THERE are 191 turns in eight miles,' says the woman, who smiles as she warns of the Oatman Highway just up the road. She is a clerk in Cool Springs Station, the last roadside stop before this treacherous part of Route 66 in north-west Arizona. Just stick to the speed limit and there's nothing to worry about.' She knows the face of a concerned traveller when she sees one.
I'm right to be worried. Dangerous Roads, a website dedicated to highlighting the world's most difficult routes, describes this stretch as having 'very few guardrails giving you no leeway for error'. It is, indeed, technical, with steep drops that will put the fear in your passenger if they peer out of the window. It's also high-the summit of Sitgreaves Pass topping out at 3,595ft above sea level. Those brave enough to drive it will be rewarded with a visit to the Gold Rush town of Oatman itself located after the summit. They can also brag that they've driven one of the oldest stretches of Route 66.
The Oatman Highway is very different to much of Route 66, which once followed a broadly diagonal line of tarmac from Chicago, Illinois, all the way to Los Angeles, California. The route was intended to make cross country travel easier, as well as boosting the income of the small towns it severed. The route was decommissioned nearly 40 years ago in 1985 and celebrates its centenary in 2026, so what does 'the Main Street of America' look like today?
Denne historien er fra September 25, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 25, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Love in a dry climate
Garden design in the Arizona desert is a matter of adapting to the weather and the terrain and being clever with cacti. The spectacular results fill Kendra Wilson with awe
The spread of Johnny Appleseed
DRIVE along a country lane at this time of the year and you may see an apple tree growing out of the hedgerow.
All that meat and no potatoes
More than merely super-sized burgers and fries, American food is a mouthwatering reflection of the nation's cultural diversity
A Newport state of mind
Once proclaimed to be the original American art form, jazz continues to thrive at the eponymous jazz festival of Rhode Island
Route to the past
Does the world's most famous road still capture the romance of the open road? We brave 1,300 miles of Route 66 to find out
Steady as she goes
Fairy-tale palaces that float upon the sea first appeared in the Edwardian era. A century later, the majestic ocean liners of the 'golden age of travel' continue to captivate
The new Colossus
Standing proud at the 'sea-washed, sunset gates', Lady Liberty became a beacon of hope for immigrants and a symbol of freedom under just and democratic law
The time is now
Agents at Strutt & Parker's Country House Department share their tips to selling your property as they look forward to a busy autumn
The West awakes
All is abuzz in the West Country following a recent surge of activity in the market for large farms and country houses in some of the region's most picturesque locations
Bags of class
Combining classical elegance with distinctive detailing, Lalage Beaumont is passionate about creating bags of exceptional style and quality.