CA, AZ – Jul 2026

The journey continues as I arrive at stop number 3 in Needles, CA.  Located a stones throw from the Arizona and Nevada boarders, I’ll visit several iconic places here on the east coast of CA, while beginning to venture into Arizona territory.  These visits will most certainly include several Rt 66 themed museums scattered all along the route.  Each town has their own spin and role in Rt 66 history, and these mostly tiny regional museums do a good job of sharing that local heritage.  So off we go on our Rt 66 journey!

Needles, CA

So this would be my final 1-week stop in California – this time in Needles which is on the border with Arizona and Nevada.  There were a few things to see here on the east coast of CA, but most of the Rt 66 touring would take me into Arizona. I learned the hard way however, that it is damn hot here in Needles.  So hot in fact, that often times when weather stations across the country point out the hottest place in the US for any given day, Needles is often cited.  It was tripple-digit hot every day of my week long stay.  And not just 101 or 102, it got up to 110, 113, etc.  Needles is often referred to as the second hottest place on earth next to Death Valley.  And why was I spending a week here?  When I do my trip planning, picking stops is all about the location, distance from last campground, and overall ratings of the campground.  I’ve never factored in climate as a criteria for campground selection.  Perhaps I should going forward!

Rt 66 went right through downtown Needles, so there were a few places of interest there.  Like many towns having this historic road pass through, there were plenty of Rt 66 signs and references throughout.  There was even a Rt 66 Pharmacy!  But downtown did have some very nice signage (at left, right side) identifying the town, along with its Rt 66 heritage.  One of the original and still standing motels along Rt 66 is this Rt 66 Motel in Needles (at left, center left, bottom center).  It opened in 1947 and its little six-unit offering remains today – though it is no longer a motel.  Rather, the units are now rented out as apartments on monthly leases only. In the center of town was this borax wagan (at left, top center) that serves to welcome west bound travelers on Rt 66.  This 1880s wagon was used to haul borax from Death Valley to Needles so the material could then be shipped out by train.  This particular wagon was a movie prop for the 1940 movie “20 Mule Team”, and later part of a nation wide movie promotional tour, and in 1947, was gifted to the town of Needles.  Last up was this California historic marker (at left, bottom left) that  marks the location where the National Old Trails Highway, later to become Rt 66, crossed the Colorado River .  This road originally opened in 1826 as the Pioneer Trail – 100 years before Rt 66.

Also in Needles was this cool regional museum featuring exhibits covering Native Americans, the railroad, and even related to Charles Schultz of Peanuts fame.  It was the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads coming through town that first put Needles on the map, with the advent of Rt 66 adding more pass thru traffic from the 1920 through the 1960s.  In the museum there was of course a corner dedicated to Rt 66 memorabilia.   But what I found most interesting was the area dedicated to Peanuts.  Apparently, Charles Schultz lived in Needles for a couple of years when his family moved here from St. Paul, MN.  He attended 2nd grade there, but soon thereafter, his family moved back to St. Paul.  But it was that short stay in the AZ desert that prompted Schultz to associate Snoopy’s brother Spike (at right, bottom left) as being from and living in Needles.  Who knew!

Lots of murals, many Rt 66 related, could be found all over town in Needles. The nicely done one featuring Spike (at left, center left) is painted along the outside wall of the museum.  An automotive shop had a couple of really nicely done Rt 66 images along the corner of its building (at left, top right), with another crazy car scene showcasing I believe a character from the Rat Fink clan driving a souped up car showcased further down their building. Really awesome!

Though not related to Rt 66, I was close enough to lots of Colorado River and Lake Havasu recreation that I figured I’d take a day to check that out.  Besides, on the way there was a Rt 66 sign that was worthy of a stop and photo op.  This historic sign (at right, bottom right), made up of concrete and rock, directed east bound travelers along the two-lane desert road, to the Old Trails Bridge from 1916 to 1947.  Problem is today, that bridge is no longer used, and anyone following that sign’s direction will end up in the Colorado River.  The archway bridge (at right, center) spans the Colorado River, and was the backdrop of the opening scene from the iconic Rt 66 movie Easy Rider.  See the short 1 min intro HERE.  Lastly, it was a Saturday and while driving to the sign and bridge, I rode along the Colorado River and noticed lots of folks enjoying boating and beaching fun.  It is certainly a popular weekend entertainment activity here in the area.

