Getting Our Kicks: Route 66 Arizona

Motoring east we stopped for one night in Kingman Arizona on our way to Williams. Driving into Kingman you can still see the old pull up motels typical of Route 66. You know...the ones where your park your car right by the door of your room, with vending and ice machines near the office. Most of the neon signs were long gone and the buildings looked very tired but it was fun to see some of the old style signs and artwork. We passed the colorful Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner and Locomotive Park on our way to the Desert Diamond Distillery.

D3 is a young up and comer in the distillery world. Established in 2009 they are already winning international awards. The owners claim that the dry heat of the Arizona High Desert is the perfect environment for barrel aging rum. I don’t know if its the dry heat or their gigantic German still but have to admit they have a very good product. We sampled several rums and a gin that they make and enjoyed a tour of their still and barrel rooms.

The distillery has acquired a vintage railroad pullman car and are in the process of restoring it as a weekend dining area for their customers. It’s an impressive project. Desert Diamond Distillery is a Harvest Host’s stop so after visiting for a while we stayed the night boondocking in their parking lot.

The next afternoon we arrived in Williams Arizona, a Route 66 town that embraces its past. Old Route 66 runs right through town. Route signs invite you to “Get your Kicks” while a variety of hotels, eating establishments and attractions attempt to lure in weary road travelers. A colorful zipline soars above town. Our main purpose in visiting Williams was to see the Grand Canyon but we also took the opportunity to travel down to Flagstaff and visit the Lowell Observatory.

The astronomers at the observatory have been searching the stars since 1894. It was goosebump inducing to tour the place where Pluto was discovered and where so many maps of the stars have been made. Our tour guide was an excellent storyteller who made the history lesson enjoyable and brought the characters to life.

Sedona Red Rocks

Another day found us driving part of the old road past beautiful red rock formations that lead into Sedona and out to Montezuma Castle National Monument in the Verde Valley. The cliff dwellings of Montezuma Castle have stood for a thousand years. We have seen many of the cliff homes preserved throughout New Mexico and Arizona.

Montezuma Castle

Montezuma Castle is not just enhanced caves, it is an architectural marvel and is considered one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. The ancient remains attracted early travellers of Route 66 and we are still visiting in 2018.

Not far from Williams is the Flintstones Bedrock City. The 40 year old amusement park is dedicated to the cartoon show of the same name. It is a color fading, paint peeling nostalgia lovers dream. You can walk into and around the homes of Fred and Wilma, and Betty and Barney.

RVing Bedrock Style

We had fun sitting in the foot powered cars and watching cartoons in the Bedrock Theater. All Flintstones all the time.

The highlight of our stay in Williams was a ride on the Grand Canyon Railway described in our previous post.

We continued down America’s Main Street determined to see as much of it as we could.

We drove to Holbrook, Arizona passing the remnants of old trading posts and the giant twin arrows by the roadside. Holbrook served as homebase while we explored nearby attractions.

Fred finally got to Stand on a Corner in Winslow Arizona, which is something he has dreamed of doing since we started this journey 3 years ago. The experience was made even better as Eagles music filled Standing on a Corner Park from a nearby gift shop.

Standing at the edge of the Meteor Crater

We drove back west toward Flagstaff to spend a day at the Meteor Crater. The 700 foot deep crater is about 4000 feet across and almost 2 ½ miles around. It was formed more than 50,000 years ago when a large meteorite slammed into the flat plain with the explosive force of 20 million tons of dynamite. The force lifted rock along the rim and beyond, creating hills where none existed before the impact.

This Meteor Crater is deemed a National Landmark. It is privately owned and operated by the Barringer family through Meteor Crater Enterprises.  It is one of the best preserved craters on planet Earth and is providing much information to scientists. Apollo astronauts trained here before walking on the moon, learning that meteor samples could be collected from the debris field surrounding the crater.

We were able to participate in a walking tour along the rim of the crater and were lucky enough to see and touch 2 large pieces of the meteorite that formed crater, one located at the Meteor Crater Center and one at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.

Holbrook is home to Joe and Aggies Cafe a vintage Route 66 establishment recommended by Roadfood. We left our names in the guestbook and enjoyed enchilada dinners before walking back outside to admire the Wigwam Village up the street.

Painted Desert 

Our last day in Holbrook was spent exploring Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert. I have been fascinated with stories of this place since the 1960’s when my Aunt Marian visited and brought home a piece of the petrified wood and gave it to me. I still treasure that little piece of contraband. As a child I pictured the Petrified Forest as a standing forest of trees made of stone. It seemed a magical and wondrous place. Study showed me how wrong my assumptions were but the Petrified Forest still piqued my curiosity.

We entered the Park at the Painted Desert Visitor Center where scenic overlooks and several trails provide a birds eye view of the colors of a landscape created by wind water and the result of mineral deposits.

