Follows I-40 East from Needles California across the Colorado River into Arizona for a few miles. All music and equipment FAQ's are in the closing credits.
I've gone this way a number of times: first with family in the early and mid '70s when parts were still old Route 66, then in the '80s when I-40 replaced the old road. Then solo trips in the '90s and more recently. The desert in daytime can be beautiful, but the heat....I live in Central CA, and I have taken to hitting the desert in the evening or overnight hours to beat the heat (the only time work allows for road trips is summer). About 8 hrs. with stops from the Fresno area to Needles is my usual time. Nice video, and keep at it!
I never drove through any desert, we just don't have any in Costa Rica or over in Europe. But those drives through random places just for the sake of driving, those are the kinds of drive I love.
Freewayjim Love the music and the video and also how come there wasn't no rest area there? There's ALWAYS a rest area when you go through a state.... I guess it's because it's in a desert. Have a blessed day Freewayjim
Thanks Justin, there is not a welcome center in the western part of AZ but there is one at the AZ/NM border (I've been to it). I have no idea why. There is a Tourism Center in Kingman about 50 miles up the road.
It's a small detail, but if you look for little details in road design like me, you can see the differences in how California handles more rural freeways versus Arizona and Oregon when you cross the borders. In California the rural highways tend to have very minimalistic interchanges with very short onramps and offramps, with more thin paint and everything, whereas in Oregon and Arizona, because the freeways are of course faster in rural areas, they make sure the onramps (Or acceleration lanes in Oregon) are long enough to match the speed, whereas in California they purely have a "Well it's less traveled, they'll be fine" approach.
Excellent video! I've driven this route many times. Usually in summer....though depending on weather, I might go at night. FYI there have been a number of proposals to extend I-40 west from Barstow to at least Bakersfield, if not to I-5 on the San Joaquin Valley's West Side, via CA-58. Last time I did this drive? It was in summer, and I went through Needles at 4:30 AM, and it was still 95 degrees....
It was 117 degrees in Needles when I stopped there for lunch on the way east last July. A bit further along it was 121 degrees. I can't imagine how people did it before AC.
Nice ride (FreewayJim), although I think the desert driving would be a little more demanding and exhausting to me, but you did it like a champ! I did enjoy the scenery and hope to never encounter the creatures that may dwell in the desert, (GVJ)!!
Sometime I would love to experience desert driving- just to see the scenery, how different it is compared to what I see in my neck of the woods. Very different, very interesting and awesome to see- if you ask me! Great ride!
What do you mean saying "Chris Rea is underrated"??? Well, may be in the US... But in Europe this guy was very popular, Even in USSR in the Cold War era. (Actually he is still popular for 40 - 50-y.o. generation).
Yeah dessert driving is very different than the tree lined interstates of the east coast, I hope to experience this myself someday. In the meantime enjoying your trips
One of my favorite stretches! Just now (after watching this a few times in the past) I saw your notation about In n Out in Kingman. Foul, sir! There are decent Route 66-themed eateries right in town. J/K I know you ache for the open road like I do. ;)
I hear ya! The problem with those retro-themed places is you never know what the food will be like. My wife and I shared a steak at Peggy Sue's in Yermo back in April...never again. I'll stick with burgers.
Interesting video. One thing I noticed missing was any signage at the Arizona state line indicating that the state is on Mountain Standard Time year round. California of course, is in the Pacific Time zone with daylight savings time being observed.MST is one hour ahead of PST. When daylight time is in effect, the two times are the same.
Great music choice for that stretch of highway. Thanks, Jim. Being the bridge nut that you are, I was surprised that you didn't head south on AZ 95 to see the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City.
