We discussed the power of experience in an earlier post. For us, Route 66 was a “non-experience” (and we fully recognize that might not be a popular opinion). Admittedly, we only saw a small portion of the storied road (Kingman, Seligman, and Oatman), and it was the dead of winter… but that particular stretch of the road was a bit depressing. In Kingman and Seligman, the signage and buildings were not particularly well-maintained, and the local area is fairly unattractive. However, it was interesting to learn the story of the folks behind the historic designation of Route 66, and to reflect on the power of a few passionate individuals to save and share something that matters to them. Fun fact… that area (Seligman and nearby Peach Springs) were the inspiration for the landscape in the animated film Cars!

On the other hand, Oatman was pretty entertaining—it’s an old mining town tucked into the Black Mountains, and it’s filled with burros. Yup, wild burros. Which, we learned from the locals, apparently HATE dogs. Harley and Michele kept their distance…and we all watched our step!

*So fun… we were on our way from Kingman to Cottonwood when the Depeche Mode – “Route 66” (Beatmasters Mix) came on!