Thye park is best seen by a 28 mile driving tour. There are 12 major stops and many lesser known ones. Most have short (less than 4 miles) hiking paths that let you really enjoy the landscape.

The old Route 66 alignment is marked by a rusty 1932 Studebaker.

Newspaper Rock

We enjoyed a stop at the Puerco Pueblo where Newspaper Rock has so many petroglyphs that the information resembles a daily publication.

Blue Mesa

Blue Mesa is a small area of badlands with blue and grey tinted sandstone. It was spectacular to walk the 1 mile loop among those beautiful tent shaped rocks scattered with pieces of petrified logs.

Jasper Forest

The Jasper Forest has beautiful views out over the desert to the mountains beyond. Large pieces of petrified wood are all over the ground. Colors of Jasper in the wood ranged from gold to brick red and were pretty brilliant even in the hot sun.

Crystal Forest

The Crystal Forest was showed us smaller logs with quartz inclusions that sparkled in the sun like bits of glass.

We exited the park at the Rainbow Forest Visitor Center and headed back to Holbrook on rte 180.

Petrified Forest National Park

1 Park Rd

Chambers, Arizona

Standing on the Corner Park

100 E 2nd St

Winslow, Arizona

Meteor Crater National Landmark

Interstate 40 Exit 233

Winslow, Arizona

Joe and Aggies Cafe

120 W Hopi Dr

Holbrook, Arizona

Wigwam Village

811 W Hopi Dr

Holbrook, Arizona

All Aboard the Grand Canyon Railway

We are back in Arizona camping in Williams on old Route 66.
The Grand Canyon is calling us to the South Rim and Williams is the "Gateway to the Grand Canyon".
Railside RV Ranch will be our home for the next few days. Railside is very near the train tracks and station as you might have guessed from the name. The park is not a luxury resort, the long pull through sites are quite close to each other but it does have a lot of conveniences. There is a hot tub, a dog park and Cable TV and decent WiFi are included in the nightly fee. You can get complimentary continental breakfast in the office each morning as well. The RV park acts as a concierge service for the Grand Canyon Railway. We were able to book our tickets through them with senior and military discounts, arrange pet sitting for Rascal and get a complimentary ride to and from the station.

The Grand Canyon Railway runs twice daily to the South Rim. The 65 mile journey takes 2 hours and 15 min each way and provides expansive views of the Colorado Plateau. There are several classes of travel ranging from non air conditioned coach coach to luxury parlor car. We chose the observation deck experience in order to see more of the landscape.

While we were waiting at the station to board there was a wild west show featuring some rather inept robbers and the marshall. It ended with a shoot out and we heeded the call to board.

It was great riding on the second deck and watching the long train snake on ahead of our car which was 4th from the end. Ticket prices included complimentary coffee, juice and pastries. A variety of cocktails were available for purchase. Our personal travel assistant Christina kept everyone supplied with beverages all the making sure we were comfortable and that our questions were answered. She provided each of us with a pocket map and spent time with each cgroup helping us plan our 4 hour visit to the canyon. We were entertained by a wandering guitarist and the engineer occasionally announced points of interest along the route.

The train passed the station and then backed up using a maneuver they called the Santa Fe split to get us into position. Once in the station we headed straight for the rim trail and our first view of southern portion the vast space that is the Grand Canyon. The colors and shadows were magnificent, changing around each turn in the trail as we made our way to the Verkamp's Visitor Center. You know I had to put the stamp on the passport book.

From the Visitor Center we headed back east along the rim trail past the Hopi House and El Tovar Hotel and down to Bright Angel Lodge for what we thought was going to be a quick lunch. The long lines made it a 45 minute wait but it was the fastest option. Note to self: Pack sandwiches and lots of water for a future trip, the lines are crazy and crowded.

Once fueled we continued to the end of the Rim Trail at Kolb Studio and walked to the first stop on the Hermit Road Loop which is called Trailview Overlook. 

The overlook is on a promontory out into the canyon so once you are out on the point you can look back at the Rim Trail down into the canyon at the folks hiking the Bright Angel Trail and a glimpse of the Colorado River at the end of that trail. We were also lucky enough to spot a mountain goat jumping on the rocks across from us.

There are Buses that run all along this route and beyond but we decided to spend our time looking at the canyon rather that queing for the bus. On a return visit we will plan to stay at the lodge and do further exploring but this time we had the dog to consider.

With an hour left we headed back toward the train station. Fred wanted to walk part of the Bright Angel Trail and I was interested in the Hopi House exhibits. We split up at met later as the train backed in to pick us up. Christina had snacks and beverages waiting for us and we were happen to get to our seats. The ride home was eventful. we saw antelope, mule deer, traveling musicians and the train was boarded by bandits who overcame the Marshall. The sun was setting as we pulled into the Williams station.

