Route 66 around Seligman, AZ

Williams isn’t the only town celebrating the history of Route 66 (or stuck in the past?). We took a drive along one of the longest drivable portions of Route 66, from Willams (actually on I-40 until just after Ash Fork) to Kingman, Arizona, with a stop for lunch at the Roadkill Cafe in Seligman. A 129 mile trip, plus a faster 114 miles return via I-40.

Here’s a map showing Williams on the right, and Kingman on the left:

Route 66 map

The equivalent satellite view:

Route 66 satellite

The portion of Route 66 between Ash Fork and Seligman were the best; after that, the road was much like any highway, resurfaced and recently painted. So in retrospect, we could have skipped that longer portion. But hey, at least we can say we’ve done it. Apparently this is the longest section of the original Route 66, too.

A useful reference site for driving Route 66. And another one.

Here’s Jenn with Route 66 sign, at the start of the portion after Ash Fork:

Jenn with Route 66 sign

Driving Route 66:

Route 66

Route 66

There were several series of dark-humor Burma-Shave signs along the highway:

He tried to cross...

...as fast train neared...

...death didn't draft him...

...he volunteered

Burma-Shave sign

Route 66

Seligman, AZ:

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

We stopped at the Roadkill Cafe for lunch:

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

Roadkill Cafe

A very interesting menu:

Roadkill Cafe menu

Roadkill Cafe menu

Roadkill Cafe menu

Roadkill Cafe menu

Jenn had the Fungi Burger, I had the Swirl of Squirrel:

Roadkill Cafe menu

Route 66 sodas:

Route 66 sodas

Route 66 sodas

Bread

Burger

Swirl of Squirrel

Back on the road, more of Seligman, AZ:

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

Seligman, AZ

Continuing along Route 66:

Route 66

Route 66

Route 66

Route 66

Route 66

Grand Canyon Railway and National Park

While staying at the Grand Canyon Railway RV park, and the reason for staying there, we took the train to the Grand Canyon.

This was a special wedding anniversary treat for us; we did the train trip on a day when they used the historic steam train, and went to the park in the Luxury Dome train car, did a bus guided tour, and returned in the Luxury Parlor train car.

Before boarding the train, there was a little cowboy show:

Cowboy show

Cowboy show

Cowboy show

Cowboy show

All aboard! Here’s the Luxury Dome train car; a double-decker car, with a lounge below and a full-length dome above:

Train

After that car, at the end of the train, was the Luxury Parlor car, where we boarded:

Train

Us in our seat in the dome car; the TSA was still requiring masks except when eating and drinking:

David and Jenn

The Luxury Dome car, built in 1955:

Dome car

Each car had a Passenger Service Attendant:

Attendant

A glimpse of the front of the train out the dome window (don’t worry, better pics later):

Train

Snacks and beverages:

Snacks and beverages

Beverages

The train newspaper:

Newspaper

A photographer took some pictures:

Photographer

Here are a couple official photographs of us, in the dome and on the rear platform:

Photograph

Photograph

The Luxury Dome car was only about half full:

Luxury Dome car

I walked the length of the train, starting from the rear platform:

Rear platform

Rear platform

The Luxury Parlor car, built in 1947:

Luxury Parlor car

Passage between cars, with the steps to the Luxury Dome visible:

Passage between cars

The lower floor of the Luxury Dome car:

Luxury Dome car

Luxury Dome car

One of the Observation Dome cars; they have smaller domes:

Observation Dome car

Observation Dome car

Observation Dome car

The dining car:

Dining car

Dining car

The historic 1923 Pullman car:

Pullman car

Pullman car

A Coach car:

Coach car

Singer:

Singer

Looking over the train from the frontmost observation dome:

Train

Arriving at Grand Canyon village:

Grand Canyon village

Tour bus:

Tour bus

On board the bus:

Jenn and David

Ranger operations building:

Ranger operations building

A bunch of pictures of the Grand Canyon:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Tour bus

