Off to Arizona via HWY 10.....

The wife and i are heading out to Arizona next week from So Cal to Phoenix taking the 10 freeway all the way. My question to you all is, what are some good sights to see on the way? we wanna make the most out of the trip.

 

well if you come through town on sunday theres a swap meet at glendale college...

 

I don't remember much to see other than the Cabazon Dinosaurs just west of Palm Springs. Quartzsite and Tonopah in AZ.

 

I'm guessin' your kinda new to the area! There is basically a whole buncha nothin' between here and there! And I mean lots and lots! At Chiraco summit east of Indio there is the George Patton museum, and a bit east of there is Desert Center which myself and several friends are convinced is filled to the gills with zombies... Not kidding!

After what feels like 6.9 bazzilion miles the metropolis of nothing, Blythe hoves into view for a food and otherwise stop, then across the mighty Colorado. After another seemed 6.9 bazzilion miles of utter nothing comes Quartzite. If your into the weird visit the tomb of Arizona's Camel driver Haji Babba... Then tell everyone you did 'cause it's the ultimate foot note! 6.9 bazzilion miles later your on Phoenix and trust me, by this time your ready. Hit our city's edge at anytime between 3:00pm and 7:00pm and you'll feel right at home sitting in miles of completely stopped traffic wondering if you made a wrong hand turn at Chiraco summit and headed back to L.A.!

Truth is, there is basically nothing between here and there but loads of desolate but oddly beautiful scenery. The avarage Phoenix hot rodder does this route about ten times a year going over to L.A. events, so it becomes an exercise of bordom removal and drive fastism. Once you are here though, feel free to give me a yell and I'll help you find what ever your lookin' for, and damn if you haven't pickup the best time of year! Everything and everyone is just coming out of their summer hibernation and gettin to it! Lots to do for both of you over here.

 

I agree, there is not alot to see between point "A" and "B". You wil soon find out that will probably go numb during the trip because of the scenery. Just make it a safe trip.

 

This thread brought to mind my girlfriend, The increadible miss Judy on her first trip across in the Plymouth. About 50 miles out of Phoenix she yawned and said "How much longer?!" I replied "forever". Twenty minutes later she said "you going 105 miles per hour?!" My answer "Yup". "Why we not anywhere yet!!!"

Do your best broken Chinese to Engrish to get the full effect...

 

you can always stop by my house im off i-10 and jackrabbit i will be out working on something could always use extra help lol like they said theres realy nothing to check out

 

I checked out the trip on a map and saw pretty much nothing from A to B like some have said. I just thought there might be some neat hidden places to stop and take some snap shots.

 

ok if you want to take some pics get off the freeway at 51 ave go south about 5 miles to lower buckeye i think there you will see on the east side of the road a old junk yard called boatwrights lots of super cool cars going to sh-t guy is realy high priced ..but lots of cool stuff to see from the fence ..

 

I know that drive all to well. The only place I say you have to stop at is Cracker Barrel in Goodyear,1209 North Litchfield Road Goodyear, AZ 85395
http://www.crackerbarrel.com/

 

It's a boring drive I stopped at the Patton museum once it's good to stretch but not much else, watch out for radar around Quartzite.

 

As you come down the hill toward Quartzsite, take the exit (17), at the gas station cross over I-10 to B-10, drive east through town......
Get back on I-10 at exit 19....
You can say you've been to Quartzsite....

 

if you like old military aircraft get off @ gene autry trail and head down to the airport. then there's the palm springs tram, or the giant marilyn monroe scuplture.

 

I've never made that drive but I've driven I-10 from Phoenix to New Orleans. My daily commute is 100 miles of the same thing you're about to see. My best advice is to look beyond the bushes and Walmart bags on the side of road and really take in the scenery. When you spend your life driving on surface streets you get used to not looking any farther than that. It's not a knock on anybody, it's what happened to me. It took me forever to figure it out but the trip looks amazing if you view it with a wide angle lens.

Don't look at this:

Look at this:

 

I'm going to need an explanation about this when I get in to town.

 

there is nothing in between...

 

The 10 million wind generators are kind of cool. Might make you dizzy though.

 

I would like to add: At Quartsite, there is a grouch that has a bunch of old cars,, never could get him to warm up, but you might, has a lot of interesting cars, claims to have the original Waldorf Nomad Station Wagon. His stuff is on the South side of 10, can't miss it. Its just East of the truck on the roof, advertising Tuff Sheds. I ask if I could look around, cause I had "nose trouble" He said, tell me what you want, I will tell you if I got it, I said " I will know what it is, when I see it." He kinda got nicer, but my wife was waiting in a hot car, with a restless dog. So I left soon after.

 

I cant tell you how many times i have make that trip. there aint shit out ther the best time is at night you wont miss a thang dont even slow down going thru quartz site

 

Yep, the old car lot in Quartzite is about the only thing I can think of although I turn off shortly after and head NE.
There is a bookstore there too that has an interesting guy that wears nuttin but a loincloth, if that's your style.
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/31581

 

Here's a little scavenger hunt for you. I found this map of "Arizona" highly interesting (mostly humorous). It's in Quartizite at the cemetery. The Hi Jolly monument at the cemetery is kind of cool to check out. Neat story behind it that I won't ruin for you unless you want me to drop a link.


Other than that, the car lot on the south side of the interstate on the West end of Quartzite is all that I know of. They had a cool 62ish Cadillac flower pickup last time I was there.

 

Made that trip last weekend. Good time to let somebody else drive and catch yourself up on some ZZZZZZ's.

 

Here's a good game for you ... see if you can find 10 running feet of shoulder where there is not at least a small piece of alligator ... the gf and I made the trip from here to there and back again two weeks ago, and I couldn't do it.

 

if your driving at night to Phoenix you`ll spot Ironwood State Prison off the 10 freeway near Blythe out in the middle of no where, dont pick up any hitch hickers.

 

Looking for neat-o scenery, then don't take I-10.

Do something like this: http://goo.gl/maps/ASyZU

HTML:

View Larger Map

Just click the link

 

One time years ago, ELpolacko and I were driving a '46 Ford that we dragged out of the gigglie weeds and built in about 60 days to go to LARS past that prison. At the base of the sign that says "DO NOT PICKUP HITCH HIKERS" was about the crustiest human being I have ever seen hitch hiking! Our '46 was so crusty and beat looking that as we past HE pulled his thumb in and pretended to not be hitchin'...

 

Ya know, if you have some time ELpolacko's route shown does bare some merit. Cool old mining towns and stuff to see on 60, and Wickenburg is one of those towns in our state that doesn't get much attention but probably should.

 

Wait till you see "Sore finger" road and wonder how and why they named a street that way. Then look where its at and move along.

 

Do yourself a favor & take 40

 

the book store guy, in Quartsite