Sunday, July 18, 2010

Historic Route 66 from California to Arizona - Family Roadtrip Day 1

by Janis Brett Elspas
MommyBlogExpert.blogspot.com

 
Our Family SUV Loaded & Ready to Go
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Though we didn't leave the coast till 2 pm Sunday, I still drove 350 miles to Kingman, Arizona yesterday.  Except for stunning desert views along the Interstate and the abandoned remains of Highway 66 which ran along side of it, there wasn't much to see.  

In the days ahead we will be exploring what does remain of the Mother Road, one of the most famous stretches of highway in the world, since more and more remnants of days gone by will be popping up along the roadside as we progress eastward which I'll be blogging about.

Our goal at the outset of this trip was to get out of California as fast as possible  because we hope to travel 6000 or more miles within the next four weeks, so everything is progressing nicely.  The high point of our day yesterday was literally the outdoor temperature as we crossed the very blue Colorado River into Arizona -- believe it or not it was a flaming 114 degrees at 7 in the evening just an hour or so before sunset!

Some Family Packing Advice
Traveling lightly on these family roadtrips definitely has its advantages.  For one, it makes it possible to fit everything into the cargo area of an SUV like ours, so mom or dad doesn't need to injure their back hoisting luggage on or off the rooftop rack.  It also makes it so much easier for kids -- even younger ones -- to help unload the car at the end of each day when everything is easier (and safer) to reach.

Mid-century Classic Police Car, Kingman Police Station, AZ
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

When you are able to back right in to the front door of your room like we did at Days Inn right on Historic Route 66 in Kingman last night -- unpacking is almost fun.  

I just love roadside motels like the ones in small American towns, they are so homey and charming. We typically don't make reservations because I like to see the place before I inquire about room availability.  At just $49 for a very nice room, with 2 queen beds plus a generous breakfast included, the Kingman accommodations we settled on were a real find considering that something similiar would go for upwards of $200/night back in L.A.

This post took longer than usual to write as I'm learning to use a new PC laptop -- quite challenging since I'm tradtionally an Apple desktop and laptop user.  We're packed and ready to hit the road, so I'm logging off for now.  Happy Trails to you until we meet again here.

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