In the end, my travels to Lake Havasu was to see this famous landmark – the London Bridge (at right, top).  The story goes the construction of this bridge began in 1825 to span the River Thames in London.  It was completed and opened in 1831.  By the early 1960s, the bridge was in need to be replaced.  Someone in the British council suggested selling the bridge when the time came for it to be replaced.  Despite that idea being crazy at the time, the British government later decided to actually put the bridge on the market.  It would be US oilman and entrepreneur Robert P. McCulloch who would purchase the bridge for $2.5M.  The bridge was dissasembled and shipped to Long Beach, CA, where it would be later transported to the Arizona desert. In 1958 McCulloch had purchased 3,353 acres of property on the east side of  Lake Havasu along the peninsula known as Pittsburgh Point.  He reassembled the bridge along the edge of the peninsula, then dug out ground beneath it allowing the Colorado River to flow through, and thus converting the peninsula into an island.  Today, London Bridge has become the second-largest tourist attraction in Arizona, after the Grand Canyon.

Kingman, AZ

From Needles, I took the 63 mile ride to the northeast to the Arizona town of Kingman – a sizable town with a population approaching 33,000. It was Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a U.S. Navy officer who was tasked to build a federal wagon road across the 35th parallel. Beale traveled through the present-day Kingman in the mid 1850s to survey the area which eventually led to the road in 1859. Beale’s Wagon Road would eventually become part of Rt 66.  My first stop in town would of course be to the Visitor Center and its Rt 66 Museum located in what was the Kingman electric generation powerhouse building. Lots of memorabilia, historic photos and timelines, a few classic cars, and lots of other 66 artifacts made for an interesting visit.  They even had an electric car museum (at left, bottom center) that featured EVs from as early as 1909, all the way through a modern 2008 Tesla Roadster.  Some truly unusual and interesting vehicles there.  Just outside near the parking lot was this prime photo op drive-thru Rt 66 shield.  What use to be a temporary drive-thru that was put up each year during the towns annual Rt 66 Fun Run, has now become one of 4 permanent drive-thru shields spread across the 2,448 mile route.  Reportedly, it also happens to be the busiest.  Sadly, my truck was way too dirty for a photo op, so I just took a picture of it empty (at left, top right).

There were lots and lots of attractions in Kingman along its portion of Rt 66.  What has billed itself as “The Heart of Historic Route 66” for decades, was formally recognized when a heart shaped neon sign was purchased from a wedding chapel in Las Vegas, and restored with its new identity (at right, bottom center).  It was formally unveiled in 2024 at an event titled “Get Hitched on Route 66” when apparently three couples in fact shared their nuptials at the sign.  Just down the road is a place called Tin Can Alley (at right, top right).  Just opened in 2025, this motel features retro Airstream trailers for accommodations that have been modified and furnished for stationary use.  Apparently, the kitchens were also removed from the trailers in order to encourage motel guests to patronize the local eateries.  I would have liked to have stayed there for a night had I known in advance.  As you might imagine, several other hotels run all along this portion of 66 including the Brunswick Hotel and the Hotel Beale .  Both circa early 1900s, though neither of which are operational hotels today, but are known to have had celebrity stays including Charles Lindberg,  Buster Keaton, and Clark Gable.  I also found the Kingman Post Office (at right, top left) to have been given the Rt 66 treatment with a fancy Rt 66 sign. Nicely done Kingman!

