Barstow, California: Fast Food Fake Train Station

The Barstow McDonald's disguised as a train station has unconventional golden arches on a fake water/cellular tower.

Mostly kitschy, cheap souvenir items and some fast food. Nothing fabulous inside. They do have a cool Zoltar machine, but it's $1.

It's an interesting place to see from the outside, but it's kind of a dump inside. It's also where all of the buses headed to Vegas seem to stop so it's far busier than it's equipped for. Enjoy it from afar!

The Barstow Station McDonald's. Up the road from the McDonald's on Main Street is the Route 66 Motel, which has cool old memorabilia. Around town there are all kinds of murals on the buildings.

Barstow is a busy hub for railroad traffic, at all hours -- as you might discover if you stay in any of its fine hotels. Barstow Station is a concoction of fast food and traveler stores in a building with multiple passenger train cars docking on three sides. It started in 1975 as a McDonald's franchise (at that time, the "world's largest"), and McD's continues to have the lion's share of brand presence. Diners can sit in the refurbished train cars to eat. The caboose is a bathroom.

Kids might enjoy the atmosphere. Tip: Park behind Barstow Station and you may see long, real freight trains trundle by.