April 10

It's a beautiful day in Kingman, Arizona! At the end of yesterday's post I said I was moving on to Grand Canyon Caverns. So why am I still here? And why am I going to be here tomorrow? It's the wind and a lot of open country.

My next stop is, indeed, Grand Canyon Caverns, about 60 miles down the road. It's one of those tourist traps you see along interstates. It has the cavern tours, a simple little motel, a restaurant, gift shop and other things to separate tourists from their money. And there's not much between here and there.

I spent a good deal of yesterday and this morning trying to figure out how to deal with the latest weather reports. The forecasts say extremely heavy winds will move into the region Monday morning.

Here are screen shots from my phone. The type might be hard to see, but it shows winds as high as 30 mph. I'm not venturing out into those conditions.

The weather is clear today with light winds, so I could have gotten on the road and made it to the Caverns before the winds developed. But then I'd be stuck there another day as the winds came through. Actually, I was prepared to do just that when I went to bed last night. I came up with some romantic notions of how I could hang out with some of the folks who work there. We could wait out the storm together, tell stories and make friends. As a former journalist I figured there had to be something interesting to learn during my time there.

My outlook changed this morning.

I got up at 4:30, had breakfast and turned on the TV. One of the Phoenix stations had its early morning news show on, and an anchor was emphasizing how nasty the winds were going to be across the state. She said the conditions would be worse — with possible 50-mph gusts — in Northern Arizona, where I am. I took another look at the Caverns website and started to second-guess myself. Did I really want to spend two nights at that place? Yes, it has a restaurant and a store where I could get snacks, but with the wind howling, the place likely wouldn't be attracting many tourists. In fact, it might be closed due to lack of business and for its employees' safety. I'd be at the mercy of whatever decisions the operators made. 

Here at my nice Best Western motel in Kingman, there are restaurants, fast-food chains and convenience stores within walking distance. Even though I'm itching to get out of here, it seemed like it would be smart to sit tight.

Shortly after 6 a.m. I went to the front desk, which is staffed by a very nice lady in the morning. "Do you know anything about Grand Canyon Caverns?" I asked her. "I haven't been there in years," she said, "but there's not a whole lot there."

That was all I needed to hear. I asked her if I could extend my stay two more nights. She said I could.

So, once again I spent this morning changing and canceling reservations I had made at places down the road. I'm now reserving only a couple of days out. It's riskier. I might have difficulty finding a place to stay if I call only a day ahead, but there are too many variables with this form of travel.

After finishing my administrative duties, I had to get out of my motel room. It was a gorgeous day — a  little cool, in the mid-60s, but sunny with a bright blue sky and puffy clouds.

I got on my bike and rode the three miles into downtown Kingman. 

The city has embraced its history as a main stop on Route 66 and as a major railroad town. Those themes are carried out on signs, murals, business names, and old-time storefronts. 

I cruised around a bit, stopping to take pictures of a few landmarks. It was about 11 a.m., so I stopped at one of the city's most popular restaurants, Mr. D'z Route 66 Diner, which had outdoor seating. I locked my bike to a post where I could keep an eye on it as I took a seat at one of the picnic tables out front.  Mr. D'z touts its chicken-fried steak and its bottomless mug of root beer, so I ordered both. I'm not a big fan of chicken-fried steak but this was good, as were the mashed potatoes, gravy and vegetables on the plate. I also had a tossed salad — the first I've had on this trip.

My waitress, Gabriela, who looked to be in her late teens, commented on the Route 66 cycling jersey I was wearing and asked if I'd eaten at Mr. D'z before. I told her I was in Kingman for the first time. "And you're traveling with your bike?" she asked. "I'm traveling on my bike," I replied. "I rode here from L.A."

"No, you didn't. You're putting me on."

We had a nice chat about my trip.

After my meal, I rode around town a bit more. The downtown was very clean, with smooooth streets — and also empty of any real traffic. It had its gaps and shuttered storefronts from hard times, but it also had several lively pubs and eateries during the Sunday brunch hours. And then you turn the corner and come before the stately Mohave County Courthouse residing on its bench above the city.  It's impressive.

Civic pride is strong here. You can sense it.

And well, there was this too:

I know there'll be more signs like that one ahead.

I'm glad I took the opportunity to see Kingman.  I've told a few friends that one of my concerns with this trip is that I'll fill too much time with just being on the road, hammering away on my bike.  I like to be on the road, hammering away. But it's also good to slow down and appreciate a chicken-fried steak and a bottomless, frosty mug of root beer in the sunshine.

With a full belly from Mr. D'z, I turned left out of downtown and headed up the long hill on Andy Devine Avenue —an overly wide four-lane (with bike lane) — back to my motel by the highway. It didn't seem to take as long as expected getting back. 

Unless there is a big change in the weather, I'll be here another day, trying to get that Creedence Clearwater Revival song, "Lodi," out of my head.

Contact me: Thoughts or comments? Email me at richardridesusa@gmail.com.

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