California dreaming!!

I survived crossing into California it was only 110°.

We stopped in newberry springs to visit the Bagdad Cafe the location where the movie was filmed.

Next we stopped to visit a bottle tree farm. The creator and owner was very welcoming. He explained how his father had a bottle collection that he inherited and began adding to and adding other nicknacks to the forest. 

Lastly, we settled into our Wigwam, number 15! Stego, Kat, Jenny, and Dominic came over for dinner. It was great getting together and catching up, I hope we get many more chances to hang out!

Next post - the end of a journey.

Day 11 our approach to California..

So close California and that lovely Pacific ocean.

But first the end of Arizona. First stop Oatman a once bustling gold mining town. Now the town is populated by around 100 people and about that many burros. A very authentic old west town on the Arizona/California. Donkey finally found friends.

So close to California we took a detour to Lake Havasu, AZ to visit the London bridge.  Once upon a time in London, England their bridge was falling or rather sinking because of the weight of automobiles. In 1968 the bridge was sold for $2.4 million by the Lake Havasu founder McCulloch. The bridge was dismantled in London, marked one brick at a time and shipped to California and trucked to Arizona where it was built ( finished in 1971). The final cost was abt $5.1 million. The gate once stood in Witley Court in Worcester, England. With all that said the bridge was a good stop. All Bastian's idea but the visitor center guy gave me a special Arizona centinnial coin! 

Now we are finally in California - Needles to be exact, the hottest city in the USA currently 113° at 1pm. Thank you car A/C!!

Post Grand Canyon..

We drove for about another 5 hours and ended in Kingman, AZ. In the process we passed through the town of Seligman which had this awesome Drive-in greasy spoon. The owners are known for being quite the joksters and the property is full of random crap. Great food and even better photo-ops.

We found that in small town Arizona everything closes at 5pm. The Grand canyon caverns looked exciting but were closed we were they at 6pm. The exotic wild animal refuge closed at 5pm. Souvenior shop closed 5pn. Our pocket books were saved once more!!

Day 11 about to start.

Day 10 the Grand Canyon

We drove the 90 minutes to the Grand Canyon with one stop at bedrock city. We had a yabba dabba good time visiting with Fred and Wilma.

The Canyon itself was a bit crowded but er found an excellent parking spot and got everything together for a hike. The temp was about 90° and we hiked for about 3 hours and traversed 3 miles. It took us 50 minutes to get to the first rest area 1 1/2 miles down and 2 hour 10 min to get back out. I sadly was the limiting reactant. Between being too hot and my calves hurting I just had to rest a lot on the way out. But it was worth it!! We saw lots of squirrels and an elk.

We are currently heading to Williams unsure if we will stop for the night or push on to Kingman. In any case tomorrow night we booked rooms in the Wigwam village in Rialto, CA anyone local want to hang out? Saturday will be our last Route 66 day ending in Santa Monica.

Day 9

Started off slow.  Took a detour to visit Acoma or sky city the oldest continuously inhabited pueblo city. No celphone photos permitted.

Then onward toward Arizona. We passed the longest contiguous lava flow in the US.
Drove by the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook we heard from multiple shop owners and Route 66 drivers not to stay there so photos only. Then on to a trading post where they claim to have the largest petrified wood log. Joesph city has the classic famous "Here it is sign" with bunny moniker. Then onward to that famous Eagles corner in Winslow Arizona where I was "takin' it easy". Attempted to see the meteor at meteor city but at $16/person none of us were too thrilled.

Went stopped for the night in Flagstaff. Grand canyon tomorrow!!

Shoe tree

About two blocks from our hotel was an awesome home with a huge shoe tree out front. We actually read about it on roadside america but when we got there the owners were outside. They were very personable and told us all about their yard. They had maker's mark bottles and blue sake bottles lining their flower beds. Bowling balls encircled their cacti which were growing out of old engines. And the high heeled shoe tree a sight to remember. Most of my cell pictures didn't turn out.

The road to Santa Fe

Is hot! Though sitting in the shade is nice.

Visited the capitol building saw a buffalo head made out if old paintbrushes, wires, spoons etc.

Saw the oldest church shopped and ate a huge calzone.

On our way out we said hi to a dinosaur.

Tinkertown

Driving the turquoise trail NM 14 we took a side trip to tinkertown. Tinkertown is filled with worlds made out of miniatures from hell to the circus. All created by Ross Ward. The details were spectacular. I met his wife who told me he was always working on something or travelling the world until he contracted alzheimers and passed away. This guys creativity level surpasses that of anyone i've met. His wife said they use to tour the country carnivals with their miniature display cart until they settled and opened the museum officially in the 80's. The walls are made of glass bottles.

Photos inside the museum itself were taken with my actual camera.

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Petroglyphs

Revisiting the petroglyph in Albuquerque rattlesnake I was here with my cousins about 3 or 4 years ago and it is as awesome as it was then, though the company is very different. We opted to make the trek early before the day gets too hot. It is about 80° at 9am.

Petroglyphs are images created in the rock centuries ago.

Thank you Susan and Claire for the awesome trip here years ago so I knew about it to take ny friends ob our route 66 journey!

Still random internet.

While our hotel has internet I will attempt an upload. I spent awhile trying to get photos posted most of yesterday.

Highlights included: Tucumcari route 66 monument, abandoned buildings, santa rosa blue hole spring, Albuquerque del taco, rattlesnake museum and the nuclear museum.

I will hopefully have time to post more details later.