Wednesday March 5,2014 Quality Inn Room 243 Kingman, Arizona 7PM MST
Headed out to Flagstaff and the San Francisco Peaks on Interstate 40. Westward, Ho! Once we passed Williams we were in territory new to us. The traffic diminished significantly at Flagstaff where most of it headed north or south. Kind of surprising considering how close we are to L A and the number of California cars.
It is amazing how the geography changes the farther west one goes in Arizona. We stayed on I 40 until Seligman where we followed Rte 66 into Kingman. It was all down hill from the Arizona divide where we were over 7000 feet in elevation. The only real indication of that was that the San Francisco Peaks seemed relatively low though they top 10,000 feet! We were on the Mogollon Rim which extends from New Mexico well into Arizona. The descent was gradual with drops into wide valleys and then passes through hills and mesas with more drops into ever widening valleys.
The old 66 towns are interesting with the old motels and shops. Interspersed between them were such tourist sites as the Grand Canyon Caverns with an elevator that takes you 21 feet beneath the ground ( we’ve been to Mammoth Caves and Carlsbad so passed them by ) and a Wildlife Park , which we also by-passed since we’ve been to plenty of zoos. In the old days, of slower cars and less maintained roads, sometimes still dirt, they were probably quite inviting and may be still in summer.
Along the way the odometer for this trip passed the 5000 mile marker! And we aren’t to the West Coast yet! Also along the way we entered the Hualapai Indian Reservation. These are the folks with the Sky Walk over the Grand Canyon and also it is on this reservation that the only road into the Canyon exists. Dirt, of course and requires an Indian guide to use it. Interestingly, the Hualapai call the roads on the reservation Indian routes. The Navajo don’t do that, that we can recall.
Loved the Burma Shave signs along the road near Seligman—think they are recent additions or are very well maintained originals. At the Peach Springs end they are less bright red and totally incomplete. We couldn’t help but notice how green things are getting here, except the palms, though upon closer examination it can be seen that new Spring fronds are starting.
While Bill went into the bank for nickels I admired a bright green Chevy across the street but when I looked at the picture at the room I noticed it is two doors—no way, the next one will have four doors.
Continuing down Andy Devine Avenue we secured our room and then went to the Dam Bar for some Prime Rib and veggies for dinner. Delicious. Back at the room, Bill sat on the patio and perused the map while I sat at the open window, chatting with him and uploading and editing, to some extent, the pictures and writing the blog.
Now, he is watching basketball but I think we will watch an episode or two of House of Cards and then to bed. Tomorrow, Nevada heading to Death Valley, I think. We need to ascertain where one stays if one isn’t camping in the Valley. It will work out, I’m sure. Until the next report which I hope will include beautiful flowers in bloom in the desert, we bid you a good good night. KandB
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