Introduction:
Where?
: From Las Vegas there are 280 miles all the way to the Grand Canyon south Rim
section. Crossing the Hoover Dam, passing through Kingman all the way east near
Flagstaff.
What? : You can drive the 280 miles in around 5 hr but I recommend to explore the interesting
things on the way, one day road trip with few stops on the way.
When? :
Year round.
My thoughts:
I highly recommend doing this as a full day drive and see some attractions on
the way.
The
visit:
Below list
contain many things that can be done along the way. For some of them you need
to take from Kingman the longer 66 rout.
Few of
them are short stop, other can be few hr visit and for few this is longer
overnight visit.
Pictures taken 20 years apart:
Hoover
Dam:
Hoover Dam is an American icon, it is an engineering marvel built at the 30s, damming the Colorado river at the Black Canyon section, creating the 110-mile-long Lake Mead.
It is
highly recommended to visit the visitor center, watch the movie on how it was
built and take the tour inside the dam. After that walk over the dam to the
other side, see the Arizona spillway and enjoy the view down to the canyon.
In the
past hwy 93 was going over the top of the dam but since the opening of the new Memorial
Bridge just south overlooking the dam all the passing traffic do not need to
cross the dam. It is recommended to park at the bridge overlook parking and
walk to the bridge walkway.
As the
most is the most-visited dam in the world, 7 million tourists a year, expect
delays in traffic and in the parking lots, especially during weekends and
holidays.
Kovid19:
Unfortunately, the Visitor Center Tours and Exhibits are closed.
https://www.nps.gov/articles/nevada-and-arizona-hoover-dam.htm
https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/
https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/images/2020HooverDamMap.pdf
Grand
Canyon Skywalk:
Grand
Canyon West located at the far western end of the Grand Canyon, located 50
miles north east away from hwy 93, Chevron, AZ.
The
Skywalk, managed by the Hualapai Tribe, consists of a horseshoe shaped glass
floor that projects about 70 feet from the canyon rim, 4,000 feet above the
floor of the Colorado Canyon below. There are other canyon views at this
location as also other tourist activities like rafting, ziplining, aerial tours
and more.
I did
not visit this place so can’t really recommend it.
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/skywalk.htm
https://grandcanyonwest.com/
Kingman:
Kingman
in northwestern Arizona is a city along old Route 66 and now on the I40
interstate.
We stop
here for lunch after visiting the Hoover Dam, on top of all fast food stops on
the I40 downtown has large variety of local restaurants.
We did
not visit them but there are several local tourist attractions like Route 66
Museum, Powerhouse Visitors Center, Locomotive Park, featuring a 1928 steam
engine, and the Kingman Railroad Museum.
Route
66:
This is
longer and slower drive than taking the I40 but I think it worth the extra time.
Hackberry
General Store:
Nice old
“classical” Route 66 general Store, short stop on the way. You can check the Route
66 souvenir shop, see the collection of vintage cars from U.S. Route 66 “good old
days” going through the Arizona desert.
Keepers
of the Wild Nature Park:
Keepers
of the Wild is a private open zoo that has over 150 exotic and wild animals
that were rescued from lives of neglect or abuse.
I did
not visit this place so can’t really recommend it.
https://www.keepersofthewild.org/
Truxton:
On the middle
of Route 66 there is semi deserted town with gas station and few old houses. Not
something major to see except old things and few old cars. A short stop on your
way.
Havasupai
Indian Reservation - Havasu Canyon Falls:
I never
visit this place but from what I saw this is one of the most beautiful canyon waterfalls
there is in the US. Red rock desert canyon with blue turquoise color waterfalls
and pounds.
this
hike is inside local Indian reservation (they have a small village in the
canyon) so you must get a visiting permit in advance.
Kovid19:
All visits are canceled. All Havasupai tourism is suspended. It is not
currently known when tourism will resume.
https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/havasupai.htm
Grand
Canyon Caverns:
A tourist
attraction stop along Route 66, a dray large cave guided tour. This place also has
restaurant and hotel, even rooms located inside the cave, 220f below surface.
Never visit
here so can’t really recommend.
https://gccaverns.com/
Seligman:
In this
one street town Route 66 connect back to I40.
Pictures:
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