Chloride, Arizona

After leaving the Hoover Dam, our next stop was Chloride.

The road to Chloride

We saw the official blue Welcome Center sign and had certain expectations of what that would mean. We didn't expect it to be 4 miles off the main road. We didn't expect it to be in an authentic ghost town. We weren't expecting 'Pack Rat's' front porch inviting us to come sit a spell, the bizarre cow catcher, or the outhouse. No, folks, I can say with complete honesty that Chloride may well have been the surprise of the trip.

In a good way.

The tourist information was off to one side of the gift shop/general store. It was staffed by a wonderful woman who didn't mince words. There was no way we were going to see the Grand Canyon that day because by the time we'd get there it would be dark. Sometimes you just know that you take a detour for a reason and other times it becomes apparant after the fact. This was the latter. Driving to Chloride, we were a little skeptical, wondering if maybe we shouldn't just turn around and head back to the main road. This stop probably saved us more headaches than we can ever imagine.

We asked for recommendations and she suggested we consider staying in Williams. That would put us close to 64, less than an hour from the canyon, so we could get up to see it in the morning. She explained when we'd be on Route 66 and sent us on our way with maps that proved to be better than what they gave us at the park entry the next day. Chloride, for all the misgivings I had when it didn't meet my expectations, was proof that sometimes the best stops are those you stumble upon by accident.

the facilities...

cow catcher (found art? recycled junk? you decide)