Everything along I-40 west of Flagstaff is dominated by the road's function as the main route between Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. The first town you reach,
WILLIAMS
, seems to exist solely to capture the passing tourist trade, with a historic
railroad
running north to the Canyon. Things here, though, do liven up come winter, when the slopes of Mount Williams and the rest of the surrounding
Kaibab National Forest
offer good skiing, particularly for cross-country aficionados. Forty-five miles further west at the town of
SELIGMAN
, one of the longest surviving stretches of the old Route 66 heads off on a northern loop through the
Hualapai Indian Reservation
and a dozen quickly fading towns,
PEACH SPRINGS
in particular, that look like they're straight out of
The Grapes of Wrath
. This makes a great detour on what is otherwise a very dull drive; it also provides the best access to the less visited western reaches of the Grand Canyon, around
Havasu Canyon
.
Unless you need to fill your tank, or fill up on fast food, there's little reason to stop at
KINGMAN
, the largest town in western Arizona, from where US-93 branches north to Las Vegas and I-40 continues to Los Angeles.
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