Route 66 RV Road Trip #2: Arizona
Welcome back to Leisure Coachworks’ Route 66 RV adventure! In part one of this epic road trip, we gave you a blueprint for traveling the classic American highway from west to east in California.
In part two we’ll be heading into Arizona to find the best pieces of Americana to visit on your RV vacation. Along the way, we’ll help you find places to stay and even give you directions to RV campgrounds and resorts.
Why Drive Route 66?
Route 66, the first numbered highway in the U.S., became known as America’s Main Street during its heyday. Opened in 1926, it traversed 2,448 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles through a vast series of small towns.
It represented connection and freedom to the thousands of people who drove its original route, becoming the most famous highway in the country.
The original Route 66 doesn’t exist anymore, not as a whole. You have to look for the pockets of Americana left behind. And that’s why we’re here, to steer you to the places and roadside attractions that have been preserved or renovated so you can have a taste of the past in your home on wheels.
Safety First
At Leisure Coachworks we want every RV trip to be a safe RV trip. That means making sure your vehicle makes a trip to the shop for a complete check-up before you hit the road. Good maintenance helps avoid breakdowns and delays during your vacations and keeps you safely in the driver’s seat.
Road trippers should have up-to-date insurance, make sure they know what to do in case of a collision, and know the basics of RV safety.
What’s in Your Driveway?
What you do along Route 66 will in part be dictated by the size of your RV. It’s hard to be spontaneous in a large motorhome, travel trailer, or 5th wheel. You can’t pull into roadside attractions when you’re driving 33 feet of Class A motorhome.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take that big RV on this trip. Having another vehicle, either towing your trailer or being towed by your motorhome, gives you back some of that flexibility. You can leave your RV at the campground and see the sights nearby.
The very best way to drive Route 66 in an RV is probably in a small Class C motorhome or a Sprinter van. They’re better suited to some of the narrower roads you’ll find on the remaining parts of the highway and they give you more accommodation options. Some of the most famous attractions along Route 66 are vintage motels. In a Sprinter van, you can park in a standard parking lot and stay the night in a piece of Americana if you like.
Whether you choose the maneuverability of a small RV or the luxury of a large trailer or motorhome, you’ll have a great time on this historic roadway. Let’s head into Arizona!
Arizona
We’re driving west-to-east on Route 66, unlike most of the original travelers. Our last stop in Part One was Needles, CA. As you head into Arizona, you’ll enjoy the quiet, beautiful desert scenery.
Our first stop is the little town of Oatman. Originally a mining town, it now bustles with burros on the streets and regular Wild West gunfights (staged by performers, of course), souvenir shops, and the Oatman Hotel, where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard honeymooned in 1939. What remains today are its famous restaurant and saloon.
As you head east out of Oatman, stop at the Cool Springs Service Station. Renovated in the early 2000s, this stone building is a classic Route 66 roadside attraction. Though you can no longer refuel there, it has a gift shop, museum, and sculpture garden.
These western Arizona roads are smack in the middle of the Black Mountains, with incredible scenery. But they are twisty, so make note of how well your vehicle handles sharp turns.
The next town up the road is Kingman. This is a town that fully embraces its Route 66 roots. With a vintage vibe throughout you’ll find neon signs and drive-in movies alongside museums and other historical markers. Kingman is often called the heart of Arizona’s Route 66.
Attractions in Kingman
• Mohave Museum
• Arizona Route 66 Museum
• The Historic Bonelli House
• Kingman Self-Guided Walking Tours
• Hackberry’s General Store
RV Accommodations
There’s something for every RV shape and size at the Blake Ranch RV Park and Horse Motel. It’s got private showers and baths for those of you traveling small. It has full hookups and wide pull-throughs for those of you traveling large. It has cable TV, free Wi-Fi, laundry, a rec room, a store, dog runs, and even a place for your horses.
Blake Ranch is just 14 miles from the gorgeous Hualapai Mountain Park, where hikers, cyclists, and even those on horseback can enjoy amazing mountain and desert views.
Directions
From Kingman, take I-40 east towards Flagstaff. Take Exit 66 and follow the signs for Blake Ranch Road. Turn left onto S. Blake Ranch Road. That will take you back across the highway and lead you right into the RV Park.
Seligman
Stop in Seligman and revel in its Route 66 history. This desert town is filled with classics like Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In. The quirky eatery’s owners led the charge to rejuvenate Route 66 in Arizona. Stop in at their shop: Angel and Vilma’s Route 66 Gift Shop.
You’ll find more gift shops, diners, and even a motor lodge with Elvis-themed rooms in this Route 66 town.
Williams
Emerging from the desert to the west, enjoy the Kaibab National Forest surrounding the charming town of Williams. Perhaps known more as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon, Williams is also filled with Route 66 nostalgia.
Route 66 passes through historic Williams and offers glimpses of old road signs and plenty of retro shops and diners. Every June the town holds a Route 66 Car Show for vintage auto buffs.
Attractions in Williams
• Grand Canyon Railway
• Bearizona Wildlife Park
• Route 66 Museum and Gift Shop
• Wild West Junction
• Route 66 Zipline
RV Accommodations
Williams is the place to stay if you’re combining your Route 66 RV road trip with a visit to the Grand Canyon. Try the Railside RV Ranch and enjoy a pet-friendly park with restrooms and showers. You’ll find full hook-ups, a campfire area, laundry, free cable TV and Wi-Fi, and pull-throughs for larger travel trailers and motorhomes.
Railside specializes in arranging a wide variety of tours to the Grand Canyon and surrounding attractions.
Directions
The easiest way to get to the Railside RV Ranch is to backtrack. Turn left off of eastbound Route 66 onto Rodeo Road and head west into Williams. You’ll find the Railside just past the intersection of Roundtree Rd. and Rodeo Rd.
Nature’s Bounty
After leaving Williams, you’ll find yourself heading through gorgeous alpine terrain. Stop at the Walnut Canyon National Monument for an amazing hike to historic cliff dwellings.
Check out Meteor Crater, a 50,000-year-old impact site that has a long history of visitors, from miners to astronauts.
Winslow and Holbrook
Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona is a popular pastime in this town immortalized in the Eagles song. You’ll also find the historic La Posada Hotel and Homolovi State Park, with ruins, a visitor center, and a museum.
Before you leave Arizona, you need to take in one more Route 66 roadside attraction. Holbrook, sitting in the Painted Desert, is the home to another Wigwam Motel. If you missed the one in San Bernardino during the first leg of this road trip, you’re getting another chance.
This motor lodge is made up of concrete tepees, complete with furnishings from the heyday of Route 66. The parking lot sports a lot of classic cars for an enhanced retro vibe. If you’re traveling in a Sprinter van, you can stay the night. If not, drive by for a blast from the past.
There’s a lot of desert scenery to enjoy as you travel toward the state line, and you’ll want to stop in Petrified Forest National Park. Hike the trails to explore this natural wonder and enjoy its desert vistas.
RV Accommodations
Pull your rig into the OK RV Park right in Holbrook. You’ll find 79 spots, full hook-ups, showers and restrooms, laundry, pull-throughs, Wi-Fi, cable TV, and reasonable rates at this pet-friendly park.
Directions
Turn left off Route 66 at Navaho Blvd. Take a left on Buzzard Blvd and a right on Roadrunner Rd.
New Mexico and Beyond!
On the next leg of our Route 66 RV road trip, we’ll be heading into the Land of Enchantment. Will we make it through more than one state? We’ll find out!
