Touring Kingman/Golden Valley/Oatman, AZ

We awakened to a much calmer, but nippier day—our thermostat registered 24F degrees outside when we left Overgaard, AZ at 8:30 a.m.!  As we traveled along I-40 we noticed Flagstaff still had plenty of snow on its mountaintops.

Humphrey's Peak in Flagstaff was still snow-covered.

We then took Historic Route 66.  Though we have ridden this nostalgic byway in Williams, Ash Fork, and Seligman, AZ in 2017 via motorcycles, this was the first time Big Boomer and Suite Retreat have traversed the Mother Road in this area.  I spotted 1 of the surviving Wigwam Villages that dotted Route 66 back in the 1940s and several of the famous Burma Shave signs.

 

One of the nostalgic attractions along Route 66

After encountering problems with an unresponsive Harvest Hosts (HH) site in Valentine, AZ (I’ll talk about HH issues in another post), we received approval to our requested 1 night stay at Keepers of the Wild Nature Park.  Upon arrival, however, we learned that the Park had no record of our reservation nor that of Judy/Wayne, the RVers who arrived shortly after we did, though we all received confirmations.  Thankfully, it was just the 2 RVs staying overnight because the gravel/dirt parking lot was very unlevel with huge holes.   Furthermore, cars were parked haphazardly, making it difficult to maneuver our RVs.  We had to wait for the place to close to get ourselves positioned properly, but the time went quickly since we were enjoying chatting with Judy/Wayne.  The unbearable noise from the trains that ran on the tracks right across the road from the parking lot was reminiscent of the “First Stop” I Love Lucy episode.  (Do you remember it?  It was where their road trip motel beds moved across the room from the vibration of the trains that travel right outside their door.)

 

Proximity of train tracks to parking lot.

The parking situation improved once we relocated after all the staff/guests left for the evening.

Keepers of the wild is a non-profit 501(c)3 home for approximately 150 animals, many exotic, that were rescued from abuse or monetary exploitation.  In fact, several of the Tiger King cats are now at the Park.  Take note:  the Park is closed on Tuesdays.  Tickets are a bit pricey at $20/adult for general admission and $30 for the 1.25 hour guided safari tour, though they do offer discounts for 65+, military, and first responders.    The 3:30 p.m. tour, for which we opted, gives the added opportunity to watch the lions and tigers get fed.  The tour was interesting and informative.    Depending on their age/weight, the “cats” require 6-13 pounds of meat daily at a cost of $700/day!  After learning that, I fully understood the steep ticket prices.

 

Rambling RV Rat with some of the Nature Park mascots.

One of the "cats" awaiting dinner.

We said goodbye to Judy/Wayne and left Keepers of the Wild super early the next morning to avoid getting tube-blocked when staff/guests arrived and parked their vehicles. We stopped for brunch at Black Bear Diner and arrived in Golden Valley, AZ.  Our intended Boondockers Welcome (BW) site never responded to our on-line reservation system request.  So, we were fortunate to find an alternative called “Flat Desert with Mountain Views”, a wonderful Hip Camp site that allowed multi-day stays.  Owners Linda and Lawrence were gracious and friendly.  Their site is a flat, cleared desert tract that can accommodate big set-ups.  We enjoyed chatting with them and learning about this unincorporated area.  We visited with their nanny goats and chickens and purchased delicious farm fresh eggs.   And we all fell in love with Max, their adorable 8-month-old American Bullie.

 

Large, level area for parking multiple rigs...

 ...surrounded by blooming desert flora.

The adorable Max

I visited with the nanny goats, including a newly-acquired kid who had quite a bit to say to me.

We unhitched and set up Suite Retreat, unloaded Maximus the trike, and headed to downtown Kingman, known as “The Heart of Historic Route 66.”  We were the typical tourists, visiting Locomotive Park, drooling over muscle cars, posing for all the requisite photos, and reading the placards on historic buildings along Andy Devine Boulevard (named for the character actor known for his performances in Western films).  Of course, we had to visit Mr. D’s 50s Diner.  Dad stuck to his plant-based diet by eating a veggie burger.  But Mom and I, though weened off dairy, simply could not resist having an old-fashioned hot fudge sundae sans the whipped cream.  (Mom reasoned that she would reduce caloric intake by foregoing the dairy topping. These tactics don't usually work--she gains weight just by walking passed fattening foods, let alone eating them).  Anyway, it has been eons since we have eaten ice cream, and it was simply DE-VINE (like my little play on words there?)

 

Locomotive Park

Mr. D's 50s Diner

Mr. D has the perfect vehicle for a stuffed rat my size.