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Bridge

Bridge info

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Lunch was included in the bus tour; it was supposed to be a buffet, but in these COVID times, it was instead a sack lunch:

Lunch

Lunch

Jenn found a hat in the gift store:

Gift store

More angles of the big hole in the ground:

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Jenn and David

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

When we tipped the bus driver/guide, she gave us a snowy canyon pic she had taken:

Snowy canyon pic

Back at the train station in the park, I got some pictures of the 1923 steam train engine:

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Steam train engine

Engineer

An assist from a diesel engine:

Engine

The power car:

Power car

Coach cars:

Coach cars

The rear of the train, with observation dome cars, the Luxury Dome car, and the Luxury Parlor car:

Train

 The rear platform of the Luxury Parlor car:

Luxury Parlor car

Champagne toasts in the Luxury Parlor car:

David with champagne

Jenn with champagne

The conductor making a PA announcement:

Conductor

Snacks:

Snacks

Singers:

Singers

On the rear platform:

On the rear platform

View from the rear platform:

View from the rear platform

View from the rear platform

View from the rear platform

The cowboys stopped the train:

Cowboys

Cowboys

Cowboy train robbery:

Cowboys

The sheriff going after the robbers:

Sheriff

Lastly, an official photo of the steam train engine:

Steam train engine

This was a fun way to spend our anniversary, and quite the experience. Highly recommended.

Travel from Verde Valley to Williams, AZ

We drove our coach 95 miles, a bit less than two hours, from Verde Valley to Williams, Arizona.

Here’s the route map, going from bottom to top:

Map route

Instead of the Thousand Trails park, we originally were going to stay at Verde Ranch RV Resort. But we were glad we changed it, not only because the TT was much cheaper, and with a great view, it was also much more quiet, instead of being right next to the freeway:

Verde Ranch RV Resort

Verde Ranch RV Resort

A cliff by I-17:

Cliff

A sign warning of elk:

Sign

Hey look, trees! Real pine trees! We’ve been in deserts for months, so haven’t seen real trees for ages:

Trees

Snowy mountains:

Snowy mountains

Arizona divide:

Arizona divide

Paladin was comfy in his safe space next to my chair:

Paladin

Snow by the side of the road:

Snow

Approaching Williams:

Williams sign

A sign for the Grand Canyon Railway depot:

Grand Canyon Railway depot sign

Williams arch, “gateway to the Grand Canyon”:

Williams arch

Our destination, the Grand Canyon Railway RV park:

Grand Canyon Railway sign

The timelapse video for this trip will be coming later today.

Travel from Tucson to Cottonwood, AZ

After the FMCA convention, we drove 237 miles, over four hours, from Pima County fairgrounds just south of Tucson, Arizona to Verde Valley, Cottonwood, Arizona.

A longer drive than we prefer, but not too bad. We try to keep drives to about 200 miles or three hours where feasible. We like to follow the 2/2/2 rule: drive no more than 200 miles in a day, arrive by 2 PM, stop every 2 hours, and stay for at least 2 nights (so the rule really should be 2/2/2/2, but some people omit one of the middle clauses). There’s also the 3/3/3 rule, with the obvious variations, but that seems a bit much to us.

Here’s the route map, going from bottom to top:

Map route

On departure day from the convention, there was a pretty constant stream of RVs leaving the fairgrounds. Here are two Tiffins departing:

Tiffins departing

We noticed once on the road that I had neglected to remove the Magne Shade from the small side window, so we pulled off on the side of a freeway onramp to remove it:

Magne Shade

Passing Picacho Peak again; such an interesting pointy bit:

Picacho Peak

A couple more Tiffins:

Tiffins

We liked the quote from the Lord of the Rings: “Not all who wander are lost”:

Not all who wander are lost

Since this was a long drive, we stopped at rest areas where available:

Rest area

Rest area

Paladin sitting between us:

