Route 66 in Arizona

Oatman is having a bed race. The 19th Annual Great Oatman Bed Races will be held on January 24 in the town of Oatman, Arizona. Oatman is located in the Black Mountains, on old Route 66.

The last time I saw a bed race was when I was in college…a long, long time ago. I didn’t even realize that people still did bed races. I know they were outlawed on my college campus shortly after I graduated because of insurance issues.

If you are not familiar with bed races, well, you are missing out on some crazy fun. Generally, 5-person teams participate, with one person riding in a specially constructed bed, and the other 4 team members guiding the bed through a designated course. At the halfway point of the race, teams have to stop and make up a stationary bed, complete with sheets, comforter or bedspread, and pillows before continuing. While it’s common to have to build your own racing bed for a bed race, beds will be provided for each team that enters the Oatman race.

The Oatman race will take place at 1:30pm on January 24 along Main Street. There will be a Chamber Pot Parade starting at 11:00am, and spectators and participants alike are encouraged to wear pajamas. There will also be a bake sale, a toilet seat toss, and other events during the day. There will also be a burro calling contest.

This sounds like it’s going to be a wild and crazy day in Oatman.

Most Polar Bear Plunges that I am aware of take place in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Kingman’s is taking place at one of its community pools.

If you are not familiar with a Polar Bear Plunge, it is an event where brave, hardy souls take a dip in freezing water. Often, these events are held to raise awareness and funds for global warming, as fund-raising events for other charities, or just for fun.

The Kingman Polar Bear Plunge falls in the ‘just for fun’ category. The plunge will be held at exactly 12 noon on New Year’s Day at the Grandview Pool in downtown Kingman. This local event is free, and is open to all who wish to ring in the New Year by freezing.

Hot showers will be available to all plungers after the event. All participants will also receive a Polar Bear t-shirt. Hot chocolate & cider, popcorn, and other snacks will be available at the event.

Warning: Polar Bear Plunges are not for everyone. If you have a heart condition or heart-related problems, you should not participate in a Polar Bear Plunge. The extreme temperature change could be harmful. Consult with a physician before participating in a Polar Bear Plunge event. Many such events state that participation is at your own risk, and many may require participants to sign a waiver.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post called Christmas on Hualapai Mountain, about the winter wonderland that was being created at Hualapai Mountain Park on December 20.  I almost didn’t write this follow-up, since I wasn’t able to attend the event.  However, based on an article that was in our local paper yesterday, I felt compelled to do so.

I wanted to go to the event, but my husband had to work that day, and we wouldn’t have gotten there until towards the end of the event.  Turns out, it’s a good thing we didn’t go.  They were so overwhelmed with the turnout that cars were turned away.  It’s estimated that around 1500 people showed up for the event, and they were planning on a maximum of 1000.  At least, that’s the number of cups of hot chocolate they went through before running out.

Cars waited for at least an hour to get into the park, and many of them were turned away.  Some of the cars that were turned away had young kids that were wanting to see Santa.  Imagine having to tell your child that they couldn’t see Santa, when they were just that close.

This town is a small town and doesn’t have a mall.  Families would have had to go into Laughlin or Bullhead City to see a mall Santa.  I don’t recall Santa being at Wal-Mart this year either, so this may have been the only opportunity for a lot of local families and kids to visit Santa.

Being a small town, there’s not a lot of entertainment opportunities either.  So, when there’s a local event, the town turns out.  The organizers of this event shouldn’t have been surprised at the turnout.  And they really shouldn’t have turned away visitors, especially those with kids who wanted to see Santa.  I can understand them wanting to close the event as scheduled, but they turned away cars at least 1/2 hour before the event was scheduled to end.  They should have at least let the cars that were in line into the event.

Hopefully, if the organizers do this event again in the future, it will be planned better.

Why watch the ball drop in New York City when you can see the pine cone drop in Flagstaff, Arizona on New Year’s Eve? The giant pine cone atop the Weatherford Hotel in Flagstaff drops twice on New Year’s Eve. The first time it falls at 10:00pm local time, which is midnight in New York. The 10pm drop is to accommodate the families who want to ring in the New Year together. The ball, er, pine cone drops again at midnight local time, to officially usher in the New Year in Arizona.

The New Year’s Eve Pine Cone Drop began in 1999. Flagstaff’s giant pine cone is not the only unusual object that is dropped across the United States on New Year’s Eve. Atlanta drops a peach, Bethlehem PA drops a giant Peep (that marshmallow candy treat) made of fiberglass, Port Clinton Ohio lowers fiberglass walleye, and in Elmore Ohio, an 18 foot sausage welcomes the New Year.

Hualapai Mountain Park turns into Santa’s Hualapai Wonderland on Saturday, December 20, from 3:00 – 7:00pm Arizona time.  There will be 50,000 lights on display, hay rides, strolling carolers, and hot cocoa available.  The cost to visit Santa’s Hualapai Wonderland is $5 per car.  The park is southeast of Kingman.

The public can visit the park at anytime and enjoy the decorations, but the special celebration will be held on December 20 only.

