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July 9, 2014: Route 66 – Seligman – Needles – Williams
0November 17, 2014
by Jennifer
in Road Trips
Today’s Map
Below is an interactive map of our trip, tracked using my Trimble Outdoors Navigator iPhone app. You can zoom in, or click the link below for a bigger, fullscreen map.
Feel free to browse and refer to the map for details about where we traveled, the photos were taken, etc.
Last Day Westbound
Today would be our last day westbound, and we would turn around in Needles and return east, taking 66 most of the way (when possible) and in particular, some areas of 66 that we missed on the way out. Due to time constraints, in a few areas where we did take 66 west, we might skip them east….depends on how our timing goes.
I woke up before sunrise, which was odd considering how little sleep I’d had on this trip. But it was fortunate, because I was treated to a very beautiful and peaceful sunrise in Seligman.
KOA Kampground next to the Stagecoach 66 Motel
Love the old motel keychains!
Once my grandson was up, fairly early – we began the ritual of getting him ready and packing up. He was very helpful today, since the motel was on one level. He was able to carry his own belongings out to the car, which made the process easier!
Sadly, we were not in Seligman during anytime that the Snow Cap was open, but here is a photo this morning. We had been here before when Juan Delgadillo was alive; my first visit was on my trip in August 2000 with my daughter and the next time was on my honeymoon in June 2002.
As always, I required coffee. I was very happy with the VERY good coffee (and half and half – yeah!) at Historic Seligman Sundries.
There are several sets of Burma Shave signs around Seligman. Pat is not into them, but I am, and I was driving, so I subjected him to a complete reading of each…and…every…set…of…signs.
Pat asked me to turn around and stop in this area. Off to the right, there appears to be a small dirt track of some sort. It has fairly high banked curves and Pat’s thought was that it might have provided some inspiration for the dirt track in Cars.
In Truxton, we passed by the Frontier Motel, which is currently undergoing restoration of the motel and cafe.
Heading west toward Kingman.
Entering Kingman, we are nearing the end of our westward journey.
Here is the Route 66 Motel.
The Orchard Inn
Hill Top Motel
Arcadia Lodge
Welcome to Kingman!
Here is the turn under I-40 outside of Kingman to take Route 66 (Oatman Road), the older alignment of 66 that goes through the mountains and through the town of Oatman, home to the burros!
Looking back east on 66 from Shaffer Springs Fishbowl
Shaffer Springs Fishbowl
What a climb…we did it!! But looking back down, the little man then got scared and wanted to come back down.
Arriving in Oatman!
Oatman’s most famous inhabitants are currently the burros, which come down from the mountains every day during business hours (like clockwork) to visit the tourists, who will gladly feed them.
We prepared our grandson for the excitement of the burros by watching YouTube videos. We bought some burro food from a shop, but all the videos in the world weren’t going to help him adjust to a frightening sense of overwhelm at being surrounded by these giant creatures (to his little 3 year old self, they were). I also felt a bit panicky at having them surround him, so I quickly grabbed the burro food and tossed it away and pulled our grandson out of the circle of burros he’d been surrounded. They gave us slight chase, but when they realized we had no food, they moved on to other tourists who did, and who helped lure them away.
We bought him a stuffed animal burro, which he enjoys and happily isn’t too emotionally scarred from the experience. He did say afterward, that he doesn’t want to see the real burros again, so I think there is a little scarring. Hopefully, he’ll change his mind when he gets older.
We had some ice cream to cool down before we left town.
West of Oatman, heading toward Topock.
We had read on one of the Route 66 Facebook pages that the road near Topock was closed due to rains earlier in the week. I was unable to check on that or ask anyone if that was still the case, because we had very little Internet signal. Sure enough, in Topock, the road was closed so we went to Needles on Route 1, and then 95 and crossing down into Needles, California.
We saw the 66 Motel, with its recently (2012) restored sign, with fundraising led by Ed Klein of Route 66 World.
After Needles, we proceeded to head east on I-40 toward the Park Moabi Road exit (153), where we would be taking more photos of locations used in the opening credits of Easy Rider between here and Exit 1 on the Arizona side. Click here for my post of the Easy Rider Filming Locations, with photos and description of this area, as well as screen captures from the movie.
After finishing with all of the movie locations around the Arizona – California border, we headed back east to Kingman on the Interstate, which was a later alignment of Route 66, starting in 1953, bypassing the Oatman Road alignment. It’s a longer way around (really, it feels long!) and far less interesting and fun than Oatman Road. But we’d already taken Oatman Road on the way out, so we took this way back until we got to Kingman, where we exited back onto Route 66.
