A visit to Elmer Long’s Bottle Tree Ranch - Route 66, California.
N 34° 41.420 W 117° 20.358
11S E 468922 N 3838755
Elmer Long has created a folk art 'Bottle Tree Forest' in the Mojave Desert. Elmer is affectionately known on Route 66 as the 'Bottle Tree Man' His Ranch is located in Oro Grande, Barstow, San Bernardino County, California.
Waymark Code: WMPVRT
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/26/2015
Views: 2
The amazing 'Bottle Tree Ranch' One of the unofficial Landmark roadside attractions alongside 66, that many visitors get excited about on their drive along the Mother Road. Elmer & his ranch will live on in your memory, long after your trip down Historic Route 66.
Long's Bottle Tree Ranch covers a few acres crowded with over 200 metal sculptures, all adorned with coloured bottles and topped with just about anything one could imagine.
A photographers dream, that I never took advantage of.
See my photos, and see how many different items of metal trash, you can count, all found by Elmer or his Dad in the Desert.
If you have 5 minutes watch the video included in the News Story: (
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"Elmer Long is the quirky artist behind the now famous Bottle Tree Ranch. He looks a lot like one of the guys from ZZ Top, but he’s really a fascinating man who loves greeting and getting to know the people who visit his roadside masterpiece. As a kid, Elmer used to travel through the desert, with his dad, who would collect any objects they found, and keep extensive notes about their location.
After Elmer’s dad died, he was left with a sizable collection of colorful bottles, but he had no idea what to do with it. One day, it hit him – he decided to build his first bottle tree. He got to welding and after he completed his work, knew that he had to go on. Elmer Long started the Bottle Tree Ranch in 2000, and since then has created over 200 scrap metal bottle trees.
Visiting the Bottle Tree Ranch of California’s Mojave County isn’t just about admiring the beautiful art installations, or hearing the sweet melody created by the wind going through the bottles, it’s also about meeting the artist. Elmer Long is just as fascinating as his bottle ranch, always welcoming guests and willing to strike up a conversation. He always complains about how people now prefer the interstates, even though they are completely soulless, compared to the old routes. He longs for the old days when people also travelled to discover the towns and wonders along the roads." Text Source: (
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