A photographer will be available that day to take pictures of the children or families with Santa.  Pictures will be $5 for a child, or $10 for families.

Contact the park at 877-757-0915 for more information.

Hualapai Mountain Park was created in the early 1930’s.  Hualapai means “Pine Tree Fork”.  The park was named for the Hualapai Indian tribe who once lived here.

To get to Hualapai Mountain Park, turn south onto Hualapai Mountain Road from Route 66/Andy Devine Avenue.  Stay on Hualapai Mountain Road for 14 miles until you get to the park.  The road winds up the mountain, and there may be ice on the road and cold winds in winter.

All aboard, it’s the Polar Express!  The Polar Express, that magical Christmas train, travels to the North Pole via the Grand Canyon Railway during the holiday season.  Departing from Williams Arizona, The Polar Express speeds towards the “North Pole” while passengers listen to the story of The Polar Express.  Adults and children alike are enchanted by the magical tales, while enjoying hot chocolate and cookies. Once at the “North Pole”, Santa Claus boards the train and gives each child onboard a gift.

The Polar Express departs daily through December 22, except for Tuesday, December 9.  There are two departure times each day, at 6:30pm and 8:00pm.  The Polar Express will also operate on January 2, 3, 4, 9 & 10, 2009 with two trains at 6:30pm and 8:00pm, except for January 4 and 9, where there is only one departure at 6:30pm.

Reservations are required, and must be made by calling 1-800-THE-TRAIN, or 1-800-843-8724.  Tickets are $26 for adults, and $14 for children ages 2 through 12.  Space is limited, so call soon!

If you can’t ride The Polar Express this year, the Grand Canyon Railway is already taking reservations for the 2009 holiday season.  The Polar Express starts its magical trip in November.  Check out the website for more information.

Oatman, Arizona, a living ghost town on old Route 66, is holding several events to usher in the holiday season.  Oatman is about 32 miles southwest of Kingman.

On Saturday, November 29, there will be a Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at 6:00pm.  During the day there will be wagon rides, a town-wide open house and a book sale at the Glory Hole.  Businesses will also be open later, until 9:00pm.

On Saturday, December 6, there will be a Christmas Parade starting at 2:00pm.  The parade will begin at the Oatman post office and will end at the horse stables located south of town.  There will also be a bake sale and games that begin at 10:00am.  Also on December 6, the winners of the bush-decorating contest that began on November 1 will be announced.

Gunfighters will be on hand throughout both days performing staged gunfights on the town’s main street.  Oatman’s resident burros will also be roaming the streets looking for handouts.  Bring your own carrots to feed the burros, or purchase them from many of the merchants along Main Street.

If you happen to be traveling Route 66 in Arizona the day after Thanksgiving, make a stop in Williams.

The 4^th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony in Williams, Arizona will be Friday, November 28.  The 48-foot tree sits at the corner of Route 66 and 2^nd Street in the historic small town in northern Arizona.  The ceremony was voted the “Best Rural Event” in the state for 2007 by the Arizona Office of Tourism.

The festivities surrounding the lighting ceremony begin at 4:30pm with entertainment provided by a local band, “The Good Ole Boys”.  There will also be Dickens Carolers and a live Nativity.

The Tree Lighting Ceremony is at 6:00pm.  Santa Claus arrives immediately following the lighting ceremony.

The ceremony began in 2005.  This year’s title sponsor is the Grand Canyon Railway.

Laughlin Nevada is holding a Holiday Boat Parade of Lights along the Colorado River on Saturday, November 29 starting at 5:00pm Nevada time.   The parade will be along the river that makes up the state line dividing Laughlin Nevada and Bullhead City Arizona.

Everyone with a boat is invited to decorate their boat and participate in the parade to kick off the holiday season.  There is no entry fee to participate, although a donation of a canned food item or an unwrapped toy is encouraged.

If you’d rather view the parade instead of participate, you can watch it from the casino river walk in Laughlin or from the Bullhead Community Park.  If you choose to watch from the Bullhead Community Park, organizers warn that the water level of the river will be higher than normal for this event.

Hot chocolate and other refreshments will be for sale along the river walk.  Check out the Laughlin Experience for more information and entry forms.

You and your pet can take part in the Thanksgiving Day parade on Thursday.  Ok, so it’s not THE Thanksgiving Day parade, but it’s a parade, and it’s on Thanksgiving Day.   The town of Chloride, Arizona is holding a pet parade in its downtown area.

Chloride is a living ghost town located about 30 minutes north of Kingman in Northwest Arizona, off of US 93.

The pet parade is being held on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday November 27 starting at 11:00am.  The parade will be on Second Street, between Elkhart and Payroll Avenue, about one block.

All pets are welcome but must be on leads or leashes.  There is no entry fee.  Pets and their owners who plan to participate in the parade should meet in Chloride Park between 10:30am & 10:45am.  Prizes and awards will be presented to participants.

The 2007 pet parade featured 14 entrants ~ 11 dogs, 1 cat and 2 goats.