Paladin

Passing by downtown Phoenix:

Phoenix

Overpasses

Overpass

Paladin in his dash bed, briefly; I still hope he’ll get comfortable enough with travel days to sit there while we drive:

Paladin

Cacti:

Cacti

Yay, gusty winds; super fun in a high-profile vehicle; fortunately not too bad:

Gusty

We passed through several hills, including this 5% downgrade:

5% downgrade

Hill

I was amused by the sign for Bumble Bee and Crown King:

Bumble Bee Crown King

Another hill:

Hill

Hill

A stop at Love’s for fuel:

Love's fuel

And DEF:

DEF

Chips and sandwich for travel lunch:

Lunch

On another hill, a runaway truck ramp; a deep gravel upward slope to stop a truck that loses its brakes:

Runaway truck ramp ahead

Runaway truck ramp

6% grade:

6% grade

Quite the view from the hill, though:

View

View

The Cottonwood exit:

Cottonwood exit

There were several traffic circles:

Traffic circles

Another nice view:

View

Our destination:

Destination

FMCA Tucson 2022: RV Driving School lessons

Around when we first bought our motorhome, we signed up for a couple of RV Driving School classes, held before the FMCA convention: the first on backing an RV, the second on driving an RV.

Of course, in the intervening months, we had plenty of practice in working together to back into sites, and Jenn had plenty of driving practice, so the lessons weren’t as useful as they would have been at the start, but we did pick up a few bits of information and techniques.

Outside the classroom:

RV driving school classroom

The backing class, a bit less than an hour:

RV driving school classroom

RV driving school classroom

Immediately after the classroom part, we did the practical, where we took our coach to a parking lot on the grounds, and did backing and parallel parking between cones, with Jenn driving and me directing, as usual:

RV driving school backing

Our instructor:

RV driving school backing

Perfect alignment; we didn’t hit any cones:

RV driving school backing

RV driving school backing

Paladin supervised from the back of Jenn’s chair:

Paladin

RV driving school backing

RV driving school backing

The next day, we did the driving classroom, a four hour lesson:

RV driving school driving class

Then the following day, the driving practical for four hours, with the same instructor:

RV driving school driving practical

Paladin on the desk, a little confused by me sitting in a living room chair opposite:

Paladin

We practiced navigating an empty church parking lot:

RV driving school driving practical

And a second church parking lot:

RV driving school driving practical

Paladin looking contented:

Paladin

Watching out the front:

Paladin

Cruising down the freeway:

RV driving school driving practical

Travel from Picacho to Tucson, AZ

We attended the FMCA “Sunsets + Saguaros” annual convention in Tucson, Arizona, so we drove 69 miles, just over an hour, from Picacho, Arizona to the Pima County fairgrounds just south of Tucson, Arizona.

Here’s the route map, going from top-left to bottom-right:

Map route

There was a tumbleweed by the side of the road, just before getting onto the freeway (made me think of CGP Grey’s excellent video on tumbleweeds):

Tumbleweed

Heading down I-10, with mountains in the distance:

I-10 and mountains

Picacho Peak:

Picacho Peak

Picacho Peak

Paladin squeaked once, then settled down in his safe space next to my chair (barely visible here):

Paladin

Trucks passing trucks passing trucks:

Trucks

I enjoyed the artwork on overpasses along this route:

Overpass artwork

Overpass artwork

Overpass artwork

Overpass artwork

Overpass artwork

Overpass artwork

Overpass artwork

Passing downtown Tucson:

Tucson

Tucson

Half of a manufactured house; we moved over to avoid the wide load:

House

Approaching Pima County Fairgrounds:

Pima County Fairgrounds

Our exit:

Our exit

The road to the fairgrounds:

Road to fairgrounds

RV driving school sign:

RV driving school sign

Arriving:

Arriving

Arriving

We dry camped here for the classes, before heading to our electric-only site for the convention. Stay tuned for more on the lessons and convention!