Weekends are for exploring

When I was a young teen I dove headlong into historical romance novels. (Don't judge me.) A few of my favorites took place in Harvey Houses in the early 20th century. This was so fascinating to me that I researched Harvey Houses on my own, and even wrote a few papers about them for school - nerd alert. Anyway, here are a few historical breadcrumbs for you!

In the beginning, Harvey Houses were mostly just small diners that were located along the railway. They had a reputation for quickly serving excellent food in order to allow their diners to make the connection to their next train. (Perhaps airport food-courts should take note? Just a suggestion.)

The Harvey House reputation went beyond food, however, because the Harvey Company provided excellent employment opportunities for women in an era when their job opportunities were rather limited. They worked as servers at the Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe railway, and as a perk to their job, they were able to travel along the Santa Fe railway for free! (Sign me up!)

As the Harvey Company grew, they built large resorts to offer their customers more of a destination rather than just pass-through service. One of these resorts is located in Barstow, California just a short drive away! Even though I've been there on multiple occasions, I decided to go there again, and to bring my camera along for once. :) My brother joined me and we made a fun afternoon of it. Here are some pictures: