Welcome to Kingman One: Furniture Stores

 In moving to Kingman, Sheri and I decided to start over on much of our furniture.  As such we moved needing to get new furniture.  We purchased a sleep number bed in Cupertino before we moved, and it is to be delivered when the house is completed.  

In Kingman the best furniture store we have found is Arizona Furniture.  They seem to have reasonable prices, and then are always willing to lower the price even more.  I really liked their couch with remote control recliners.  However Sheri went with an overstuffed sectional with an ottoman.  We found a very nice dining table which will suit us.  It comes with six chars and has drawers in the table.  We also purchased a matching entertainment center to have a place to put the t.v.  In Manteca Jeremy had made as built in console.  Arizona Furniture is located north of town on highway 66.  They are to deliver when we can move into our house.

Home Style Furniture is at the corner of Beverly and Stockton Hill Road.  They have some very interesting pieces at a reasonable price.  Sheri purchased a headboard and frame to go around the sleep number bed.  They also have a behind-the-couch table we have been looking at but really need to get into the new house to make sure that is what we want to do.  

Big Lots is in the same shopping center as Home Style Furniture.  They have some very good priced recliners.  The one I sat in wasn't very comfortable.  I would be wary buying furniture so cheap thinking it wouldn't last. 

I have been to Kingman Furniture a couple of times.  It is located across Stockton Hill Rode from the post office.  They have some pieces on consignment in addition to new.  I found a table I liked but Sheri did not and she is right.  It is used and would need to be repainted.  The last time we went we wanted to ask about a different table but could not find a sales man.

I also went to Help U Sell Consignment on north Stock Hill Road but didn't find anything I was really interested in.  However this is a store with many collectable items including Native American art.

Import Corner LLC is a very interesting store.  It is mostly outside decorations, but many of their items could be displayed indoors.  They have an incredible colored ball homemade chandelier.  Also many wall decorations.  It is close to the airport.  

Ashley's Outlet is off of Route 66/ Andy Devine north of highway 40.  We have been less impressed.  Where it is an outlet things seem to be less organized.  We have found a couple tables which could be used for gaming tables in the living room.  

The Bargain Spot offers a wide selection of paintings at reasonable prices.  They are used and some are nicer than others.  Many Native American paintings.  They also have a wide selection of furniture at good prices but again not new.  They have tables, couches etc.  Not many behind the couch tables.  This is on the south of highway 66 going towards the old downtown.

Welcome to Kingman Six: Restaurants

 Most restaurants in Kingman are chain restaurants; and many I have already visited in other locations.  For example Denny's is Denny's.  We use to love Denny's when our kids were young because they had the $1.99 grand slam breakfast.  They still have the same breakfast but now it is $10 or more.  I visited Denny's in Kingman (there are two across Andy Divine from each other.  I visited the one on the west side.  I went for breakfast, and wasn't too impressed.  However the hot chocolate was great and they offered refills.  

Another chain we have in Kingman, which I have not seen anyplace else is Cracker Barrel.  This is a nice restaurant, with a store.  There food is very good, and reasonably price.  It seems to always be busy.  The only unpleasant thing is you have to pay at the store which sometimes has a line.  But they want you to maybe buy something in addition to the food.   It has a southern style food theme.

Of course we have been to several of the regular restaurants.  Arby's makes a good beef sandwich but their wraps have too much mustard.  I like the Beef and Cheddar.  I have grown a new fondness for Burger King.  Their Whooper is great.  I love the white sauce they put on them.  

Five Guys was a bit of a disappointment.  Their hamburgers are the same, and I love it with mushrooms.  I always order the baby because two patties of the regular overwhelm the flavor of the mushrooms.  In Kingman the store does not have ice cream.  I was looking forward to a caramel shake.  Instead they told me to go to Baskin Robins next door.  Five Guts in Kingman does not have ice cream.