Our ride was waiting and we got home to find a happy Rascal, who had been walked and fed in our absence.
If you only have a day to see the Grand Canyon the Grand Canyon Railway is a great experience. The town of Williams on old Route 66 is fun to experience. There are a number of restaurants to choose from, Brewed Awakenings Coffee Co, and the Historic Barrel + Brew Bottlehouse to enjoy.
We didn't try it but folks we met on the train raved about Rod's Steak House.

Grand Canyon Railway
235 N Grand Canyon Blvd
Williams, AZ

Death Valley National Park

On the road through the Mohave Desert

The road took us north out of Twentynine Palms and soon we were driving Kelbaker Road through the Mojave National Preserve on our way to Death Valley. The preserve is an enormous 1.6 million acres, about half of which is designated wilderness.

Cinder Cone in the Mojave Preserve.

There are Cinder cones in the lava fields along both sides of the road and we had our first sighting of the large sand dunes that are part of the dramatic landscape of the Mojave.
The Kelso Depot was a good halfway point to stop for lunch and to stretch our legs. Rascal looks forward to these breaks as much as we do. The depot is where the old Salt Lake Line of the Union Pacific Railroad had a stop. The depot building is home to the Mojave Preserve Visitor Center.
There is a lot history in this small stop in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The depot and clubhouse building was built in the 1920's with adobe walls, red roofs and high ceilings in Spanish Mission style. The lavish architecture was intended to attract passengers who liked traveling the Santa Fe Railroad known for its tourist friendly Harvey Houses.
This was a busy place during WWII years. Three shifts worked round the clock freighting iron ore from the Vulcan Mine located just south of Kelso to the steel mill in Fontana California.
General George S. Patton's troops travelled through the station on their way to Desert Training prior to deployment in North Africa. The Mojave was the closest environment to the conditions they would endure in combat.
At wars end the mine closed and diesel engines required few workers to maintain them. The railroad town of nearly 2000 became a ghost town. The depot and old Post Office buildings were preserved through local efforts before becoming part of the National park system.
We found ourselves driving part of old Route 66 as we passed Baker and continued our journey.
There were no vacancies at the  campgrounds in Death Valley National Park so we had made plans to stay a short distance away in Amargosa Valley Nevada.
The RV park was interesting, located right across the street from the Area 51 Alien Center which is a combination diner, Gift Shop and Bordello. The camp host also worked at the diner and encouraged us to try the breakfast menu. The omelets were as good as he promised.
Death Valley National Park has been on our list of must see places since we started this journey 3 years ago. I don't know whether it is from growing up watching 20 Mule Team Borax commercials during episodes of Death Valley Days or a desire to see desert sand dunes but we were happy to have arrived.

We spent 3 days touring the park.
The first day we decided to explore the southern corner of Death Valley National Park. This is a huge site covering 5262 square miles on the border of California ans Nevada, 91% of which is designated wilderness.

The Badlands of Death Valley from Zabriskie Point

We drove in from the Nevada side via rte 190 and made our first stop at Zabriskie Point. This is one of the most popular viewpoints in the park. It overlooks a spectacular area of badlands in golden colors that draw you into the landscape. The overlook is at an elevation of 950 feet. By the time we got to the Furnace Creek Visitor Center we were at 190 feet below sea level.
I was disappointed to learn at the Visitor Center that the wilderness areas were off limits to us, even with the Jeep. Minimum recommendations for visiting remote backcountry areas are 10 ply tires with 2 mounted spares. The sharp volcanic rock surface of Death Valley is deadly to the sidewalls of tires and the service fee for a tow or rescue is $2000.  We sadly decided to leave seeing the magical moving rocks of the Racetrack for another visit.
We consoled ourselves with a picnic lunch and headed for Badwater Basin, the lowest place in North America at 282 feet below sea level.

Badwater Basin is an incredible sight. I walked a mile out to the end of the salt flat trail and it seemed to go on forever beyond me and I didn't feel any closer to the mountains that ring the valley.
We felt tremendous respect for those early explorers that survived this desolate place. I can't imagine trying to navigate over the sharp volcanic rock on foot or horseback. The sharp irregular lava stone is too big to provide stable footing but is not large enough to use as stepping stones. Walking on it in worn leather shoes and moccasins must have been like wading in broken glass. By the way that glass would have been covered in a crust of salt making the inevitable injuries even more painful.

The rough lava rocks of the salt flats.

Fred and Rascal met up with some climbers while I walked the salt flat (dogs aren't allowed on the trails). The young couple were very enthusiastic about their planned climb and were searching for the remains of a plane that had crashed many years ago. We wished them luck and headed back out toward Artist's Drive.