I just realized I may have this stretch of I 40 on a very old VHS tape buried in a long forgotten box here. Problem is, I never marked those tapes with what I had recorded on 'em. Nothing shot on old, bulky VHS equipment in the late 80s could ever compare to your outstanding video and production, Jim... Maybe I *won't* go looking for that tape after all! :-)
Arizona, hotter than Hell , dirt blowing every where, nothing to see but desert. My sibs and I were all born in Benson Arizona, however our folks moved to California before we started school. None of us have ever gone back and never would live there. My Grandfather was Sheriff of Cochise County Arizona for almost 30 years and my sons loved hearing all about his adventures but the girls didn't like any of it. When the grandparents went to heaven none of us have ever gone back to visit. If you like rattle snakes and all kinds of poison insects, 116 degrees and hotter then you might enjoy an Arizona visit.
good video, I have to correct you on one of your annotations, between Topock, AZ (at the state line) and Seligman, AZ, US 66 followed a completely different route than I-40. From Topock to Kingman, it went down Oatman Hwy through Oatman and the Sacramento Valley of Arizona, then from Kingman to Seligman, it went down what is now AZ 66 through Hackberry and Peach Springs
Nobody seems to know about the Red Rock Cantilever bridge in Topock Originally built for ATSF railroad use in 1890. In 1947, ATSF built a new bridge for trains, this bridge was converted for highway use, and US Route 66 was rerouted from the Old Trails Arch Bridge (As seen in The Grapes of Wrath) to this bridge. In 1966, both US 66 and this bridge were replaced by Interstate 40. The bridge was not dismantled until 1978. It makes a cameo in the opening credits for the 1969 film" Easy Rider". it was located just south of the I-40 bridge. It was one of the largest bridges on Route 66 probably second only second to the multiple different bridges Route 66 used to cross the Mississippi in St. Louis area during its lifetime.
nice job Jim and for the bumpy pavement on I-40 the California Arizona border it needs to be repaved with concrete pavement since repaving with asphalt would result in another 65 mile per hour speed limit zone at that location.
I love this. I remember going this way many times when I was a kid on my way to the SF bay area from Arkansas. After the 40 ended we had to take the 58 to Bakersfield and I watch the trains go through the tunnels around the mountains. Now I definitely have to ask. Are you going to do the 10 from Indio to Blythe and/or the 8?
Thanks, no the next video is I-17 South and then we are heading east from there, have not driven that part of I-10 yet and I have this video of I-8 from 2015's trip. th-cam.com/video/EsUoJh-mqKI/w-d-xo.html
Old US Route 66 turned north just after the Colorado River crossing. The bridge it used is still in use to carry a pipeline across the river. The new, new US 66 routing does follow I-40. Look on a road atlas (2016 or 2017) and it shows the US Route 66 signs on the old road alignment. Great videos. Any chance you could do more videos in the Wisconsin area. You will be surprised what we have to offer here.
Freewayjim agreed. back in 2014, my family was amazed at the rock formations and caves between Albuquerque and the arizona border that was alongside 40.
The video was great with the dessert scene and music add together! I saw that one of your videos got muted for copyright so sorry for man TH-cam been kind of doing this to other youtubers lately about copyright and other things.
I think there is ag inspection checkpoints on most if not all highways entering CA (correct me if im wrong). I think there was one on US 6 coming into CA 50-60 mi north of Bishop (or about 250 or so mi S of Reno NV). Last time i was on US 6 was about 23 years ago when my dad was a self employed/independent big rig driver. He had his own 18-wheeler and drove it from our home in Bakersfield CA to Gabbs NV and would use US 6 to get there coming out of Bishop CA into NV.
Generally all Interstate and US routes that enter California have them. State routes that cross don't, for example, SR-88, which crosses the Nevada state line south of Minden doesn't have one, and is a popular route for hay truck drivers.
I went down that very same stretch of highway just a few days before you did, on our way back to Arkansas after spending a couple weeks in California. Drove straight through 36 hours, starting in San Francisco, because my daughter had to be back at work by Friday morning. Fortunately we had three drivers to take turns (myself, my wife, and my daughter). BTW, why the no lane changes stretch after entering Arizona?
I believe it is because there's where they want the trucks in the right lane for PrePass, something I'm not familiar with, but that seems to be the purpose of the double-white lines.
The original aligment did go through Oatman, On the Wikipedia entry it said there was a later (1953) alignment that was later taken over by I-40....I try to keep the annotations short so sometimes details do get missed.
That track worked perfectly with the desert footage, very nice work!!!
Thank you sir!
I've gone this way a number of times: first with family in the early and mid '70s when parts were still old Route 66, then in the '80s when I-40 replaced the old road. Then solo trips in the '90s and more recently. The desert in daytime can be beautiful, but the heat....I live in Central CA, and I have taken to hitting the desert in the evening or overnight hours to beat the heat (the only time work allows for road trips is summer). About 8 hrs. with stops from the Fresno area to Needles is my usual time. Nice video, and keep at it!
