66

We’ve been spinning our RV wheels on Route 66 today. Mostly this road turned out to be looooong stretches of old asphalt, often alongside the railroad and sometimes running strait for many miles into the horizon. However, it was enjoyable to navigate this historic route because the traffic was very sparse.

We passed only one small town: Seligman. Basically one row of buildings on each side of the road but, nevertheless, worth a stop if you are haunted by nostalgia of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Therefore, we stopped, people watched and had a couple of iced mochas before hitting the road again.

Seligman is a little piece of civilization that remains true to the “good old days”.
Visiting the town is like a trip in a time machine. 

Lots of modern cowboy types were in town shopping Route 66 curios while leaving their powerful metal horses at the curb.

Outside Seligman the vast grassy ranch land dominated with many miles between farm houses. At milepost 115 we hit jackpot as we found our place for the night: Grand Canyon Caverns & RV Park. Now, this name may leave the impression of something large and fancy, but it is, in fact, the opposite. The RV park is almost empty but is in a nice setting with trees, although dry and sandy. Numerous holes in the ground everywhere make us believe that this place is a favorite home for many a scorpion and a couple of rattlesnakes so we keep our senses alerted when walking around, especially after dark.

Deep beneath the RV Park are the largest dry caverns in the US, shaped by Nature over the past 60 million years. We took a trip to the underworld 100 meters below the surface and saw the caves. However, no stalagmites or stalactites, so just moderate colours and form. This system of caverns have direct (although narrow) underground connections with Grand Canyon 50 kms to the north.

We did see, though, a Giant Sloth that had fallen into the cave c. 20,000 years ago ... 

... and as well as a well stocked WW3 survival “shelter” ... 

... with all kinds of 50 years old foods to make it possible for up to 2000 persons to live in the cave for some weeks and thus, hopefully, survive an all-out nuclear war and then, with some luck, become the founders of a USA version 2.0.

. : 0 : .

And now it is Monday morning. We have finally found a connection to the cyberworld out there in a fully fletched timewarp motel along the dusty road.

After a cup of black coffee beans and a bagel we'll hit the road on this last full day of exploring in the Southwest.

The Bilbo spirit lives forever !!