Grand canyon to twentynine palms

[PoorOldCountryBoy]

We're going to be driving from the Grand Canyon to Twentynine Palms. Right now planning on stopping at Lake Havasu/London Bridge and the Parker Dam in a week or two.

Anything of interest to day trippers along that route? (I-40 west / rt 95 south to rt 62 west).

 

[Ronstar]

I’m a Route 66 nut, so I would take the Route 66 portion between Seligman and Kingman, Arizona. And/or a side trip through Oatman, Arizona. https://www.desertusa.com/oatman/du_oatman.html

 

[nphx]

Ditto: Town of Oatman with mules wandering street.

 

[erkevin]

Grand Canyon Caverns on Rt 66

 

[calmloki]

The road (10) from Kingman to Oatman is fantastic. Not real great for big lumbering motorhomes, but beautiful. While I like donkeys a bunch and did say hi to one that stuck his nose in our car, Oatman itself felt crowded after the desolate drive getting to it. We made multiple stops on the entry route just to look at old mine sites. After you leave Parker keep an eye out for the shoe tree (which may now be a shoe fence) and watch the railroad embankments for creativity. Skys the Limit up by the 29 Joshua Tree Park entrance in 29.

 

[stepford]

The shortest route from Parker to 29 Palms is certainly the 62. While there are a few desert landmarks on that route my favorites are a bit out of your way.

If you like a little hiking and geology Amboy Crater may be worth a look. It's an easy detour off I-40 (and right on your way to 29 Palms if you go through Needles). However, if you head through Parker it's a good hour off your route and the turn off is when you've just about reached 29 Palms. May or may not be worth your while.

A different approach is to drop down the 95 from Parker to Blythe and check out the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge - a nice place for birdwatching this time of year. From there you can head west on I-10 to Joshua Tree and head north through the park to 29 Palms. That adds quite a bit of distance to your journey, however, and so again, is only worth your while if it matches your interests.

 

[USA]

Blackbridgebrewery.com in Kingman, AZ