Day 17 of Route 66 2015 from Kingman to Needles

The day started early for me because I had made an appointment with the famous writer Jim Hinkley in Kingman. Jim and I met the first time in the Preal when he was in the Netherlands in Amsterdam. I felt very honored that he and I met in Kingman.

We had a good talk about driving Route 66. We both know  and agreed that it is the route 66 and the adventure that make complete strangers friends.

And an example of this fact I had again in Outman were I met again my German friends who I first met in Pontiac and later in Albuquerque . Although we don’t know each other we share the same passion. So we went for dinner this evening together and go together from Needles to Barstow true the dessert. And that is what Jim mend when he said the adventure makes friends.

Well what did I see today after my meeting with Jim I went back to the hotel. Had breakfast and the MD and the went to see Kingmen and the Kingman museum. Saw the winner of top speed cars full electric in the museum too. A nice exhibition of the past and the future where I would give the title too a must see on 66.

Then I went to Chloride to see an old silver mine town just outside Kingman on the road to Las Vegas. And on the same road lived in the past our Santa Claus. He has his house still for sale. It was already for sale in 2013. I think now nobody will buy it and it will be damaged buy time.

Then I drove to Cool Springs were I had my first real coffee since weeks. The guy how worked there I did recognize by face. He and I had a long talk about several things. He told me he will retire in 2 year so when I ever will drive route 66 again he will not be there. Cool Springs is a nice place to stop just before the big hill climing starts. 

And yes I saw the remains of Ed’s Kamp. Dries Bessels already posted more detailed pictures of the place. A sad view if you ask me, lots of buildings are going down this way.

The drive to Oatman is a long climbing uphill. But the pavement was fresh to the road was OK. Coming to Oatman is always nice. The donkey’s on the street the shops like the 60-ties. After hard work driving uphile a nice place to rest.

Well what are we going to see tomorrow when driving true the dessert. Off course Goff’s and Ferner and Roy’s Café and New Bagdad Café and Calicio Ghost town too. It is only a 300 km drive but the dessert makes it special for us European drivers.