Main Street with
burros: Oatman, Arizona |
Memorial Day 2004 was
an excuse to see how my
motorcycle performs on the highway. Starting point for
my Route 66 journey was the rustic town of Oatman, Arizona.
Started as a mining town, it was originally named Vivian
after a nearby mine. Olive Oatman had been taken captive
by Indians near Gila Bend, Arizona, in 1851. She was
rescued in 1856 near Vivian. The town was eventually
renamed after her son John. Today, the town draws tourists
like flies to a pie! The buildings are mostly original,
and the town has a "shacky" look. But it's
rich in charm, burros, and tourists on the trail of
Route 66. Bikers love it, possibly because of the twisty
road over Sitgreaves Pass used to get there. There's
no shortage of RVs either, although the streets are
narrow and hard for larger vehicles to negotiate. I
drank a cold Sprite and rode off into the valley below.
Hackberry
General Store |
After a short stop in Laughlin, Nevada,
where I won 8 casino dollars and looked with lust at
the cold, blue waters of the Colorado, I headed back
to Kingman and Route 66. I followed the old highway
- with ruins of roadhouses, cafes and gas stations,
a turn-of-the-century school house at Hackberry, then
Truxton, Peach Springs, Seligman and Ash Fork - these
names are an echo from countless Santa Fe railroad conductors
whose trains still roar down the tracks along the highway.
Steam gave way to diesel, but the countryside hasn't
changed - open range, multi-colored mountains, blue
Arizona skies. There aren't many people there and traffic
is light. The roadway is excellent. I saw cattle! Bliss.
I stopped in Peach Springs for a
permit to drive across the Hualapai Reservation to Diamond
Creek and the Colorado River. I learned that motorcycles
aren't allowed on that road. They said the road is rough
and not suitable for motorcycles, but I know folks who
drove a Ford Escort all the way to the river. But there
was no point in arguing, and I went on to Seligman.
Seligman's famous Sno-Cap Drive-In |
Seligman glories in its Route 66 heritage.
I had ice cream at the Sno-Cap Drive-In and tried to
locate the Texaco gasoline station that "starred"
in a black & white Life Magazine photograph taken
on a summer day in the '50s by Andreas Feininger. I
had no luck, but I'll get a copy of that photo and try
again. Folks are friendly in Seligman, and Route 66
souvenir items abound. If you need a Route 66 coffee
mug, this is the place to get it.
My day ended in Williams, Arizona.
"Heritage Days" was wrapping up, with street
"gunfights," horse-drawn carriages, and a
carnival. I ate at Rod's Steakhouse, still family-run
in an old west cattleman's setting. The food and service
were excellent, and I watched the steam train from the
Grand Canyon roll back into town with a load of tired
tourists before sacking out.
Bob Schaller |
Next day, I rode home by way of
Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, and Interstate 17. Total mileage
was about 700 (round trip from Phoenix). How did the
motorcycle perform? I ride a screaming yellow streak
-- it weighs a few less than 500 pounds. It's great
on curvy mountain roads. You can ride it all day at
70 mph+, and it's smooth as velvet. But there is a reason
riders buy big, heavy touring motorcycles for road trips
- a lightweight motorcycle, even if smooth and powerful,
will beat you to death on a road trip! I'd like to say
it was worth it to be in the wind and seeing the countryside,
but I may not walk for two weeks. As the memory of the
pain subsides, I'm sure I'll remember only the joys
of a ride on old Route 66!
Bob
Schaller
June 13, 2004
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