We left bright & early, because we were both so cold, heading northwest to Kingman, AZ, which is located on the historic Route 66. The drive that morning was beautiful!
These are Joshua Trees - in the Joshua Tree State Park of Arizona.
They are amazing, prehistoric looking trees - I have never seen anything like them.
There were also some beautiful mountain passes we drove through.
We had two days in Kingman, so we thought we would go down to the old part of town that sits next to one of the remaining sections of Route 66.
They had a fun little museum that chronicled Route 66 - how it had been a route followed by Native American tribes many years ago, the pioneers in wagon trains, then the desperate people during the Great Depression. Huge numbers of them came to the west & California looking for work. Sadly, only 8% of them stayed - there was no work.
Kingman also has silver mines & turquoise mines -
This has to be the biggest chunk of turquoise I have ever seen!
A beautiful, Zuni made, squash blossom necklace.
I laughed when I saw this diorama of the pregnant pioneer woman. When I was in labor with Brooke (it was a long labor!), I was so tired, I was hallucinating that I was in a covered wagon & heard someone say "Throw her out, she's done for."
One of Kingman's famous sons is Andy Devine - a character actor a lot of us Baby Boomers know him from the shows "Andy's Gang" & "The Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok". He sounded like he was as nice a man as they come & very humble about his success.
The drive to Las Vegas was again, surprisingly beautiful - the red rock and breath taking canyons in Lake Mead Recreation Area, and Lake Mead itself.
We are looking forward to our time in Vegas - catching up with the kids & their friends!
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