Out on the 10 Freeway, there be dinosaurs. The Cabazon Dinosaurs!

During the annual ‘visit grandpa’ trip to Palm Springs in the 1970s and 1980s, my family would stop at these beasts. I was in awe. First, there was only Dinny the Dinosaur; Claude Bell’s Apatosaurus. Then, Mr. Rex was completed in 1981. When the surroundings were hard scrabble desert, these man-made monuments stood out. Our family would always stop as Hadley’s first to load up on dried fruit and assorted sweeties. Afterwards, a brief stop at these thunder lizards. I recall standing at the tree-trunk legs of these statures, popping delicious candies and dried fruit in my mouth, smiling and feeling the joy that dinosaurs brought to a young explorer.

On a recent family excursion to Scottsdale, Arizona, I stopped so my children can relive the excitement. The surroundings have developed. Casinos, resorts, and outlet shopping centers have consumed the desert. But, the dinosaurs still stand.

Claude Bell, a Knott’s Berry Farm sculptor, had started work on Dinny in 1964. His intent was these dinosaurs would be a roadside attraction that would propel people to stop at his Wheel in Café. He completed Dinny 11 years later. Claude passed away in 1988 in Anaheim, California. His two creations were sold in the 1990s. Now, there is an entire dinosaur experience.

Please note, the new owners have a creationist bent. I don’t find it heavy-handed. One diorama inside the gift shop has cavemen and dinosaurs together and a smattering of the books lean toward creationists.

I can look past this because of the dinosaurs.

We wandered around the outdoor dinosaur dioramas making our way to Mr. Rex. We climbed to his mouth and stared out his gaping jaw. My thoughts were of Pee-wee Herman. My kids just got a big kick of being inside a dinosaur.

So, relive your childhood’s fondness of dinosaurs.

Or, have your own Jurassic Park moment.

If you find yourself on the 10 heading east, look for the dinosaurs.

Address:

50800 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230