Further along Andy Devine Ave – aka Rt 66, were lots more interesting stops.  What had originally started life as the Kimo Cafe in 1939, has since the 1990s operated as Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner (at left, top center right), serving many a Rt 66 tourist with a diner-made meal.  As you might imagine, lots of murals can be found with Kingman’s Rt 66 branding.  One such mural (at left, top right) is a block off from the main drag and adorns the exterior wall of a Mexican restaurant.  Then there’s the El Trovatore motel with its proclaimed world’s largest Rt 66 map.  It was local artist Dan Louden who in 2011 painted 206 feet of Rt 66 map (at left, bottom), covering the exterior walls across and around many motel rooms to form this record breaking art piece.  It was definitely different!  The motel itself opened in 1939, and was known to be the first motor inn in AZ to have air conditioning.  Because the hotel actually sits in a sort of a ravine below grade of Rt 66, they spent lots of money on signage to attract customers.  This included the large neon sign out on the main road (at left, center left), along with a 50 foot tower bearing its name therein vertically that sits up on a hill just up the way.  Now that’s advertising!  Lastly, while wandering around town, I spotted this Desert Drugs sign (at left, top center) which also beared the name Walgreen Agency.  It was certainly unusual, and some quick research identified this as a once cooperative program between Walgreens and private independent drug stores.  An interesting short video of the program can be found HERE.  Looks like I found a bit of history!

More travel down the avenue would lead to more classic motels and restaurants.  First up, this Golden Age motel known as the Hill Top (at right, top).  Built in 1954, its mostly original rooms and neon sign look pretty much the same as they did when the place opened.  However, it does come with a bit of unfortunate history.  It was room 119 for four days in April 1995 where Timothy McVeigh would stay just before traveling Route 66 to Oklahoma City and blowing up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.  The registration card filled out by McVeigh was later entered into evidence at his death penalty trial.   Well, it was getting to be afternoon and I was getting hungry.  So, I figured I would pay homage to one of the classic Rt 66 establishments.  Rutherford’s Family Diner was the choice (at right, bottom).  I actually usually like diner food, and this place did not disappoint.  Classic checkerboard floor and long diner counter with stools offered that 50’s vibe.  A great meal at a great historic place.  Last up is one of the casualties of time.  The large and extravagant pagoda-style neon sign (at right, center right) that advertises the long since closed Lo’s Chinese American Food restaurant has seen better days.  A sad reminder of what once was, sitting and hoping for an eventual restoration.  Maybe some day!

My final stop in Kingman takes me to the Kingman Ramada.  This otherwise bland white-washed hotel has been adorned with murals showcasing movie and TV stars.  It took local artist Dan Louden over two years to pretty much cover every square inch of the complex with these cartoonish caricatures of famous Hollywood legends.  From Jerry Lewis to Phylis Diller, to the Our Gang gang – the range of characters depicted is endless and truly entertaining.  What a talent this artist is, and how lucky for this Ramada to have such a huge variety of his work.  A great stop!

About 30 miles north east of downtown Kingman is the town of Hackberry where we find the historic Hackberry General Store.  A classic Rt 66 relic – it’s a small, well aged shop out in the middle of nowhere selling Rt 66 memorabilia and hosting lots of photo ops.  Built in 1934, it operated as a traveller destination for more than four decades.  It closed in 1978, and was left abandoned for upwards of 14 years thereafter until Rt 66 veteran Bob Waldmire acquired the property and did some minor repairs, though preserving its original dilapidated look, and reopened it in 1992.  Ownership has changed hands a few times since, and each successive owner has to commit to maintaining it in this old historic form.  Outside were a few classic cars and a pair of antique gas pumps, while the buildings exterior walls and pretty much anything else in the area, are filled with stickers from travelers all across the world.  Inside, besides the touristy trinkits and historic scenes, the ceiling is fully covered with paper currency from across the globe – each signed and dated by the visiting traveler.  Very cool!  A few miles down the road from the general store was another Rt 66 gift shop.  This one featuring a giant green head known as Giganticus Headicus.  The head was built in 2004, it sits in front of the A-Frame shaped building that once was the management office of the Kozy Corner Trailer Court, but after a 13 year transformation, was opened in 2017  as a now a thriving Rt 66 gift shop destination.

