Blackwells Corner, at the junction of California routes 46 and 33 along the west margin of the San Joaquin Valley, famous for being the last gas stop for James Dean before he died in a car wreck a few miles west of there in 1955. Site also of a little gas adventure I was part of ten years later. My brother and I had flown up to San Francisco to visit my sister and her husband for a few days before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, we were all heading back south to LA in the bro-in-laws VW Bug, and somehow managed to head west on Route 46 from Paso Robles with naught but air in the gas tank. We noticed a while later that the gas gauge was bumping on the pin as we rolled through the midnight past closed gas stations, our faces getting longer the further we traveled. Finally we came to Blackwells Corner, which had an open gas station! We rolled to a stop beside the pump and the bro-in-law reached for the key, but the engine caughed and died before he could turn off the switch. Talk about traveling on a wing and a prayer! Well, anyway, here is a photo of Blackwells Corner today, where they celebrate good old Jimmy Dean, though our own adventure seems to be quite nearly forgotten.
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 20:11:01 +0000
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