A distant view of the salt flat

The 9 mile scenic loop was named after the pooled colors on an artists palette. The one way road is narrow and winds between rock cliffs that hand out into the road in places. There was a new view of mineral stained rock around every turn. We stopped at a pull-out and climbed a hill to enjoy the colors of the rock on one side of the road and the vast salt flat on the other.

Artist's Palette

There was one more road on our agenda for the the day, 20 Mule Team Canyon. The canyon's dirt road is only 2.7 miles long but is very steep and gives you an idea of why it took 40 mules to pull a wagon load out of the valley to the train station.

Day 2 found us heading to the Nevada portion of the National Park.
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is designated a Wetland of International Importance. It is a desert oasis with 7 natural springs and numerous seeps. This unique environment is home to several threatened and endangered species.

Crystal Spring

We enjoyed a walk through the visitor center and a guided tour on the Crystal Spring boardwalk trail where the volunteer guide pointed out several species of birds and native fish. We were lucky to see some of the brilliant blue Ash Meadows Amargosa pupfish in one of the refuges springs.

The tiny sliver of Devil's Hole visible through the mesh.

The deep cavern of Devils Hole is the only known home of the Devil's Hole pupfish. Devil's Hole, surrounded and protected by the wildlife refuge, is part of Death Valley National Park. We drove a little deeper into the refuge and climbed a rocky trail to access it. The spring is very deep, divers have not found the bottom. A small rock shelf near the surface of the spring is where the entire population of the Devil's Hole Pupfish lives. These little fish were made famous in 1976 when the Supreme Court ruled that groundwater diversion be limited enough to protect their rock shelf. The water was being extensively redirected to a local farm in an attempt to grow corn commercially in the desert environment.
The rock shelf of Devil's Hole only gets direct sunlight for a couple of hours a day. Our timing was right but even with binoculars we weren't able to spot any of the elusive swimmers.
We completed our tour with a short hike on the Point of Rocks Boardwalk. I love how the boardwalks at Ash Meadows let you the fragile ecosystem with minimal impact to the environment. We were able to see another spring and also get close to the rocks where there are caves to explore and desert bighorn sheep to spot in the peaks.

With one more day to enjoy the park, and restricted from wilderness areas we decided to start our tour with a visit to Rhyolite Ghost Town near Beatty Nevada. Quartz with gold inclusions was discovered in the these hills in 1904. It didn't take long for miners to arrive and for camps to be established. By 1906 the town of Rhyolite was thriving. The downtown included a school, a 3 story bank, a stock exchange, a hotel and a number of retail establishments. The Opera House held weekly musical events and shows. Baseball, Tennis and Basketball were played. There were dances and parties and even a symphony all paid for in gold from the 2000 mining claims in the nearby hills.
The bank Panic of 1907 had a big impact on Rhyolite. Mines started to close, the banks failed and newspapers went out of business. People dwindled away. The largest mining operation and only employer left in town, the Montgomery Shoshone Mine closed in 1911 and by 1916 Rhyolite was completely abandoned.

Rhyolite Ghost Town

The foundations and walls of some of those buildings remain. A once grand Hotel at the top of the main street is mostly intact. Beyond the ruins you can still see boarded over mines in the hills.

Boarded over gold mine.

It's an interesting place. We found ourselves trying to imagine it as part of a bustling old west story but all I could think of was No Name City from Paint Your Wagon and how it all fell apart.

Wall of the Bottle House

There are some interesting bottle houses in Rhyolite. Tom Kelly and enterprising man and former miner wanted to build a home in Rhyolite. Wood was scarce but the town was home to 50 saloons and the saloons all had an excess of bottles. In 1906 Mr Kelly collected 50,000 of them and used them as building material. He stacked the bottles, mortaring them together to create enough space for 3 rooms. There are a few broken bottles but the house made of glass is the most well preserved home in Rhyolite.

Sand Dunes

We drove back into the California side of Death Valley to walk the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. These rolling drifting sand dunes are what I always pictured the desert would look like. MIles of soft hot sand with shapes that change from day to day. They were as impressive as we had hoped and look amazing with the Panamint Mountain range behind them.

Fred and the borax wagon

 Our last stop of the day was Harmony Borax Works. The plant was in operation for about 5 years in the late 1800's, processing up to 3 tons of borax a day. There is a display at the borax works of one of the double wagons that would have been pulled to the train station in Mohave by mules. You can still see clumps of Cottonball Borate ore in the flats near the plant.

Wild burro on the road home.

Fred and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Death Valley. It has been high on our list of unusual places to see and it lived up to our expectations.
When you visit be aware that Scotty's Castle is closed due to flash flood damage and is not anticipated to be open this year. The road to Dante's View is under construction and will not be open until the end of May this year.

Death Valley National Park
328 Greenland Blvd
Death Valley, CA

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
610 E Spring Meadows Rd
Amargosa Valley, NV

Rhyolite Ghost Town
Beatty, NV