We've always wanted to check out old route 66 so we're planning a trip starting June 4th. We'll be heading to Tucumcari on the 4th., going down to Roswell, then picking 66 back up at Albuquerque and going across to Sedona where we plan to spend 3 nights, then back through the San Juans where we want to spend a night or two boon docking near Telluride before going home. We're leaving a lot of flexibility for the trip to stop and check things out as we go. We usually dry camp or boon dock, but I'd like to find at least 1 rv park with a pool for the kids along the way, something campy with a theme would be great. Any ideas on the rv park, or things not to miss along the way would be greatly appreciated.
Route 66 across Northern Arizona is spotty at best. There are a few small sections that are drivable, but much of it has been abandoned or replaced by I-40. Here is a good site for more information about "The Mother Road": The Mother Road: Historic Route 66
Sedona is going to be warm in June, plan on temperatures in the 90's, but it's a dry heat.
Route 66 across Northern Arizona is spotty at best. There are a few small sections that are drivable, but much of it has been abandoned or replaced by I-40. Here is a good site for more information about "The Mother Road": The Mother Road: Historic Route 66
Sedona is going to be warm in June, plan on temperatures in the 90's, but it's a dry heat.
Make sure you stop in Oatman Arizona on the 66 it is awesome....
Come East to Oklahoma. I can see Rt.66 from my window. There are many Rt.66 museums, one right here in Chandler, Oklahoma, and one out West in Clinton, Oklahoma. You can even see the old round barn and an old abandoned service station made of sandstone sitting off the side of the road. 66 is still alive and well in Oklahoma.
__________________ Judy and Bob
At Home in Oklahoma
You know, I'm thinking that just about the only rv park along your route that would have a swimming pool is American RV Park out on the west mesa near Albuquerque. (But "campy with a theme" might be too much to ask for American, too.) Before and especially beyond there, you're in for some pretty long stretches with pretty narrow choices.
But if you can do without the pool, there are some really neat places, especially as you leave the interstate!
I'm afraid that time restrictions with work limit us from taking in any more of the road. We haven't been to Sedona for about 10 years and thought that would be a great stopping place. I guess it wouldn't be a big deal if I couldn't find the right rv park, we planned on boon docking a lot anyway so I bought the government lands map books for New Mexico and Arizona. Any suggestions for boon docking sites would also be great. I'm not too concerned about the temperatures. Although I've never camped near Sedona the temperature range for June shows a high of 90 and low of 57 which is almost identical to Moab for that time, and I've stayed there in early June several times with no hookups. Hiking gets a little warm but the temps at night are fine for sleeping. I've bought the book by Tom Snyder and checked out several websites. We planned on staying on the old road as much as possible through New Mexico. The map books show what you confirm AzFly with very little of the old road to choose from in Az.
Charlie, just to tempt you, there are good sections of 66 from the middle of Arizona to Cal. You can pick it up near Seligman and take it west eventually getting to Oatman, a really strange place. Bob's picture in the upper right hand corner above is in Seligman showing the Snow Cap. It's owned by Juan Delgadillo who I understand is really nuts. Across the street to the west is the barber shop and gift shop run by Angel Delgadillo, Juan's brother. Angel is a genuinely nice guy who helped preserve the Rt. 66 atmosphere in that area and some people call the mayor of Route 66. We enjoyed meeting him several years ago. Some of the road east of Oatman seems to be very much the original route. There's a Rt. 66 museum in Kingman. Once in Cal., the Rt. 66 goes through the Mojave area, south of the Mojave National Preserve, including the Bagdad Cafe. No WMD's there. We camped at the Preserve in Nov., '07, at a nice campground with great views. Might be warmer there in June.
Of course, if you're going to Sedona, you won't see any of this. So, change your plans. Everybody goes to Sedona.
...
PS.......... Sedona ain't what it used to be..
Sedona is the most unfriendly town to trailers I have ever been in. Can't park, can't turn around. Really, really sucks.
But there is a very nice RV park just before you cross the creek bridge into town from the south. Park there and leave the Airstream. Or you can boondoock west of town.
Charlie, just to tempt you, there are good sections of 66 from the middle of Arizona to Cal. You can pick it up near Seligman and take it west eventually getting to Oatman, a really strange place. Bob's picture in the upper right hand corner above is in Seligman showing the Snow Cap. It's owned by Juan Delgadillo who I understand is really nuts. Across the street to the west is the barber shop and gift shop run by Angel Delgadillo, Juan's brother. Angel is a genuinely nice guy who helped preserve the Rt. 66 atmosphere in that area and some people call the mayor of Route 66. We enjoyed meeting him several years ago. Some of the road east of Oatman seems to be very much the original route. There's a Rt. 66 museum in Kingman. Once in Cal., the Rt. 66 goes through the Mojave area, south of the Mojave National Preserve, including the Bagdad Cafe. No WMD's there. We camped at the Preserve in Nov., '07, at a nice campground with great views. Might be warmer there in June.
Of course, if you're going to Sedona, you won't see any of this. So, change your plans. Everybody goes to Sedona.
Gene
Just a note about Oatman. We went there last winter after visiting California.
We took our 30 footer into Oatman, and originally planned on carrying on further NW thru town on 66, but several shop owners sold us that there were some really tight hairpin turns and it would be more than likely we would get stuck half way around.
If that happens, and you block traffic, folks get justifiably ticked off at you!
I debated whether or not to try it but in the end thought better of it and did a bit of back tracking to continue on our route.
Oatman was fun with all the "wild" (tame really) donkeys wandering the main street.
Supposedly they are descendents of the original gold miners donkeys who were abandoned. Many of the local shops sell carrots so us tourists can amuse ourselves by feeding them!
We stopped one night at a very tidy little downtown RV park in Kingman. It was a short walk to the Route 66 Museum in Kingman.
In Seligman, Juan Delgadillo is no longer with us, but his brother Angel is still there with his barber shop.
On a previous trip thru Seligman several years ago, I was able to get both of them to sign a coffee table book about Route 66 that my wife had given me for my birthday the day before we travelled thru Seligman!
Angel was due to be interviewed by someone from the Smithsonian the dau after we met him - all to do with his having initiated the Route 66 preservation initiative in Arizona I believe.
I'm sure you'll have a great trip - I wish I could do it with my motorcycle - maybe I will one day!
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Judy and Bob
You do have quite a lot to choose from in AZ.
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