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We arose at
05.30; glorious colour at sunrise, but this was gone in an instant.
Looked for better ways to pack the car – did not succeed. (Still another 30
days! -Ed)
By 06.00 everyone was scurrying about cleaning cars, and anxious to be
underway. In
view of the dusty, shabby, desolate place that is Needles, we concurred with
this sentiment. However there was indeed a saving grace for what we
considered so typical of America was the view that filled our bedroom
window, this being a wonderful freight train. We counted 90 containers being
pulled by three engines and pushed by a further three. What we could learn
at home about moving freight in this volume and manner.
First stop at Oatman, what an extraordinary place, everything you dreamed an
old American side walk cowboy town to be. We parked up, were greeted by the
local Sheriff with a “howdy folks”, sadly he was not astride a horse, but in
a 4 x 4. Went to the Post Office which had a delightful Post Mistress who
had moved to Oatman 17 years ago, and loved the town. We were served through
a hole in the wall, and noticed that there were little boxes with names on,
which clearly meant mail was not delivered but collected.
We eat breakfast at Olive Oatmans; the breakfast was good but the story of
Olive even better. We presume everyone read this, if not we do have her
story on a gossip sheet which is worthy of a read.
Onward along Route 66, very exciting, to have heard about this route all of
our lives through books films and songs, and to be actually travelling on
some of it was amazing, the Mother Road, all 2,448 miles. It did lead us to
think not only of the pioneers but also of the Lorry drivers of the 1950s
travelling without the air conditioning of today, and certainly without the
comforts of the latest models. These thoughts undoubtedly were brought on by
the heat of the day for Morgans in this respect have an affinity with
Lorries of yester year.
We stopped at the Caverns, but our timing was adrift so had no time to see
the actual caves. We did however enjoy lemonade with a coach load of
youngsters on a visit, but we were somewhat concerned to see a gun toting
individual seated at the next table.
Next on to Seligman and the quaintly named Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Restaurant
and teased unmercifully by the man who sold the ice creams, and had a photo
session with “Marilyn Monroe”. We were fascinated by a juxtaposed mixture of
cars, shop mannequins and “junk” arranged and draped in a manner to make you
look and laugh.
En route to Prescott at Ash Fork there was a car strikingly “embedded” on
top of a building there. Arriving at the Hassayampa Inn at Prescott we check
in but eat at a nearby Restaurant named “Murphy’s”. It’s a good meal served
in nice surroundings by a charming young lady and of course the obligatory
Guinness went down extremely well.
California was good; Highway 1 amazing, but Arizona with its rugged desert
and magnificent mountains took our breath away, we find the State achingly
beautiful.
Did anyone else see the notice posted on a fence amongst miles and miles of
nothing resembling civilisation, which read “Do not park in front of the
gate”. Also an advertisement for a “Forthcoming boulder sale”.
What a colourful extraordinary day. We loved every single minute of it.
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