Route 66 – Descending from Oatman

Leaving Oatman, we braced for the winding road down the Mountains.

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

Curve after curve,

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

someone counted and there are 191 curves.

sitgreaves pass

and no guardrails.

sitgreaves pass

The view from Sitgreaves Pass is incredible.

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

You can see California, Nevada, and Arizona, depending which way you are facing.

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

And just beyond the pass there is an incredible memorial / cemetery.

sitgreaves pass Memorial

There are memorials for loved ones,

Sitgreaves Pass Memorial

ash scattering and interments,

 

Sitgreaves Pass Memorial

and goodbye parties for departed loved ones.

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

I can’t think of a better place to reflect on life and death.

Sitgreaves Pass Memorial

The striking views and serenity,

Sitgreaves Pass Memorial

the silence of the mountains and the whisper of the winds

Sitgreaves Pass Memorial

and here and there a small reminders of the harsh realities of life

Sitgreaves Pass Memorial

and death.

Sitgreaves Pass Memorial

We continued on

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

observing the random wrecks along the way.

Did they survive?

We had one more stop before we make a full descent.

Shaffer's Fish Bowl

We missed the unmarked pull over and had to hike back.

Shaffer's Fish Bowl

There are stone stairs leading up the hill.

Shaffer's Fish Bowl

to a limestone basin.

Shaffer's Fish Bowl

And there it was, Shaffer fish bowl.

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

I the 1930s, Shaffer, a man working on the road construction, noticed the spring cascading down the rocks and created the basin to collect the water.

Shaffer's Fish Bowl

It became a stop for weary travellers and desert animals.

Shaffer's Fish Bowl

Stocked with snail and fish that keep algae from growing, it is now visited by only those who know it there.  Most tourists just drive past it unaware.

Shaffer's Fish Bowl

Yet another spot to catch some amazing views.

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

We had just a few more curves to negotiate,

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

before reaching the bottom of the Black Mountains.

Cool Springs Camp

We stopped at Cool Springs Camp and looked around. You can read about it’s interesting history here.

Cool Springs Camp

We got back in the van and continued towards our next destination, Kingman, where we found some bad weather and some good museums.

Route 66 - Descending from Oatman

 

 

43 thoughts on “Route 66 – Descending from Oatman

  1. Ab says:

    What an amazing drive, Margie. The different personal tributes and memorial sites felt both calming and a bit eerie for me. I can see though how the views provide a great moment for reflection on life and death.

  2. johnrieber says:

    Love your stories – you take us on some wild adventures…when my wife and I were in Yosemite national park last year, we decided to head out the northwest exit toward San Francisco…made the decision to leave in the morning versus try to make the 100 mile drive late in the day – thank GOD. It was exactly like your trip: the first 30+ miles were a twisted, winding road along mountainous cliffs with NO lights or rails – not sure how I would have done after dark!

  3. petespringerauthor says:

    A piece of history. Thanks for sharing. It seems impossible in this day and age that roads exist without guardrails. I’d have to get out several times along the way to take it all in because if I were driving I think it would be harder to enjoy.

  4. paolsoren says:

    Now a question about the roadside memorials. Are they for anyone who wishes to remember a loved one and sprinkle ashes into the wind? Ot are they for people who have lost their life on one of the bends?

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