Route 66 (New Mexico to California)
Our year in Nambé, New Mexico flew by and we are now enjoying a three week vacation between sits. I gave Paul carte blanche when it came to planning this trip and he has outdone himself so far…
Route 66 in Seligman, AZ
The man has been fascinated with Route 66 ever since we moved to New Mexico (especially after seeing Billy Connolly’s Route 66 documentary), so two weeks of our trip has been dedicated to following the “Mother Road” from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Monica, California.
I am embarrassed to admit that I actually fell in and out of sleep immediately upon heading down said road and missed taking pictures in Historic Old Town Albuquerque. In my defense, there was so much to do up until the morning we left…I guess it all caught up with me.
Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque, NM
Our first official night on the road was spent at Route 66 Casino Hotel in Albuquerque. Paul picked this spot because it was convenient and had live music for him and a poker room for me. Paul doesn’t gamble but I love to play Texas Hold ‘Em, so he told me to blow a few bucks on the table while he enjoyed the band a few bars over. It was a great night!
Williams, Arizona
From there, we drove to Williams, AZ. Both of us had never been to the Grand Canyon and Paul booked us a train ride right from our digs at the Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel. We were very fortunate in that the Grand Canyon had just re-opened (post Government Shutdown) the weekend we arrived.
Getting to the Grand Canyon in Style
Music, Stories, and Corny Jokes Courtesy of Clarence Clearwater
Caboose Shot on the Way to the Grand Canyon
Blown Away by the Grand Canyon
An Old-Fashioned Train Robbery Courtesy of Grand Canyon Railway
We had a wonderful time in Williams, and I got a big ol’ lump in my throat upon seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time. A lot of vacationers, some who saved up for months and even years, missed out on this experience altogether while government employees (especially those that rely on tips) and indie shops and restaurants were hit hard by the lack of business. A true shame.
Keepers of the Wild Nature Park
Keepers of the Wild Nature Park in Valentine, AZ was a planned stop en route to our motel room in Kingman, AZ and it proved to be a highlight of our trip. If you get out to this non profit sanctuary, be sure to take the tour as you will learn so much more about the animals and where they came from. Most of these wild animals were rescued after having been abandoned and/or abused (mainly for entertainment purposes). Please click on their link for more photos and to learn about how and why this park came to be ~ it is an interesting story that just might tug at your heart-strings. Thank you for all that you do, Keepers of the Wild!
A Rescued Tiger at Keepers of the Wild
Curious Monkey at Keepers of the Wild
Room to Roam at Keepers of the Wild
Route 66 boasted plenty of photo opps throughout Arizona and I will link to a post on our favorite road signs soon. In the meantime, here are a few shots from the road…
Angel & Vilma’s Route 66 Gift Shop in Seligman, AZ. Angel fought successfully to bring Route 66 back from obscurity.
Siesta Apartments & Kitchenettes in Kingman, AZ. There are still plenty of dwellings for drifters along Route 66.
Mr. D’s Route 66 Diner in Kingman, AZ
We would like to thank Sam at El Trovatore Motel for sharing a lot of Kingman, AZ history and fun facts with us. We were given the choice of rooms to sleep in for our one night there, and Paul chose the Marilyn room (it was a tough choice between her and Audrey).
El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, AZ
El Trovatore at Night
Bathroom Window Love at El Trovatore Motel
Going Back in Time (With a Very Feisty Donkey) in Oatman, AZ
We are currently nestled in a small cabin in the woods of Idyllwild, California, doing laundry and re-organzing our luggage in preparation for our first visit to the Caribbean tomorrow (we will be staying in Grenada for a week).
I will be sure to post California and Caribbean photos soon. In the meantime, please leave any comments or questions you may have for us here on our blog and one of us will get back to you. Thank you for following along with us on our adventures. California marks our eighth state as Caretaking Couple and we love keeping in touch with you, wherever we go! XO,
Valynne & Paul