The interior of Mr. D's.

The next day we traveled on Maximus from Golden Valley to Oatman along Historic Route 66, AKA Oatman Highway.  What a gorgeous ride!  It starts out straight and flat.

The ocotillo were blooming.

However, once you arrive at Cool Springs, the next 8 miles contain 191 curves, turns, and switchbacks, hence its moniker “Arizona Sidewinder.”  

                               

Cool Springs

We have ridden Iron Mountain Road (16A) in the Black Hills of SD, the Tail of the Dragon in Deals Gap, NC, and the Auto Road up Mt. Washington, NH, all of which we found more challenging than the AZ Sidewinder (but in fairness, those other rides were on 2 wheels, not 3.)  The route provides outstanding views of the valley, rock formations, and the winding roads traversed to reach Sitgreaves Pass, elevation 3,550 feet.  Check it out for yourself in this video:
                                                                                                         

Oatman was a kick, with the old mining town buildings transformed into souvenir shops, clothing boutiques, and pub and grub establishments.  We watched the Oatman Marauders perform their cheesy bank heist/gunfight for an 8^th year.  They might act like outlaws, but these are some kind-hearted thespians—all the donations they collect for their performances are passed along to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, so I was happy to dig into my cheese money to support such a worthy cause.  Oatman’s main attraction, however, is the local burros, who walk down the middle of the road as if they own it.

Mamma and her baby burro.  Since the youngster is still relying on Mom to get nourishment, the baby burro wears a sign that reads, "Please don't feed me."

What a fun time we had.  After making requisite souvenir purchases, we loaded back on Maximus and headed along 66 to Golden Shores.  Along the route, we passed some truly secluded off-grid camping areas.  How very cool to boondock along this historic road with wild burros as neighbors!

This burro was EXTREMELY happy to see me.  I told Dad to high-tail it outta there before Mr. Happy tried to hump me!

We stopped for fuel in Golden Shores, then turned onto County Road 1 that led us to US-95 in Bullhead City, which reminded me very much of Lake Havasu.

 

We got back to Golden Valley with hungry bellies, so it warranted a visit to Great American Pizza.  The establishment is family-owned and operated and very community minded, supporting ball teams, Scouts, etc.   It subscribes to a patriotic motif/theme and emblazes its motto, “we trust in the crust” above its front door.   Pleasant, efficient, and accommodating, the staff was comprised of lots of young adults and high school students.  How impressive is that?  Our delicious vegetarian pizza came loaded with a variety of plant-based toppings, including spinach and artichokes at no extra charge, and included our own vegan cheese.  Great American Pizza earns a coveted Rambling RV Rat 5-cheese rating!

Probably the best vegan pizza we have ever devoured.  Look at the piles of veggies and bubbles on the crust!  Yum!

     

Dad is always happy when he gets his belly full.

The next morning we rode Maximus up Hualapai Mountain Road.  There are some gorgeous homes here, surrounded by the tranquility and beauty of the Hualapai Mountains.  We saw where Hualapai Mountain Road intersects with the AZ Peace Trail, the very same trail that we ride in Quartzsite, AZ.  It would be so cool to someday travel the full 625 miles along this back country loop trail!  We planned to do some hiking at Mohave County Park, but the winds kicked up ferociously.  It is no fun being on a trike with 50+ mph gusts hitting you in the face, so we hightailed it back to our campsite and hunkered down the rest of the day. 

 

We celebrated Easter by attending services at Abundant Grace Fellowship and enjoying Mom’s plant-based Shepherd’s Pie dinner.  I had another reason to rejoice—it was the 39^th anniversary of my rescue from the toy store.  Instead of cake, Mom baked me a bread that she said was a rendering of me.  How insulting!  Every year her depiction of my physical attributes gets more hideous.  Fortunately, Mom’s images of me taste much better than they look!  And my parents bought me a cool celebratory gift!  Look who the putty cat has in its basket:  one of my rodentia relatives.

 

Yours truly coloring Easter eggs.

Mom's plant-based Easter dinner spread.  Notice the bread she baked for the 39th anniversary of my rescue from the toy store.  Don't know if this takes the "worst rendering" award...

...or does the honor go to my cake from 2021?

At least I got a cool gift!

After dinner, we walked around the neighborhood, clocking 3 miles.  There are lots of affordable parcels of land for sale here.  But even with 40-acre tracts, homeowner associations are prevalent and can restrict/dictate what can be done with your property.  No thank you.

 

Well, it’s time to delve into Mom’s plant-based desserts--cheese cake and chocolate pumpkin loaf.  I’ll talk to you again soon!