Spotted Wednesday on a photo road trip: this Barstow building once known as the Hacienda Tequila Restaurant. The food is gone. The staff is gone. The only thing left? “Tequila” And frankly, that feels like a solid business model for the Mojave.
Bright yellow stucco and fresh green trim suggest someone’s trying to bring it back—or at least make it look like they might. There’s no menu, no hours, no explanation. Just a sign, blazing in the desert sun, whispering: “Tequila”.
Is it coming soon? Is it performance art? More roadside mysteries, faded ambition, fast food and eroticism on my website at http://SecondFocus.com
May 10, 2025 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: abandoned buildings, Barstow, California desert, desert travel, Hacienda Tequila Restaurant, Highway 58, Mojave Desert, photo road trip, quirky landmarks, repainted building, restaurant revival, roadside Americana, roadside architecture, roadside photography, Route 66, satirical commentary, stucco architecture, tequila sign, travel photography, visual storytelling | Leave a comment