Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch is a ranch near Oro Grande, California. It is a popular stop for people passing by on Route 66. The 2 acres (0.81 ha) ranch was created in 2000 by Elmer Long and has more than 200 bottle trees.[5] It is open from sunrise to sunset and is free to enter.[6]
| Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch | |
|---|---|
 The ranch in 2016 | |
  Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area  Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch (California)  Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch (the United States) | |
| General information | |
| Location | 24266 National Trails Hwy, Oro Grande, CA 92368 |
| Coordinates | 34°41′27″N 117°20′22″W / 34.6907°N 117.3395°W |
| Named for | Elmer Evan Long Jr.[2][3] |
| Owner | Elliot Long[1] |
| Grounds | 2 acres (0.81 ha)[3][4] |
| Website | |
| thebottletreeranch | |
History
editAs 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 in Manhattan Beach and was interested in the desert.[3][7] After his dad's death, he came into possession of many 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.[5][8][9][10][11]
Long died of lung cancer on June 22, 2019, causing the ranch to close for a few months, reopening in early September.[6][12] He was buried at Victor Valley Mortuary in Victorville.[13] Elmer's son, Elliot, took over the ranch after his death.[1][14]
Description
editThe ranch is mainly a forest of bottle trees — pipes made out of metal from which glass bottles (mainly of the soda and beer variety) are hung. Other installations include a boat filled with bottles and a tree made out of a used missile.[6] Most trees have unique decorations on top of them, like a handmade rake, an electric guitar, a surfboard, a wagon, and a gumball machine.[14] Other miscellaneous items, such as farm equipment, a typewriter, and a Jeep can also be found on the property. Geese occasionally appear as well.[15][16]
References
edit- ^ a b "The Weird and Wonderful Glass Forest of Bottle Tree Ranch". Atomic Redhead. February 23, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Official website". Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ Rhodes, Michael (August 26, 2023). "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch". Medium. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Patowary, Kaushik (August 27, 2010). "The Bottle Tree Ranch of Elmer Long". Amusing Planet. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66". California Through My Lens. August 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch Rt 66 Offers Peace and Joyous Light - DesertUSA". DesertUSA. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Bottle Tree Ranch - A Roadside Attraction on Route 66". Oddity Central. August 20, 2010. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ Long, Elmer (July 7, 2013). "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch History" (Interview). Interviewed by Josh from California Through My Lens. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023.
- ^ Bartell, John (October 6, 2022). "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch: Artistic Route 66 recycling". ABC10. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "High Desert Hideaway: Elmer Long's Bottle Tree Ranch". KCET. July 14, 2014. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ Warnick, Ron (September 1, 2019). "Bottle Tree Ranch reopens full-time after the death of its creator". Route 66 News. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Elmer Long, creator of the Bottle Tree Ranch on Route 66, dies at 72". Victor Valley News Group. July 6, 2019. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ a b Maher, Jennifer (October 18, 2019). "Route 66 Bottle Tree Ranch founder passes, but Elmer Long's famous attraction lives on". The San Bernardino Sun. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
- ^ "Bottle Tree Ranch (Route 66) — Flying Dawn Marie". Flying Dawn Marie. April 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "Elmer's Bottle Tree Ranch". Jaz Wanderlust. October 21, 2018. Archived from the original on July 7, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2023.