I'm driving from LA to the Grand Canyon. Is there anything really interesting to see along the way?

Question

I know about Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam, but I am thinking of the odd and extraordinary... you know, the "biggest ball of mud" kind of thing...

Answer 1

There are a few little interesting sights along the way, if you don't mind going a little off the main route. As a poster above mentions, the most direct route from LA to the Grand Canyon South Rim is along I-40 (getting off the I-15 near Barstow).

I can't really speak for most of the CA section of the drive, but just after you cross the Colorado River into Arizona (near Topeck), you can detour off of I-40 to take old Route 66 through the Black Mountains. This is a classic historic section of Route 66 and much more interesting and scenic than I-40 (though slower and more winding too).

You will pass through the old mining town of Oatman which still has many old buildings (now many with gift shops) and is famous for the semi-wild burros (left over the mining days) that wander the streets. Just east of Oatman you will pass through the ruins of Gold Road, another mining camp that is now a ghost town. As you are starting to come down the mountains on the east, look for a dirt pullout on the right side of the road with some steps cut into the rocks nearby - these lead up to a little spring that feeds a bathtub-size pool in the cliff face (Shaffer Spr) which sometimes has gold fish in it (you said, you wanted odd :) ).
Route 66 rejoins with I-40 at Kingman.

Kingman is a historic railroad town and also an interesting place for aviation history buffs. The small town airport (NE of town) was constructed in 1929 under the supervision of Charles Lindbergh as a stop on the country's first coast-to-coast airline - at the time it was one of the most modern airports in the southwest. During WWII, it was turned into a military base to train gunners on B-17 and B-24 bombers. The airport still has a tower, several hangers and many foundations from WW2. By the way, El Palacio near the railroad tracks in Kingman is an excellent family Mexican food place.

Heading east out of Kingman, I would again recommend that you take old Route 66 rather than I-10. The stretch of Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman is the longest remaining stretch of the famous highway and is very popular with Route 66 buffs. It is an easy and scenic drive (not as winding as the Oatman stretch) and along the way are old towns and stores, etc from the Route 66 days. You also pass by Grand Canyon Caverns - a underground cave you can tour that was a popular Route 66 attraction in the 1950s and 60s.

You will meet up with I-40 again at Seligman which is home to the famous SnowCap Soda Shop with its funny decorations and crazy sense of humor - the owner, Angel Delgadillo, has been there since the boom of Route 66 and is something of a living legend for Route 66 fans.

From Seligman, you get back on I-40 and go up the hill into the pine trees around Williams. Williams is where the Grand Canyon Railroad departs from and also has some interesting historic buildings. From here you could take AZ64 to the canyon or take a slight detour and continue on to Flagstaff before heading north to the canyon.

If you take the Flagstaff route, than you will pass the Grand Canyon Deer Farm near Bellmont (about halfway between Williams and Flag) - this is a tourist attraction where you can enter a large pen and hand-feed deer and other creatures. Flagstaff itself has many attractions. The old downtown has many great buildings now filled with nice shops and cafes. The old Hotel Monte Vista was once popular with Movie Stars and some scenes from Bogart's Casablanca were filmed there. On the hill over downtown sits Lowell Observatory which was founded in the 1890s to study Mars and was where Pluto was discovered in 1930.

The roads to the canyon from Flagstaff and Williams meet at a little crossroads called Valle. Here you will find a small aviation museum and also Bedrock Village - a somewhat hokey tourist attraction and RV park featuring a replica of Fred Flintstone's town.

If you are dying to go through Las Vegas instead and come down to the canyon along US93 over Hoover Dam, than one other little attraction along that stretch is to take a little side trip over to the old mining town of Chloride, which is about 15 miles up in the Cerbat Mts off the main highway about 2/3 of the way to Kingman (there are signs). Chloride is a kinda funky place that is home to many artists many of whom have odd artwork and schulptures in their yards. A few miles south of town (along a somewhat rough dirt road) are the 'Painted Cliffs of Chloride' - a giant mural painted on a cliff face by a local artist in the 1970s. Nearby are some interesting prehistoric rock art.

Note that along US93 between Kingman and Las Vegas is the turn off to Grand Canyon West and the new SkyWalk glass bridge (not sure if that is where you were planning on going). Grand Canyon West is not part of the Grand Canyon National Park and is located on a stretch of the canyon that is less deep, wide or interesting than the park area to the east. I visited the SkyWalk about 2 months ago and found it to be over-rated and overpriced ($75 per person). If you are interested in seeing the real Grand Canyon than I would recommend the National Park South Rim north of Flagstaff/Williams.

Have fun! Adventure is where you find it.

Answer 2

Yosemite park in no where near on the way to the Grand Canyon from LA.

Sorry to say but there is little to see besides Las Vegas and even then that is along the 15 freeway when you should be traveling the 40 freeway to the Grand Canyon. You can take a small detour to Flagstaff Arizona and Sedona, but that is about it.

Answer 3

Yosemite is way out of the way and Las Vegas is a bit out of the way from the most direct route. Flaggstaff and Sedona would require a bit of a detour but it is so worth it. If you have never been to the Sedona area you have to see it. Take a day just to do that. Take I-10 east to I-15 north to I-40 east. Take I-40 to Flaggstaff. Take one day to drive down through Oak Canyon to the Sedona area (you could do this in a half day if you wanted) and then back up to Flaggstaff.

Answer 4

Carlsbad Caverns, the painted desert, area 51

Answer 5

I remember wanting to see Yosemite Park that is along the route in question.Yeah;'interesting' doesn't quite describe it.Check it out!

Answer 6

well...Meteor Crater! But its not exactly on the way....