The late character actor Andy Devine called Kingman, Az home, and the town has returned the favour, having named its stretch of old Route 66 “Andy Devine Avenue”, shortly after his death in 1978.  Kingman is mainly known as a southern gateway to Las Vegas, but to me, it is also the jumping off point to a variety of Mohave Desert vistas- some of which are inside the city limits.  Kingman is a good place for a fairly cheap, but colourful, weekend.

So, on Sunday, Feb. 17, after spending time with some friends in a wilderness area near Watson Lake, Prescott, I drove up to Kingman and settled for the evening at an Economy Inn.  I had a good afternoon and evening just walking around the downtown area of this old mining community.  Kingman is not Bisbee, or Jerome, but it holds its own and is worth a day or two of exploration.  A good place to start is the Powerhouse Visitor Center, at the junction of Andy Devine Ave. and Beale Street.  There is a Route 66 Museum within, for those who enjoy such things.

I was more interested in the model train set.

The town was settled by Italian miners, so downtown has its share of Italian Cypress.  The trees grace several properties, including the Mohave County Courthouse.

Downtown has several places listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chief among them is Bonelli House, originally built for an Italian immigrant, George Bonelli, and his family.  It is available for viewing until 2:30 PM, except on Sundays.  I had a full schedule on Monday, so it will be there to check out, another time.

Kingman folks have a healthy sense of humour- and funky shops are as common here as anywhere.

I  enjoyed reasonable meals at a couple of spots in Kingman:  Mr. D’z (fairly good food, with a heartfelt and hard-working staff) and Calico’s (friendly staff, good food-in modest portions).

Kingman and towns to the immediate north are bounded on the north and east by the Cerbat Range.  The Hualapai Mountains, viewed below, lie a bit further to the east, and will be the subject of a post later in the Spring.

Next up, a visit to the Cerbats, their interesting rock murals, and Arizona’s oldest mining town:  Chloride.