Friday, 3-19-10
This morning as I was about to update yesterday’s report, I inadvertently hit the wrong button and the report got posted. The update was going to be Stan’s Tip of the Day #2.
The first Tip of the Day was RoadsideAmerica.com, the second tip was going to be that there is free wi-fi in Laughlin, Nevada. If you ever find yourself in Laughlin DON’T pay the hotel’s Internet connection fee.
This morning, Friday, I left the hotel in search of free Internet access, or at least, cheaper access that $9.00 a day. I cruised “the Laughlin strip” looking for a “free wi-fi here” sign. If you’re ever here, don’t look, there are none. Last summer, on my motorcycle trip to Alaska, I discovered that the McDonald’s in Ketchikan had wi-fi. It wasn’t free but at least it was reasonable. I saw the friendly arches sign and thought I’d give them a try. Here in Laughlin, the McDonald’s is located in the food court of the Laughlin Outlet Mall. As I walked in, I saw two guys with laptops on their table so I walked over to talk to them before I inquired about the Internet from the girl behind the counter. I asked if they were using the Internet and how much it cost. They looked at me and said, in what seemed like unison, “There’s no cost, it’s free here”. They went on to explain that the Mall provides wi-fi Internet access for the merchants but anyone can use it, they just don’t publicize it.
The rally today had a treasure hunt on the schedule. I’m not sure exactly what a treasure hunt is all about but I overheard someone say that, at the start, you get a clue. You then have to figure out that clue and ride to the next place to get another clue. Sounds a bit like TV’s Amazing Race program. It didn’t sound like my cup of tea so I decided I’d ride up to Chloride, Arizona, a town I later learned is the oldest continuously inhabited mining town in Arizona.
It’s been my experience, living in the southwest, that high winds mean a weather front is coming through, bringing a serious change in the weather. The winds this morning may have been the worst I’ve experienced but, other than the winds, nothing changed…..cool in the mornings, warm in the afternoon with clear, blue skies. This evenings news said that they’d clocked wind gusts at 54 mph. That’s some mighty strong winds when you’re riding a trike andpulling a trailer behind. Heck, that’s a pretty tough wind, makes no difference if you’re riding or driving. Everybody I saw on the highway was having a quite a time keeping it between the white lines.
As you leave Laughlin, you head east over some mountain range whose name I don’t know. Then you ride about 10 miles across a valley, turning north on Hwy 93. For the next 20 miles or so, you’re on a highway that’s relatively straight and flat. There are mountains on both sides but they’re 5 miles away on either side. There’s nothing to slow the wind down. On two wheels you can lean into the wind and it’s not too bad. On three wheels, I was all over the road. I wind was coming from my left which kept me closer to the shoulder of the road. Every now and then, the wind would just die away and the bike would shoot towards the center line. Then there’d be another gust and I’d be headed back towards the shoulder. I’d would be an understatement to say that this mornings ride to Chloride was a white-knuckled one.
As I said earlier, Chloride, Arizona, is the oldest continuously inhabited mining town in Arizona…..and it looks it. It’s a mix of the old and the new. There are quite a few of the older places around town. Mixed in amongst them are trailers, old greyhound buses, and a few newer modular homes. It’s quite the eclectic place. At one point trains came to town. The train came to town because of the mines. First for silver, when that played out, lead and zinc. When the lead and the zinc played out, so did the train. Now, Chloride is at the end of the pavement on Arizona Highway 125. There’s a general store/visitors center/gift shop, a restaurant and even a motel. They called it a hotel but it looked more like a motel to me. It’s called Shep’s because it used to belong to a guy named Shep. His name was on the elevated water tank out back. I’m guessing Shep has been gone a long time because his name on the water tank is peeling and very badly faded.
The restaurant, Yesterday’s, is the local hot spot. I know that sounds funny for an old mining town like Chloride but it’s true. It may be because they’re the only game in town but Yesterday’s has live entertainment 7 nights a week! The menu comes to you in the form of a notebook and features Crab and Lobster. You can even get mussels if you‘re so inclined…..all in the middle of the desert!
I wasn’t in the mood for any of that stuff, what I wanted was Spam. Guess what, that’s on the menu too! I picked their “Tower of Spam” sandwich. It’s has multiple slices of Spam, sliced thin and grilled, with cheese and chipotle peppers served on a sesame seed bun, served with fresh cut french fries on the side. I thought the $9.95 price was a bit high for Spam but, I must say, the sandwich was really good. If, on a bad day, you find yourself in Chloride, try the Tower of Spam. I don’t have to tell you to eat at Yesterday’s,
they’re the only eating place in town.
I’ll post a few pictures so you can get a feel for Chloride.
And I haven’t even mentioned the yard art. Now, I’ve been to some of the great yard art places in this country but Chloride has to rank near the top of the list of great yard art places. There’s yard art of all descriptions, from welded stuff to bottle trees. There are ropes of broken bottles, car parts, animal bones, hubcaps, old appliances and all kinds of other stuff. For those of you who know what HULL ware is, I’ll post a picture that may kill you. Everywhere else, HULL ware is very much a collectible, here in Chloride, it’s just more yard art. In one of the pictures, there’s a HULL vase in amongst a bunch of stuff, just so much yard art.
Then there’s the jail, which you can walk in and look around, but do it quickly. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to see in the picture but there’s a ¾ inch cable wrapped one end of the building, holding it together. The adobe building is about to give up the ghost and collapse. From the look at the building, I wasn’t sure going inside was a good idea. There’s also a train station, which is privately owned. I asked why nobody was trying to restore it and was told the owners aren’t interested in restoring it or in selling it.
However, if you’re looking to retire, or just get away from it all, the Mineshaft General Store is for sale. The asking price is $298,000, that’s for the store, a three bedroom house and quite a few town lots.
