Traffic advice, Bullhead City/Laughlin area

[cayoterun]

What's the road/traffic like on Az. 68/Nev 163 from Kingman, Az. thru Bullhead City/Laughlin to Nv. hiway 95? We've never been across there.

We want to avoid as much traffic and congestion as we can. We'll get all that up around Las Vegas/Hoover Dam we care for later in the week. We plan to park trailer at "Valley of Fire" Nv. State Park.

We've already been warned about crossing at Hoover Dam.

I think now, we'll run I-40 to Needles, then north up 95.
Added mileage no big issue. We like open spaces.

Need Ya'lls opinions, tho.
Thanks,
Cayoterun

[maddog1331]

A few years back I was in Lauglin and went to Las Vegas from there by going 95 north, taking a left at Searchlight onto 164 and hit Interstate 15 which goes straight to Las Vegas....it was an easy drive and not much traffic at all once you get out of Laughlin. Of course, once you get near Las Vegas it starts picking up.

It was a really enjoyable drive overall, especially 164 which was pretty much empty of traffic when I was on it. Very nice scenery! I didn't drive from Kingman so can't say much about the trip from there to Laughlin tho.

While you are out, you might swing by this place:

http://www.pioneersaloon.info/

On Interstate 15, you take a left onto 161 at Jean and it is not very far (maybe 10 miles or less?) to Goodsprings. It is a really neat saloon, I really liked going there.

[Josh]

Traffic isn't bad but coming in to the valley to get to Laughlin is a pretty steep descent as is 163 when climbing back out. I prefer it to trying and cross hoover damn though. I burnt up a th400 in my truck going from bullhead to kingman on 68 when got stuck behind a uhaul that could barely do 35mph... I would probably stay on I40 till you hit needles and go through Mohave Valley etc. Ton of RVs go through the area all the time, it's not bad but I like to avoid 68 when I can. I've never gone down 40 all the way to 95 and bypassed them all that way.

Other than the 7% grades in the high temps of the desert the drive is really nice. I lived in bullhead for a few years and really enjoy the area all around there. Valley Of Fire is pretty cool too, havent been there in over 10 years tho...

[pritch]

I think the new anti-terrorist bridge is open across the dam now, not 100% sure on that. The road from Searchlight to Laughlin is mostly 4 lane now. I've never been from Bullhead to Kingman, but my 85 Y/O folks, who live in Bullhead, do it all the time, so it can't be tooooo bad-unless they happen to be in front of you I'll be down there in June for family reunion. Laughlin is my favorite place in Nevada, but at 540 miles from my house, nowhere in Nevada is farther away from me.

[OARNGESI]

It shouldnt be too bad

[cayoterun]

Thanks for the info.
We don't plan to get to "Valley of Fire" 'til Wed. evening, so have lot's of time either way.
We got 1inch of much needed rain last night, so the hardest part may be getting thru 1-1/2 miles of mud to hiway. We need the rain more that going to play, so very thankful for it.
Will post some 66 revisited '09 pics now and then.

Your prayers for my sis in Ark would be appreciated. Her health is not good, and is having some serious surgery Mon. in Ark. As the sayin' goes, "Old age ain't for sissies", but everyday is a blessing.
Cayoterun

[pritch]

I forgot about Valley of Fire-it should be awesome this time of year what with all the rain lately!

[70rs/ss]

When you hit this side, give me a yell, maybe we can meet up, I am about 65 North of I-40 at Winslow. If you want to head up this way Canyon de Chelly is a super sweet tourist place, lots of Anasazi cliff dwellings there. Good luck and be safe!

[cayoterun]

Ahhh, been there and back.
Wedding went great at "Valley of Fires", and it was fantastic out there. Visited n/w end of Lake Mead, water lever is real low, and they had closed Overton beach. Will post a pic later of a grounded house boat there that had been vandalized. We learned they search campers and motorhomes as close as getting on an airplane at Hoover. Make you unload all compartments, luggage, the whole shebang before crossing. Son and bride went up in their car, so hassle wasn't quite as much.

Josh: Kingman to Bullhead City/Laughlin is all inter-state now. Still some sharp ups and down, but overall a nice drive. Still have to be ready to throw out the anchor as you get to the bottom of the hill at Bullhead City.

Lots of construction on I-15 thru Las Vegas and traffic stunk. Only had to be there twice, but that was 2 too many. Missed our detour exit, so I think we toured every street in Vegas before we could get out of there. Out in the desert was much better.

70rs/ss: Thought of you when we went thru Winslow. Didn't think to e-mail in time to get a phone#.
I got a pic you might recognize I'll post soon.

Spent the night in a neat old RV park in Ash Fork on old 66. It looked old enough to have been there in the 60's, but clean and well kept.

We didn't go on to Ventura, but was going to come back on I-15/I-70. Got as far as Green Valley, Utah, and due to my inner-ear and eye troubles, couldn't stand the high altitudes, so grabbed Hiway 191 down thru Navaho country and picked up I-40 again at Gallup.
No more extended high altitude driving for this old guy.

Will post a few pics we liked when I get them out of the camera. No, I won't bore you with all weddin' pics. I stick to the important stuff like old 66, cars, and junkyards.

Cayoterun

[70rs/ss]

Where's the picts!! You passed fairly close to me coming down 191, that country up there is beautiful. I spent the weekend in Canyon de Chelly planting corn, and melons. My wife is Navajo and he dad's family "own's" land in the canyon, lots of water for irrigation so we planted about 2 acres of field by HAND!! I too have some picts I'll do another thread. Glad you made it home and the trip was a good one!

[cayoterun]

I'll start this off with these.
I doubt if any member on here will recognize this rest area.

Graanmaw was trying to burn some pent-up energy off our 5yr grand-brat. Have to brag, she's a good travel buddy. She spends alot of time with her daddy on his road truck. We don't have a big walk-in sleeper with tv, cd, dvd, cb, a bushel of barbie dolls, and porta-potty to use without stopping.


70rs/ss: If you (or anyone else), want to post some pics on this thread, it's fine with me, if ok with mods. I don't fully understand the rules here, but a vague idea about hijack. I'm sure they'll fit right in with this trip. You have an interesting, beautiful country out there. Always see something new and different each time we go that way.

Cayoterun

[70rs/ss]

That's the rest area between Winslow and Flag right?? I've seen it many a time!

[70rs/ss]

Hope this isn't a hyjack? But these picts are from Canyon de Chelly (De shea) which is right where they would have past by on thier way to I-40. We are coming back out after a day of planting the fields in there.

[cayoterun]

Yes, that's the reststop west of Winslow. Told the wife when I took the pic, I bet you'd recognize it.

We were still north of you here.

I'm sure we stopped in Chinle and got a bottle of propane on the south side of town. That was last wed., mid-afternoon. Went down to Ganado, took 264 thru Window Rock into Gallup and stopped for the night.

Cayoterun