Leaving California and entering Arizona things became more interesting on the Topock to Kingman stretch of Route 66.
topock to kingman
We suggest taking your time with the next stretch of road. Although it is only about 53 miles from Topock to Kingman via Route 66, there is so much to see and lots of photo opportunities along the way. Maybe plan to stay the night in Kingman.
After crossing the bridge, the first thing we saw was the massive Route 66 tower. There is plenty of space to pull in and take pictures.
Burma-Shave
Keep a lookout for the Burma-Shave ads. These are along the side of the road throughout Arizona and through the next few states. We had fun reading the signs, second-guessing what the rhymes were going to be.
Burma-Shave was a brand of brushless shaving cream and had a fabulous advertising campaign. They posted hilarious rhyming poems on small signs along the road. The roadside ads ran from 1925 until 1964 with over 600 different verses which helped break down the monotony of the long distances at slow speeds.
Unfortunately, due to the traffic increasing speed and the safety razors, which were new on the market, the Burma-Shave signs started to disappear.
our first stop – topock to kingman
Heading north our first stop from Topock to Kingman was the once-thriving gold mining town of Oatman, and where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent part of their honeymoon.
Such a wonderful town, it deserves a blog of its own. Be prepared to spend several hours in Oatman; there is so much to see.
Saying “Goodbye” to the donkeys and Oatman, we drove the original 66 towards Kingman and found it to be a little hair raising, narrow with switchbacks, sharp turns, and mountainous.
There are no services on this stretch of the route, so make sure your tank is full, and you have plenty of drinking water. Cell reception is a little dicey too, so be equipped.
Goldroad GHOST TOWN
The mountainous pass took us through the old mining ghost town of Goldroad. Here we pulled off at the side of the road and scrambled up to one of the main mine shafts being extra vigilant as not to get too close.
I’ve seen videos on YouTube of guys going into mine shafts, alone, with just their phone recording their “brave” (or stupid) antics, with no mind to what can happen.
NOTE OF WARNING
One young man was even bragging about the “Death Sign” at the entrance to the mine. These places are hazardous; one slip could end your life! A cave-in could entomb you for eternity, not to mention the poisonous gases! Although I’m all into exploring and having adventures, I prefer to stay alive!
Gold was discovered here in the 1890s, and the town itself was established in 1903. Now a ghost town, this area is still an active mining region.
The original Goldroad mine once offered tours. It is now out of bounds to the public since the mining operations have commenced.
Just past Goldroad mine on the lefthand side, there is a pullout and a hill. We decided to venture up, and to our surprise, we found a graveyard at the top. Some of the graves were relatively recent too, and some extremely old.
Shaffer Fish Bowl Springs
Heading down Sitgreaves Pass on the Gold Hill Summit and just before reaching Cool Springs, there’s a pull out (between mile marker 30 and 31).
I had read about Shaffer Fish Bowl Springs and was eager to see it. There are a set of stone steps leading up from the road to a natural spring where a few goldfish live.
It is very easy to miss. The only reason why we found it was because a couple of bikers had pulled in and were making their way up the rocky escarpment.
The water comes from a natural source and now fills the man-made pool keeping it full throughout the year. Built in the 1930s by a man named Shaffer, it became a welcome oasis to travellers and wildlife alike. Since then, the bowl is stocked with goldfish by locals.
cool springs
Passing Ed’s Camp, we drove into Cool Springs, stopping to take some photos. The owner, Ray, beckoned us over and got us doing silly poses while he clicked away with our camera.
He is a really nice guy with a wacky sense of humour, even offering a campsite for the night. They were holding a star-gazing party later and were having a BBQ.
We declined his kind offer, had a mooch around his shop and came out with the most delicious banana and cashew brittle.
Now, let me tell you, this stuff was the most mouthwatering brittle I have ever tasted. Not too hard, not too soft, and melted on the tongue and was only $5. There are about a dozen or so different flavours; some were outrageous.
If you contact them, they will ship you some – whatever flavour concoction you come up with. Here are Ray’s details just in case you fancy some and trust me you will. raystelljes@hotmail.com
Cool Springs was only ever a desert oasis, consisting of a petrol station, café and some cabins. It doesn’t pump gas any more, and most of the lodgings have long gone. All that remains are some rusting old relics and the shop. And of course, Crazy Ray!
Time to Rest
The land further down the road belongs to BLM (Bureau of Land Management) which means you can camp for free. With the sun setting, we decided to pull in, take out the Coleman’s stove, have our version of a BBQ and call it a night!
Of course, Kingman is just a few miles away, and there are plenty of hotels to choose from, but when we go on road trips, we do like to camp out as much as possible.
kingman
Bright and early the next day, we drove into Kingman. Once again, there is so much to this town; it has a blog of its own.
OUR TOP HIGHLIGHTS FROM TOPOCK TO KINGMAN
- Oatman is top on our list to see. This small mining town steeped in history has so much to offer. And, of course, there are the donkeys. Be prepared to spend several hours here.
- It was neat finding the tiny fish bowl.
- We spent about forty-five minutes at the small hamlet of Cool Springs. Ray really made it an experience. We recommend trying the mouthwatering brittle.
- PLEASE JOIN US ON OUR NEXT PART OF ROUTE 66:
- PREVIOUSLY ON ROUTE 66:
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