Ever since my Thanksgiving trip to Laughlin, NV (read post), I kept hoping for another chance to visit the area and see a few historic towns across the state line in Arizona. Luckily at the beginning of the year, I received another free hotel stay offer from Harrah’s Laughlin. With three free nights, I planned a 2-day visit to Arizona with my parents…not too shabby. The only “setback” was the freakish winter rain storms during our weekend trip; but compared to the unbearable desert temperature in the summer, the slightly chilly February weather was much more agreeable.自從感恩節去內華達州拉福林後(感恩節兜風行),心裏就常想什麼時候能去附近亞利桑那州的幾個景點遊一遊。很幸運的,年初拉福林的飯店又寄來招待卷,這次總共三夜免費,可以安排兩天帶爸媽去亞利桑那州走走,太棒了! 只可惜天公不做美,我們去的那個週末很不尋常地天天下豪雨,但是比起夏季沙漠的超高溫,二月天還是舒服多了。
Route 66 was, and still is by many, considered as the “main street of America.” It was the main route connecting Chicago and Los Angeles back in the days, passing through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. In John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” the migrants escaping the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression traveled on this road from Oklahoma to California in search of new life and prosperity. In the 80s, Route 66 was replaced by the new super highway and removed from the Highway System; along with the diminished traffic, the towns along the route died. However, in Arizona, towns banded together to promote the Historic Route 66 concept, hosting events that drew bikers and classic car owners, and revitalized the towns through tourism.舊六十六號公路當年是美國大街,由東到西路經伊利諾州、密蘇里州、堪薩斯州、奧克拉荷馬州、德克薩斯州、新墨西哥州、亞利桑那州及加州,連接芝加哥與洛杉磯。史坦貝克的小說【憤怒的葡萄】中經歷沙暴及經濟蕭條的主人翁們就是走這六十六號公路從奧克拉荷馬千里迢迢往加州尋求新的生活與機會。在八○年代,這老舊的公路被新的高速公路取代,正式從美國公路系統廢除,沿路的城鎮因車流突然消失而一蹶不起。近年來一些城鎮聯手發起歷史六十六號公路之概念,舉辦活動讓哈雷機車族和古董車愛好者利用六十六號公路聚集,重新發展城鎮觀光事業。
On the second day, we crossed the Nevada-Arizona border to visit Kingman, AZ, about 40 minutes from Laughlin. Kingman is a main town along Route 66; the town is named after Lewis Kingman, the engineer who located the route for the Santa Fe Railway. Today, heavy train traffic still passes through Kingman. Kingman is not big at all, but the historic downtown district has a lot of buildings on the National Registry of Historic Places.第二天的行程是去亞利桑那州的Kingman。Kingman是舊六十六號公路上的一個主要城鎮,地名為紀念當初規劃聖塔菲鐵道路線的公程師Lewis Kingman,至今運輸火車也繼續行經此地。其實Kingman範圍不大,城中心有不少登記在國家史蹟名錄上的建築物。
Our first stop in Kingman was the Powerhouse Visitor Center located in the old powerhouse. The Route 66 museum is also located inside the visitor center. The adult admission is $4 (senior $3), and the admission price also includes The Mohave Museum of History and Arts, and the Bonelli House. These three attractions are small in size and only a short car ride from each other, so no need to rush.我們第一站先到遊客服務中心索取一些資料,這遊客中心位於老發電廠建築內,樓上有六十六號公路博物館。大人門票四元美金(敬老票三元),這入場卷包括六十六號公路博物館、莫哈維郡歷史文物館和博內利家族宅第。這三個地方規模不大,開車距離也不遠,逛起來很輕鬆。

Museum Display: Prairie Wagon| 早期大草原篷車展示

Museum Display: Okie’s Car| 三○年代奧克拉荷馬移民展示

Museum Display: Classic Car | 古董車展示
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