Finally, we made it to Kingman last Wednesday!
Although the weather forecast talked about high winds and cooler temperatures we decided to go for it and we were glad we did because it turned out to be a beautiful day.
Blue skies, not a cloud to be seen, comfortable temperatures and only a little breezy now and than.
The first part of our ride took us via Oatman through the Black mountains and the Sitgreaves Pass on an old part of Route 66 with steep grades, very narrow, roughly surfaced  road, and sharp (hairpin) curves, all 122 of them!
Understandably, this part of the highway does not allow vehicles over 40 feet!


 


While the steep winding hills can be a bit scary, we were rewarded with some fantastic views.

The Sitgreaves Pass at 3550'

One mountain that stands out on the east site of the pass is Thimble Mountain. It is a butte that rises from the flat desert floor.
We pulled of the road at a very tiny parking area and enjoyed the beautiful view of the (Sacramento) valley while having a nice cup of coffee.
Ahhhh, the good life!


 

The rebuilt Cool Springs station on this site of the pass used to be a gas station but is now a gift shop offering Route 66 souvenirs and one of a kind Cool Springs memorabilia. It’s about the only sign of life along the drive.

'Since this part of Route 66 was all but abandoned when bypassed by a new straighter alignment of Route 66 through Yucca, Arizona, that did away with the need to traverse the steep mountain grades of Sitgreaves Pass (Interstate-40 follows this newer alignment of Route 66 across the desert today), it also meant the end for the Station.
The final blow to Cool Springs came a few years later. In the mid-sixties, a fire burned it to the ground.' 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since 'our' part of the valley doesn't have any cacti I was surprised by all the flowering Prickly Pear over here. I totally forgot about it being the flowering season in most other areas!

Off course the one on the right is not a cactus but pretty too (if the pic wasn't so blurry) , it's Apricot Mallow.

 

  

 

After another 20 miles or so we arrived in Kingman, Arizona, often called "The Heart of Historic Route 66."

It lies in the middle of the longest uninterrupted stretch of Route 66 and 'Mother Road'- nostalgia is showcased in its art deco roadside motels and eateries, neon signs, Route 66 Museum and the community's love of classic automobiles.

We didn't feel like going through a museum but were quite hungry so we opted for lunch, and going back in time, in 'Mr. D'z'!

 

 

This Route 66 diner is an old fashioned diner, serving traditional diner fare, and is best known for its homemade root beer and pizza.

The diner is loaded with Route 66 memorabilia and gained a lot of additional fame when it was visited by TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey and friend Gayle King during a road trip. She liked the root beer so much that she donated bottles of it to her studio audience.

 

 

  

 

We had a root beer float (delicious) and opted for the all day breakfast items of biscuits and gravy (excellent) and chicken steak and eggs (yumm).

Driving (steeply) down from Kingman (3,333 feet) to the Colorado river at Laughlin (535')

After a little shopping side trip to Walmart in Bullhead City we made it back just in time for Happy Hour and desert.
( I know, strange combination, but I'd made these great strawberry oatmeal bars and we just had to test them)
The picture looks a little fuzzy but they were sooo good!