Mohave County miner., 1911-11-11
From Denver to Los
Angeles by Automobile

highly illustrated of the route travelled
by the author of the article, J. r.
Zones, who Was accompanied on the
trip by his wife and young lady. The
title of the article j.: From Denver
TO the West Coast" Mr.. Zones says:
II was very much interested in Mr..
w. +. Williams article, An Ocean to
Ocean Highway" IN the May Motor.
But Mr.. Williams overlooked the
most interesting route, L believe, both
from scenic. historical and good roads
viewpoints: The route through Old
Santa Fe, the Indian Pueblos of New
Mexico, the Petrified Forests, Pre-
historic Cliff Dweller ruins and the
Grand Canyon OF Arizona.
Il have just driven over this route
from Denver TO Los Angeles, accom-
panied only by my wife and a young
lady.
Il made very careful inquiry as to the
road conditions along this route, but
was unable TO get any road informa-
tion through the Denver Motor Club,
the A. A. A. or the Automobile Club
of Southern California, but was ad-
vised by all three clubs not TO attempt
this route. This shows how little is
known of the Grand Canyon-Needles
route.
In crossing the Mojave by the Needles
route, the rad in no place drops below
sea level, and at times attains an alti-
tude, at Goffs, of 2,575 feet.
For sixteen miles between Williams
and Ash Fork, the whole country is
completely covered with loose rocks,
some quite large, but the average run
is about the size of an Indoor" base
ball. All the road work necessary to
make good road here would be to
throw the rocks off the road. We got
over this stretch without any trouble,
and only had to move these rocks.
There is another very fine hotel at
Ash Fork, the Escalante.
From Ash Fork to Seligman the
road is good; fast in places. Just be-
fore reaching Seligman the road winds
around through valley and climbs an
easy grade. From the summit you
command a fine view of the surround
ing plains and mountains. After a
short steep descent you strike the
Phoenix road and in a few minutes
arrive at Seligman Harvey Hotel
lunch counter.
From Seligman to Kingman there is
quite a varity of road conditions. The
first eight, or ten miles out of Selig-
man is over a very fast road. Then
you have rutS for several miles. left
the road and drove on the edge, show
my speedometer. 1 had one pretty
fair hill to pull. Later, shortly after
leaving Yampi, we found ourselves in
a deep canyon and drove under the
railroad seven times in about four
miles, bat the road surface here was
pretty fair all the way to Nelson.
After leaving the Santa Fe, Dairy
Farm, we got on worked road which
led up around and over hills for sever
al miles. The road surface was per-
feet, and we did better than forty-five
a number of times. Finally this road
entered a narrow canyon. then dry
wash, and finally the dry bed of a
river which we drove in second for
about a mile, then struck another
perfect piece of road which led
through an Indian school, and later
into the bed of the river again. Later we
crossed the river and in crossing back
we Struck some bad sand. l had to
back a few feet and take a fresh start. |
l crossed in low this time. The road
from here into Kingman did not cause
US any trouble, although we had sew
eral close calls in crossing steep sand
We made all of of them with
out having to back up or do any road
work. We got on another fast piece |
of road fourteen miles this side of |
Kingman. Wherever the roads in
New Mexico and Arizona had been
worked they were in condition for fair
ly fast auto work. We left Klngman
over the Gold Road for Needles.
''This road is constantly worked and |
kept in fine repair. There are several
very steep grades on this road, as the
road leads over the mountains. There
is regular auto service between the
mining camp of Gold Road and Nee
dies, and this road is in perfect con-
dition and offers a very charming auto
drive for the scenery here is beyond
all description"