April is almost over, the bright colors of desert wildflowers are quickly fading, spring has been delightful, and there is a hint of the summer temperatures that are just around the corner. The Laughlin River Run with tens of thousands of Harley Davidson’s and other bikes is over, the classic Route 66 Fun Run is on the Horizon.

As to weather, Kingman is a near perfect blend. The winters are relatively mild. Spring and fall are really quite nice but often can be very short. The winds that blow most every day in spring can become tiresome but we don’t have tornadoes, earthquakes are relatively rare, and to the best of my knowledge devastating hurricanes have never been a problem.

Summer is my favorite time of year though the temperatures often climb to 110 degrees. Its a dry heat, sort of like the oven.

This is one of many things my wife and I have in common. Another is we stay away from the Colorado River Valley, Phoenix, and Las Vegas during the months of summer. Even a dry roasted nut, a desert rat such as I, have limitations. Traffic, higher temperatures, and humidity don’t mix.

My dear wife loves the warm days of summer and even though her car is the only one in the family with air conditioning this an option seldom used. Still, it is asking way to much of her to travel the deserts without it and I will be the first to admit it is really a nice luxury on a trip. Its really great to visit the past but really don’t want to live there.

Spring, fall, and winter are the best times for exploring the desert back roads of Arizona as the temperatures are cooler and snakes are of no concern. During summer my explorations are generally confined to the high country.

So, here we sit with summer on one side and April on the other. Two plans are afoot to close out April, welcome summer, and say howdy to the ripe old age of 50.

Plan A would be a trip to Kanab, Utah, and a visit with a dear friend and his wife, a delightful lady Bill met when living in Germany. This would combine a little desert with a little high country.

Plan B seems to be taking the upper hand. This plan includes a quiet drive along Route 66 back roads to Prescott and into the ghost town of Crown King. A new restaurant there, The Mill, has grabbed my interest. An added plus is this is a place I really want to share with my wife, a good idea since there is a plan percolating in my mind about living in Crown King someday.

Next week is the annual Route 66 Fun Run, an event I will be covering for Cars & Parts. My next post may delayed a bit but I promise lots of photos from the event.