Monday, May 31, 2021
Las Vegas, Chloride ghost town, Prescott
We arrived in Las Vegas at 11:30 p.m. Sunday night on a cheap, non-stop Southwest Airlines flight out of Nashville. Enterprise had run out of the midsize car class we'd reserved and offered us a Mustang convertible instead. Yeah! Rental cars are expensive right now due to the great rental car shortage of 2021, but at least we got a sexy one!
By 1:00 a.m. we'd checked in at the Mardis Gras Hotel and Casino, just off the Vegas strip. The Mardis Gras is an older place, but our room was clean and comfortable - and bargain priced. After a few hours' sleep, we had breakfast in the hotel's diner, then headed for Prescott to spend a few days with Tom's brother Steve.
Old-school Vegas
Very inviting
Memorial Day traffic was heavy as we left the Las Vegas area, but we finally muddled our way out. Before leaving Nevada, we stopped at an overlook of Lake Mead and the Colorado River, which forms the border between Nevada and Arizona in this area.
Lake Mead Overlook
Chloride, Arizona, is a so-called ghost town four miles off of US 93. Once upon a time, Chloride was home to 2,000 people, 75 mines, and eight saloons. Almost abandoned in the 1940s, the town has made somewhat of a comeback and now has a population of around 350. The old storefronts, rusty junk, and miscellany make Chloride worth a look.
Welcome to Chloride
First rust-bucket of the trip
Fill 'er up!
Jolly junk
Colorful cacti
To visit the Murals of Chloride, we had to drive 1.3 miles down a sketchy rock and dirt road. We made it in our Mustang at about 5 mph. Painted on a picturesque pile of granite, the 2,000 square feet of murals date to 1966 but were repainted more recently by the original artist and his family.
Road to the Murals of Chloride
"The Journey," by Roy Purcell
Described by the artist as "an inward search for self"
Jana and the sexy 'stang
From the Murals
US 93's Burro Creek bridges are two of the longest truss bridges in the Southwest. The bridge carrying southbound traffic spans 680 feet across the Burro Creek Gorge, while the bridge carrying northbound traffic spans 700 feet. The road surfaces are 388 feet over the creek, making this a popular spot for BASE jumping. I'm not sure if the jumping is legal, but that might not be a jumper's primary concern...
Burro Creek bridges
Burro Creek
We turned onto Arizona 89 just outside Congress and began the steep climb to Prescott, an elevation change of about 2,500 feet, with a several-degree temperature drop as we ascended. It was a pretty drive with a lot of twisting turns - super fun in the sporty Mustang!
Snoopy Rock, along US 93
Frog Rock, along AZ 89
Just after 6:00, we arrived at Steve's house in Prescott. He showed us around and then fed us a nice spaghetti dinner. His home sits at 5,900 feet and has a million-dollar view!
Prescott from Steve's deck
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