Getting Our Kicks on Route 66 - Day 1

I recently took a trip with one of my friends. We visited Chloride, Oatman and Keepers of the Wild. She had been wanting to go to Oatman to feed the burros and I was always interested in visiting Chloride. I see the sign whenever I'm going to Vegas but I was always either in a rush to get to Vegas or get back home, so never made the detour to check it out. Keepers of the Wild is an animal sanctuary that used to be just off US 93 but several years ago they moved to a larger site just outside of Valentine.

Our first stop was just outside Wikieup to have some lunch and pie at Luchia's. I read that they had some pretty good pie and rumors of good pie are always worth checking out. The house specialty is a black walnut but I opted to have the special of the day, Pina Colada Cream Pie.

After lunch and pie we went out to the back yard which is a hidden oasis. There are several peacocks and a koi pond! You can even buy food for the fish or peacocks.

Peacock with koi pond in distance

Pretty bird!

Koi pond

Our first stop was Chloride.

What is it with mining towns monogramming mountains? 

It's a very artsy little town.

Painted wall 

Yard behind the painted wall - note the garden gnome.

The sign on the building says "Gnome Retirement Home"

Looking down the main strip towards the Cerbat Mountains

Yard art

Decorated yard

Every town should have a huge spray painted silver rock proclaiming name and established date

Pretty desert flowers

The Old Red House

Closed when we were there but we peeked in the windows and it looked like they were fixing up the inside. 

This is a private home. 

Closer look at the gas pumps

Gas pump outside Yesterday's Restaurant

And another one

If you drive out of town, into the mountains, a dirt road will lead you to the Roy Purcell murals. In 1966 Roy was working as a miner and in his free time he painted beautiful, vibrantly colored scenes on the boulders.

Looking back the way we came, with Chloride in the distance. I drove up in a Hyundai Sonata and we made it OK by driving slow but I never would have been able to make it if it was raining. 

I could have stayed all day looking at the yard art. Some of it reminded me of the random things you would see out on the playa at Burning Man.

"Seldom seen Slim with his centipede" 

This guy reminds me of something out of the game, Machinarium.

After Chloride we headed to our hotel in Laughlin and rested up for the next day's adventure in Oatman.