Insight Guides: Arizona & The Grand Canyon by APA

Author:APA
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Travel, USA, Arizona, Grand Canyon
Publisher: APA
Published: 2014-02-18T05:00:00+00:00

Look for colorful murals painted by artist Roy Purcell on boulders outside Chloride. Follow Tennessee Avenue into the hills about a mile from town.

An iconic star for an iconic road.

Michelle Fay Nowitz

Honeymoon suite

The sprawling city of Kingman 4 [map] extends from the intersection of Interstate 40 and US Highway 93, 48 miles (77km) east of the California border in the brown plain of the Hualapai Valley. Established as a turquoise-mining center and railroad stop, the town now mainly serves highway travelers and retirees. Learn about the region’s history at the worthwhile Mohave Museum of History and Arts (400 W. Beale St; tel: 928-753-3195; Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat–Sun 1–5pm; charge). See a detailed replica of a Mohave village, an impressive collection of carved turquoise, and an entire room dedicated to the memory of Kingman’s most famous native son: “good guy” actor Andy Devine, who died in 1977. Nearby is the Powerhouse Visitor Center (120 W. Beale St; tel: 928-753-6106; daily 8am–5pm). The center has information about historic sites in the area and a Route 66 museum. Fourteen miles (23km) southeast is Hualapai Mountain Park (daily 5am–3pm; tel: 928-681-5700; charge), a pine-forested enclave that rises to 8,500ft (2,600 meters) above sea level, with scenic hiking trails, a campground, and picnic areas.

Route 66: The Mother Road

For generations, US Route 66 drew hundreds of thousands of travelers to the Southwest, providing a concrete trail between Los Angeles and Chicago for those in search of a better life. Most of Route 66 was destroyed to create Interstate 40, and many communities along the highway nearly died. But nostalgia and shrewd promotion revived interest in “the Mother Road,” now commemorated in places like Kingman and Flagstaff, where Route 66 is still the main thoroughfare.

The longest remaining stretch of the highway is open between Topock (east of the Colorado River) and Ash Fork. Besides spectacular desert scenery, Route 66 provides access to the Hualapai Indian Reservation on the edge of the Grand Canyon. Near Peach Springs is Grand Canyon Caverns, where you can take an elevator 21 stories into the earth for a 45-minute tour (tel: 928-422-3223). You can also spend the night underground here, in the newly opened Cavern Suite, the deepest motel room in the world. A fun stop in Seligman is the Snow Cap Drive-In, a popular hamburger joint for some 40 years.

The Route 66 museum celebrating this stretch of highway is located at the Kingman Visitor Center (tel: 928-753-9889). Nearby is Mr. D’s Route 66 Diner (106 Andy Devine), a 1950s-era eatery filled with memorabilia from the road’s glory days.

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