By this time, the little man needed a playground break and we wanted to eat, so we killed two birds with one stone by stopping in Kingman by Locomotive Park, home to this 1927 steam locomotive. Click the link for more info on the steam train. Jameson had fun running around and letting off some steam (pun intended!).
Once we felt we could take a break from the train, we headed next door to Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner to eat, followed by a little more play time at the train.
Moving on, this sign for the Kingman Club is on Beale Street.
We continued east on 66 through Kingman, and took a few photos we didn’t get on the way west.
The El Trovatore Motel
Uptown Drug
ABC Chinese Buffet
We continued to take 66 east from Kingman. East of Seligman, I noticed the sunset in the rear view mirror and thought it was beautiful enough to stop for a photo!
Once 66 leads into I-40 near Ash Fork, we took the Interstate east to Williams, where we took 66. Since it was getting late, we had already decided to stay in Williams for the night.
Slideshow of All Photos (July 9, 2014)
Below is a slideshow of all of the photos from this portion of the trip.
Click any photo to stop the slideshow and view the photos on my Flickr site. If you are on an iOS device and do not see the slideshow below, click here to view the set on Flickr.
Hope you enjoyed the ride!
Pat & Jennifer
July 8, 2014: Route 66 – Holbrook to Seligman, Arizona
0November 15, 2014
by Jennifer
in Road Trips
Today’s Map
Below is an interactive map of our trip, tracked using my Trimble Outdoors Navigator iPhone app. You can zoom in, or click the link below for a bigger, fullscreen map.
Feel free to browse and refer to the map for details about where we traveled, the photos were taken, etc.
Even though we had a perfectly acceptable stay at the Magnuson, it would have been nice to sleep in a Wigwam (we have at the Cave City, KY location). But here’s a morning photo on our way out of town.
Next, we stopped at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post. Glad we went and checked the door, because it looked closed, it seemed dark inside and there were no cars visible. But happily, they were open. Sadly, though, they no longer sold that cloyingly sweet cider we enjoyed on our honeymoon. We picked up a few souvenirs, including a HERE IT IS shirt for our grandson.
And here he is, posing on the Jack Rabbit! A rite of passage for all good Route 66 roadies.
Continuing to motor west, our next stop was Winslow, Arizona.
There is a 9/11 Memorial on the east end of Winslow on 66, which contains pieces from the World Trade Center.
We went over to Standin’ on the Corner Park, which has a mural, statue, and Flatbed Ford, all depicting a scene from The Eagles’ song “Take It Easy.”
There’s a man with a guitar standing on the corner, and the reflection in the window of a girl in a Flatbed Ford. I decided to take it easy and sip a Route 66 root beer. Very peaceful and relaxing.
Closeup of the statue…I still think he looks like Jackson Browne, despite the fact that there is no “official” word on who this is (I asked)!
I browsed in two of the shops there and picked up some t-shirts and postcards, while Pat took our grandson for a walk (a 3 year old and breakables is not a good combination!!).
Continuing west, we stopped for a photo at the old Twin Arrows Trading Post. It was barricaded and not as easily accessible as it used to be. There was also a casino nearby, of course, called the Twin Arrows Casino.
This old bridge is located on Route 66 at the Winona exit (exit 211 from I-40).
Heading toward Flagstaff.
In Flagstaff, is this former Howard Johnson’s Restaurant (the hotel is still that brand), now the Crown Railroad Cafe.
Western Hills Motel sign
Sierra Vista Motel sign
Old scaffold style signs in Flagstaff – Downtowner Motel and Motel DuBeau
We stopped in Flagstaff for a while to walk around and take photos of various Easy Rider filming locations, from the opening credits, which was filmed in part along Route 66 in Flagstaff. Click here for my post on Easy Rider Filming Locations to see more photos from Flagstaff along with screen shots from Easy Rider.
We stopped at the 66 Visitors Center and picked up a couple of Route 66 / Cars shirts for our grandson. One was a 66 t-shirt and the other was a really cute hand made Hawaiian type shirt made from Cars fabric with a map and Cars characters Mater and Lightning McQueen.
There was a bakery called Sugar Mamas that we wanted to visit, but it had already closed.
The Galaxy Diner is on 66 on the west side of town.
West of Flagstaff, Route 66 takes you on a scenic drive through the Kaibab National Forest. This is another location that was well-depicted in the Pixar film Cars, as Sally & Lightning take a drive through the forest (see video below the photo).
We told our grandson this was where Lightning and Sally went for a drive too!
