Kingman Arizona

KINGMAN, AZ

Between Williams and Kingman there's a northern loop of Route 66. You pick it up at Ash Fork, heading toward Seligman to Peach Springs then dropping south to Valentine and then Kingman, with several smaller stops along the way. Typical of the old Route 66 competition for passing motorists, curio shops and eateries along the way try to attract attention with paintings of scenes from earlier days, Route 66 signs, and cutouts of celebraties such as James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. It's garish, but feels authentic and vintage and fun. Tee shirts available everywhere and for two dollars you can get a bottle of rootbeer and sip it standing next to a fifty seven corvette while exchanging notes with a couple from England. Love it.
Some of the ride was windy, and reminded me of my first bike ride crossing the Texas panhandle. When you get a side wind, a motorcycle leans into the wind. This meant leaning to the side for miles and miles. When I got to Albuquerque after that panhandle crossing I had to buy new tires. They had worn smooth on the left side. This time I was luckier. I checked.
When I got to Kingman, I got a motel, a nice one that had been there quite awhile. Imagine my surprise when I saw a plaque on my door announcing the room had been used by Martin Melner, one of the co-stars of the Route 66 television series. I felt like a celebrity myself. Well, almost.
The thrill was dampened a little when I tried to call the place I was supposed to do a signing at the next day. Phone number no longer in service.
Undaunted, I got on my bike and headed for the address. Turned out to be a consignment shop with a for sale sign. Now, I was starting to get worried. Actually, I was thinking of Willy Lowman, from Death of a Salesman. Speaking of Willy Lowman days, I'd love to hear what other we writers have encountered on tour.
I went back to the motel, checked the plaque to make sure I was still the favored one, and started digging though my notes. I found another address, and headed there. Voila! There was Don's Bookshop, in a new location, and Shannon, who I learned is taking over. Long story short, had the signing, enjoyed getting to know Shannon, and did a second signing at the Power House Visitor Center the next day.
The Power House is a terrific structure, now standing for a hundred years. It was used to supply electricity for the construction of Hoover Dam. Had a great time. The magic of the Quality Inn, Martin Melner, and Route 66 didn't let me down.
The high point of my stay in Kingman was having lunch with Clark Isaacs, (Clark's Eye on Books), and his wife, Loreen, at a diner across the street from the Visitor Center. They had reviewed my book, and this was a chance to meet them. The diner was a nineteen-sixties haven with fabulous burgers and malted milk shakes served sixties style, with the metal cup used for the mixer.