Chili's Kingman seems to take the bill over Chili's Manteca.  The food was fresher and we were able to go in and sit down.  I had the mushroom burger which was excellent dipped in ketchup.  Sheri had fajitas and they seem to always be underdone in Manteca but were better in Kingman.  Tony appreciated the freshness of his Cajun chicken pasta.  

A restaurant we visited which is not a franchise is Dambar Steak House.  This is at the corner of Andy Divine (Route 66) and Stockton Hill Road which turns in Hualapai.  The food was good, but the price for steak always causes sticker shock.  Tony and Sheri both had ribs while I had a steak.  I ordered medium rare but it was underdone even for me.  The western theme of the restaurant was well presented.

Airport Cafe is a very nice family restaurant at the Kingman Airport.  It is open until 2 p.m. and they serve breakfast and lunch.

Mr. Dz Route 66 Diner is an iconic restaurant with great food, great ice cream and vintage cars.

Hualapai Mountain Resort Restaurant is sure to please with their location and specialty items. 

Dairy Queen is a franchise I have enjoyed over the yers.  I like their butterscotch dipped cone.  However they have become noted lately for their "Blizzard" shakes.  The Dairy Queen in Kingman has butterscotch dipped cones; Manteca did not while San Jose did.  I was happy.  Tony was happy with chicken strips and a Blizzard.  I don't know why they add toast to their chicken basket.  It just gets thrown away.  This restaurant has a similar problem to the Manteca Dairy Queen--they are terribly slow.  We waited in the line at the window waiting for our order for an excessively long time.  

In and Out is consistent throughout their stores with an efficient way of getting people through their line, and then your food is ready when you get there.  However their shakes do not stack up to those from Dairy Queen.  They are so small for the price.  It seems many restaurants lowered the size of shakes responding to worries about obesity, but did not lower the price.

KFC is KFC wherever you go.  I think their original recipe is the best chicken ever, especially the thighs.  Tony loves their macaroni nd cheese but I not so much.   

Welcome to Kingman: White Cliffs Hike

 Manteca, being a western country type of town has many hikes in town as well as just outside of town.  This is a place to document those hikes.  

White Cliffs.  I visited White Cliffs when I was bringing stuff to Kingman.  It was a bit hard to find, until I relied on Google.  I was looking at the White Cliffs rode which goes under the freeway.  I was approaching from the north side of the freeway, and couldn't find the rode.  However it is ok I didn't as the road is pretty rough going that way.  Google took me through old Kingman, up above the Lee Williams High School.  

The hike goes around a pretty interesting mountain with cliffs and large boulders and interesting rock formations.  There is an upper and a lower trail.  The upper trail follows the old wagon trail, which was coming down.  The were transporting ore from a mine in the Cerbat Mountains to the rail station.  There are ruts in the rock, and holes carved out to somehow help slow the wagons as they come down.  

Reportedly the trail is recently marked, but didn't keep me from getting confused.  I thought I could cross from the upper trail to the lower and come back.  Instead I came down a draw with some pretty rough going through buses and over rocks.  

For more hikes

Welcome to Kingman Two: Local Parks

One of the most important things to me, in a community is the parks; the ball diamonds and recreation.  As I visit Kingman parks I hope to add information to this blog entry so as to remember what I like.  An unusual characteristic about Kingman parks is that many of them have covered playgrounds.  I understand the covers were put in in the past year--a testimony to the sunny summers in Kingman.

Kingman Park is off of Andy Divine/Route 66.  It is well situated with plenty of trees.  It sports a dog park that is well frequented.  The park also has a grassy play area with a backstop for a family game.  The park makes a nice rest area for any traveler going past. 

Hubbs Park is off of Fourth Street south of the railroad tracks and the train station.  This park highlights the Hubbs House which is the first in Kingman with siding.  It is now used as a head start.  The playground in the park seems geared to this age group.  There is also a horse shoe pit, a covered picnic area, a few other picnic tables and a half court basketball hoop.

Memorial Park is next to Kingman Middle School adjacent toe the Mojave Fairgrounds and the freeway.  Prominent in the park is a memorial to the eleven firemen who perished in the Doxol Fire July 5, 1973 when the rail propane tank exploded.  