Next, we arrived in Williams, a really nice Route 66 town with alot of great shops and restaurants. Again, we no longer buy alot of knick knacks, since we’re not in “acquisition” mode, but rather on a long, slow path to decluttering and eliminating stuff for a future of “fulltiming” in an RV someday, but that’s another story. We do buy a few things that we can use like t-shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags, etc. So I bought a cool Route 66 ceramic coffee mug at Cruisers and a couple small other things.
I was disappointed to see the Route 66 Inn closed. I stayed here during my first trip on Route 66 in August 2000.
Turquoise Tepee
Addicted to Deals
Rod’s Steak House
We stopped to get some ice cream at Twisters Soda Fountain…the chocolate met with our grandson’s approval! Here he is wearing the Cars shirt we had bought him in Flagstaff.
We managed to walk around Williams without any rainfall, which was looming. Moving west, we took the Crookton Road exit, which leads travelers onto a beautiful stretch of Route 66 away from the Interstate, and through Ash Fork, Seligman, Hackberry, Truxton, and on into Kingman.
Here are two photos at the Crookton Road exit.
Near Seligman, another BNSF train was approaching!
Next, we arrived in Seligman as it was nearing dusk; however, as we had never stayed in Kingman, that was our intended destination for this evening.
Looking west on 66 in Seligman.
The Copper Cart
Fillmore from Cars!
Historic Route 66 Motel on the west side of Seligman
The Supai Motel
We needed to get gas, so we stopped on the west side of Seligman. Once we did, we realized we really didn’t want to continue for this evening. It was getting dark, and we wouldn’t see much between here and Kingman. We decided to stay at the Stagecoach 66 Motel, where we’d stayed on our honeymoon. Double bonus, there was a restaurant / bar on the premises, so we could get some takeout and eat in our room (we would have eaten at the Snow Cap, but it was already closed by the time we arrived in town).
They had vacancy, and Pat even managed a surprise…a Cars-themed room. Jameson was very excited to see all of the decor with Mater, Lightning McQueen, and other Cars characters, just like his room at home. He was literally bouncing all over the place in excitement.
As Pat went over to the bar & restaurant to get a pizza, Jameson and I had a nice walk all around the grounds of the motel (about 5 laps, no less). It was a nice, peaceful time – I’m not sure what’s in the air in Seligman that calmed my grandson down, but it was just about the most quiet time I’d had with him so far during the trip (and in retrospect it would turn out to be the most quiet time of the entire trip…).
The office area of the motel.
Dinner!
Then it was time for some shuteye and the nightly ritual of trying to get our grandson to calm down and go to sleep. Mercifully, he fell asleep fairly easily today!
Until tomorrow…
Slideshow of All Photos (July 8, 2014)
Below is a slideshow of all of the photos from this portion of the trip.
Click any photo to stop the slideshow and view the photos on my Flickr site. If you are on an iOS device and do not see the slideshow below, click here to view the set on Flickr.
Hope you enjoyed the ride!
Pat & Jennifer
June 21, 2002: Our Honeymoon on Route 66 (Day 8)
0June 21, 2002
by Jennifer
in Road Trips
Williams, Arizona to Adrian, Texas
We enjoyed a great stay at the El Rancho Motel in Williams, Arizona on the eastbound side of Route 66, on the east end of town. We highly recommend this motel. It’s independently owned, friendly service, clean, nicely furnished, and has great amenities – our room had a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker…all at a reasonable price! This is a perfect example of a place which makes you want to support Mom & Pop.
We had breakfast at Goldie’s Route 66 diner and walked around Williams for a bit and visited a few gift shops.
We had to take the Evil I, and continued east. As we neared Holbrook, we had limited visibility due to smoke from the wildfire about 30 – 40 miles south, near Show Low.
We made decent time through New Mexico until Albuquerque, where we hit both rush hour and construction traffic. Unfortunately, taking Route 66 in this area would not have been a viable option, since it’s the very busy Central Avenue through town!
We did turn off in Santa Rosa and take the route there, to grab a quick bite to eat. We finally pulled into Adrian at about 8:30, and were very happy to see the Midpoint Cafe was still open! We had two slices of Joann’s chocolate peanut butter pie, and were able to meet yet another fellow e-group member, Fran, the owner of the Midpoint Cafe. We talked outside for a bit, and when we said good bye, we had planned on continuing to Vega. Instead, we decided to stay next door at the Fabulous 40 Motel, owned by an 85 year old woman.
Slideshow of All Photos
For more details about a particular photo, click on it in the slideshow and it will open in my Flickr site.
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