We spent a bunch of time in Arizona on our eastward Prufrock journey. We picked Route 66, and got our kicks.
We are too young to have watched the TV show of that name, and too young to be true fans of Nat King Cole, who more than anyone popularized the song of the same name. But the Rolling Stones also recorded it. As did Depeche Mode. And Little Richard.
We loaded Spotify and listened to each of those versions as we crossed from California into Arizona.
We both do love car culture, and Route 66, the main road from Chicago to L.A. for much of the 20th century, embodies that spirit.
Kingman, AZ
We arrived during the last hour of daylight, and set up at a joyless RV park that was close to downtown. I was relieved to have internet connectivity again after our Joshua Tree blackout. We headed to the main drag and enjoyed pizza and beer at Rickety Crickets (recommend) while listening to the 50 Shadez of ROCK band (vocalist Janie Lane has a pretty amazing set of pipes.)
It was a short stay. We re-hitched in the morning and headed out, but asked for some help from our RV neighbor, Robert, to get the connection right. He was a helpful fellow from Sacramento who looks a lot like Sam Eliot and has been on the road with his trailer and bike for four months. He told us that you can put your trailer on ferries in the Northwest, and suddenly a whole new avenue of exploration opened for us.
We appreciated his help and his stories. Then we headed back out on Route 66 en route to Sedona.
Seligman, AZ
We stopped for a break at this quintessential Route 66 town, which is basically the real-world model for the fictional Radiator Springs in the Disney movie “Cars.” The life was sucked from Seligman when Interstate 40 bypassed the town in the 1970s. But thanks to the efforts of barber Angel Delgadillo Jr., civic leaders banded together and created a marketing scheme to lure nostalgia-hungry travelers – like us – to stop and revisit the past. We bought a refrigerator magnet to add to our collection, and moved on.
Sedona AZ
Our destination for the night was our first Harvest Host accommodation, Quailwood Greens Golf Course in Dewey. Harvest Host is a network of businesses (predominantly wineries and breweries) that allow RVers to stay at no cost for a night, with an honor-code agreement to buy $30 worth of goods.
We pulled up to this laid back course and were directed to a quiet shady spot by the edge of a barely-used driving range. It was heaven! Green and leafy and quiet and remote. But we had a mission: unhitch and head to Sedona for a hike/run and dinner. Sedona was still an hour away.
We got to our trailhead at about 4:30, and wanted to run up to Cathedral Rock. But we took a wrong turn on the trail, and headed in a different direction. By the time we realized our error, there was too little remaining daylight to reach the spot we wanted. But we still got to a high spot and reveled in truly amazing colors as the sun set and the rocks turned every shade of red and orange. We are not sure if we believe in the vortex which makes Sedona famous, but we felt happy.
On this night, I picked the restaurant: Mesa Grill, near the airport. A fine choice, but the hour-wait wiped us out, after our long day and run. And the drive back to Dewey was extended by a 15-mile detour because of an overturned tractor-trailer on the highway ramp.
The next morning, we ran around the golf course. I hit a few practice balls at the range. Then we hooked up, and headed for our next spot.
Winslow/Homolovi State Park
After another four-hour drive, we arrived in Winslow and pulled up to our spot at Homolovi State Park. It was expansive, remote and serene. We loved the view and the quiet.
Our RV neighbor, Randy, from Pennsylvania, gave us some great tips on how to level Prufrock, a skill we are still developing.
We headed out to go stand on THE corner in Winslow, Arizona. There’s not much there except for the corner, but it is still worth the stop. Mexican dinner at the Brown Mug was terrific and cheap – highly recommended. We slept well, awoke and ran around the 14th century Hopi ruins at the park, and then headed off to New Mexico – the next eastward state on Route 66.
Technical updates
Re-hitching and leveling have been our main skills to improve upon, and we are making progress, thanks to trial and error and some good guidance and tips.
Our tow vehicle, a 2019 Lexus RX350 with a 3,500 pound tow capacity, seems more than up to the challenge of getting Prufrock up and down mountains. The driving is easy. We can cruise at 70 mph and get good gas mileage, and have even begun passing some slower vehicles.
Minor fixes needed: I removed the big battery cover panel under the sink, and one screw anchor came loose — I need to expoxy it in.
We may have a small leak in a water hose connection at the propane heater. I tried to adjust it, but it’s not fully fixed.
We do need to work on our shower water pressure. It’s got to be better than what it is.