In addition to the memorial, there are a couple unique things about this park.  It has a 9 hole Frisbee golf course.  It has a very nice covered playground with spider man net and slides, and in the corner next to the restroom is a large skate complex for skate boarders or roller bladers.  There are also two softball diamonds and a large grassy area.  There are plenty of trees which serve as obstacles for the golf course.

Metcalf Park is unique.  It is on land donated by Charles Metcalf.  It has picnic areas and play grounds restroom.  It is adjacent to Lee Williams High School baseball field.  It has plenty of trees.  What makes it unique is an outdoor stage.  

Locomotive Park is just that; a park with a big locomotive.  You can look in but they ask you not to play on it.  It reflects Kingman's rail history.

Walleck Ranch Neighborhood Park is a very beautiful park on Willow.  It borders the Mohave Gulch and its walkway which is considered a county park which extends for miles through Kingman.  The neighborhood park itself boasts green grass, play set and three covered picnic areas.  It has basketball court and horse shoe pitches.  

Southside Park is a very large park, mostly for playing ball, little league and a couple full size diamonds.  It is also known as Southside Little League Park.  It has six ball diamonds, two of which are full size and four little league size.  It also has covered play areas.  One area is covered with chain link to protect against foul balls.  It has half of a football field on one end.  It also has a hill at one end for hiking.  There are also a couple horse shoe pitches.  There are also soccer goals to use.  

View of Kingman from the hill

Centennial Park

Cecil Davis Park is the only park in Kingman with a splash pad.  I understand it opens May 1.  It also has a covered playground, two backstops for ball, restrooms and basketball court.  Park is at Southern and Van Buren streets.  Next to the park on on Lillie Street is the Dig It Neighborhood Garden.

Monsoon Park is set up as a place for flooding waters to be held during a monsoon.  It has not gotten that wet since we have been her, but there was a puddle in the corner of the park.  It is listed as a soccer park, but is a green park with banks around it.  Tony was their playing glow-in-the-dark ultimate frisbee last night.   The park is at the corner of Eastern and Southern.

Pawnee Neighborhood Park is on the corner of Pawnee and Southern in eastern Kingman south of the freeway.  This is a nice park with playground and then a grassy area large enough for soccer.  On one edge of the park is a wash which adds to the environment.  I walked around the park with the quail and lizards scurrying in front of me.  It was a nice walk but I had to walk on the curb some of the way.  

Centennial Park

London Bridge in Lake Havasu

 returning from Joshua Tree National Park we went through Mojave Trails National Monument and then crossed the Colorado River at Parker.  We then headed north and didn't spend much time but I was able to get pictures of London Bridge form both sides as there was a walkway under the bridge by the river.  Appeared a fun place with many restaurants and sites and activities.  We must return someday.  

**Joshua Tree National Park Visit Spring Break 2021

Joshua trees

Tony on a rock

Mohave Yucca

 

Chola cactus

Yucca

Juniper

Joshua Tree Visitor Center art

Lunch on a rock

Skull Rock I found

cactus

caterpillar

Joshua tree

Rock I thought looked like a tortoise

window rock looks like an elephant

Skull Rock

Tony and White Tank Arch Rock

Chola Cactus Garden

Tony's sign pictures

ocotillo plant

sunset

Joshua Trees was a three-day trip.  On day to.  We discovered in park camping was full and spent the night on BLM property north of the park close to Copper Mountain.  Second day we drove through the park.  We hit many interesting sights as can be seen from the pictures.  The highlight was stopping for lunch and eating on the rocks.  This also afforded a short hike.  Another short hike was to Skull Rock which was close to Jumbo Rocks.  The rocks there satisfied any bouldering desires we had.  We all climbed some, but Tony really went all out.  He also hiked to the arch by White Tank Campground.  This was our longest hike.  We stopped for pictures after that at a couple groves, but were tired out and headed for camping south of the park in another BLM spot.