After my visit to Kingman and Hackberry, I was planing on taking the portion of historic Rt 66 also known as Oatman Hwy, heading west to visit the historic town of Oatman.  However, upon closer inspection, that route includes an 8 miles stretch of roads known as the Arizona Sidewinder.  This route features 191 turns – many of which are blind hairpin switchbacks, with the total absence of guard rails along desert hillsides.  Reportedly, it can take upwards of an hour just to make it through this 8-mile monstrosity.  Ahhhh, no thanks!  I have driven my big-boy dually truck on many such roads in my past 8 years of travel, and hated every minute of it – even occasionally finding a place to turn around and abandoning the effort.  I would love traveling this route on a motorcycle, but a huge truck?  No thanks!  So, I ended up getting back to the campground following the same route I had taken to get to Kingman.  Then on another day, I visited Oatman – this time making my way there from the west side.  Much better!  I’m certainly glad there was another, safer, route.  This self-proclaimed living ghost town of the old west features a quarter mile main drag with old rustic buildings on either side, occupied by gift shops, saloons, and a few antique stores.  There are about 200 full time residents of this old town.  Besides the twice-daily gunfight shows that entertain visitors, the dozen or so free range burros that casually walk around town seeking food handouts are quite interesting.  Bags of burro friendly food is available for purchase from many of the stores, and you can bet that you will be surrounded by hungry anxious critters when you’re holding that bag.  What was once a thriving gold mining town, the burros were used to haul supplies.  When the mining stopped, the burros were abandoned to fend for themselves.  Those that live there now are all their descendants.  Quit a fun and unique little town that sits along historic Rt 66.  But if you are a bit squeemish about driving along narrow shoulder-less desert hillside hairpin roads, you had better get here from the west!

The final couple of places to visit were in the Yucca AZ area.  First up, simply known as “Truck on a Stick” (at right ,top right), this historic tractor trailer sits high up in the air along Rt 66 – clearly visible from nearby I-40.  It was supposedly a marker for a long since abandoned tow-truck business.  Nearby, it is flanked by an abandoned strip mall and hotel.  So, the truck is pretty much all there is to see here.  Just down the road was this oddly shaped building – a three story golf ball shaped geodesic wonder – known to be the only geodesic in the world that is off the ground supported by a single pole.  It was built in 1970 as “Dinesphere” as a planned restaurant that never actually opened.  It sat empty for years after its owner was entangled in fraud and subsequently arrested.  It was purchased by a Wyoming couple in 1981 who transformed it into a livable home.   Then in the early 2000s, a new owner moved in with plans to convert it to a UFO-themed museum called Area 66 (a play on Area 51 and Route 66).  It eventually opened in 2019 with exhibits related to area UFO phenomenon including the 1953 flying saucer crash that supposedly occurred in nearby Kingman.  Sadly, the pandemic of 2020 caused the place to shut down, and as of my visit, it remains closed.  Too bad – it looked like an interesting place!

Final Thoughts

Well, I think I’ll end it here.  As I prepare to leave Needles, CA to head to my next stop in Seligman, AZ, only 137 miles and just over a 2 hour drive, it was amazing how that small a difference in geography had on the local weather.  As you can see at left, the 8-day forcast for Needles was well into triple digits the entire time, while Seligman was to be upwards of 20 degrees cooler over the same period.  I certainly welcome the much improved temperatures, as I’m sure so too will my RVs AC units.  I’m glad to be out of the California desert, and look forward to a more seasonal climate going forward.  I’ll spend the next week at stop number 4 along my 16-stop trek along Rt 66, exploring areas around west central Arizona.  So stick around and stay tuned as there is much more Rt 66 content coming.  Until then, be well and safe travels.

I only show a sampling of my adventure pictures here in the blog, and do so mostly in collage format for brevity and ease of reading. If you want to view an album containing individual full fidelity and hi-res images of all my travel pictures related to this specific blog, click the image below. Enjoy!