Local: Bottle Tree Ranch

Recently, a few friends and I took a mini road trip along the historic Route 66 to check out an interesting little roadside attraction called the Bottle Tree Ranch. It’s a beautiful and quirky destination consisting of over 200 “trees” made from thousands of colorful recycled bottles among other amazing installation pieces and finds. 

Elmer Long is the incredible man behind the whole thing – he’s usually on location and is super friendly to talk to so if you get the chance, definitely strike up a conversation with him! As a kid, he and his father would travel the dessert, collecting whatever objects they could find. Once his father passed away, he decided to get to welding those collected items and in 2000 opened Bottle Tree Ranch.

If you ever get the chance to visit this wonderfully whimsical place, I highly recommend you do! Admission is free (although be sure to contribute something to the donation box!), and you won’t regret it! It’s a truly amazing experience that shows what someone can accomplish with passion and creativity. For more information on this unique spot, check out it’s Facebook page!