Thank you very much!
I never drove through any desert, we just don't have any in Costa Rica or over in Europe. But those drives through random places just for the sake of driving, those are the kinds of drive I love.
I still remember when I went through there. Thank you for making this video
Thank you for watching!
Very nice ride. I was in a nasty mood when I clicked the link. It was very calming and enjoyable Jim.
I'm glad to hear that, thank you!
Freewayjim Love the music and the video and also how come there wasn't no rest area there? There's ALWAYS a rest area when you go through a state.... I guess it's because it's in a desert. Have a blessed day Freewayjim
Thanks Justin, there is not a welcome center in the western part of AZ but there is one at the AZ/NM border (I've been to it). I have no idea why. There is a Tourism Center in Kingman about 50 miles up the road.
After living in Arizona for a year, I've grown to love the Desert, surprisingly.
It's a small detail, but if you look for little details in road design like me, you can see the differences in how California handles more rural freeways versus Arizona and Oregon when you cross the borders. In California the rural highways tend to have very minimalistic interchanges with very short onramps and offramps, with more thin paint and everything, whereas in Oregon and Arizona, because the freeways are of course faster in rural areas, they make sure the onramps (Or acceleration lanes in Oregon) are long enough to match the speed, whereas in California they purely have a "Well it's less traveled, they'll be fine" approach.
Saves them money too lol
Wonderful area. I'd love to go back driving through the great west
I saw this video 7 or 8 times ans I just wanna say...perfect song for a perfect lanscape ! Thanks !
Thank you very much for that!
Loved this video! What a beautiful area. Plus, the music was perfect for the atmosphere of the desert.
Thank you very much!
I also love driving through the desert. It is so open.
lol yea
I share your love of roads out west, Jim. Great video!
Thank you, yes indeed, can't get enough of them.
My favorite of yours - such a great track
Gotta hit In-N-Out when you're out in the west!
You know it!
Mike W. grab a carton of Marlboro reds and roll the windows down and just cruise... that's the dream
@@MrRMT1986 minus cigs.
The Chris Rea song with the scenery is a superb choice !! Thanks !!
Thank you very much!
it is fun road. I used it when I drove from NYC to California through North Carolina.
Oof I live in North Carolina and my grandma and I are planning to drive from here to Cali sometime and it’s gonna take like a week
Excellent video! I've driven this route many times. Usually in summer....though depending on weather, I might go at night. FYI there have been a number of proposals to extend I-40 west from Barstow to at least Bakersfield, if not to I-5 on the San Joaquin Valley's West Side, via CA-58. Last time I did this drive? It was in summer, and I went through Needles at 4:30 AM, and it was still 95 degrees....
Thank you for the comment and for watching!
Wow I really adore your videos! As always keep up the fantastic work, respect from switzerland
Thank you very much!
I love the desert, after 7/8 years of living in Arizona!
Thank so much we love the music !!
Music & picture. Perfectly fit each other.
Thank you very much!
It was 117 degrees in Needles when I stopped there for lunch on the way east last July. A bit further along it was 121 degrees. I can't imagine how people did it before AC.
You got that right!
Great music! It went perfectly with this ride through the desert.
Thank you very much!
Jim, this video is a brilliant piece of art. I am speechless!
Thank you very much!
Hi FreewayJim & TH-camrs! i feel like a Passenger through Your Amazing Traveling Videos! And listening to Your Great Music You Play!
Thanks for riding along with us Vera!
Nice ride (FreewayJim), although I think the desert driving would be a little more demanding and exhausting to me, but you did it like a champ! I did enjoy the scenery and hope to never encounter the creatures that may dwell in the desert, (GVJ)!!
The rest areas in the desert have signs saying to watch out for poisonous snakes, but I love it from the car :) Thanks James.
Sometime I would love to experience desert driving- just to see the scenery, how different it is compared to what I see in my neck of the woods. Very different, very interesting and awesome to see- if you ask me! Great ride!
Thank you and I hope you get to experience that, it's very different indeed, in a good way.
Great watching this from the cold, dark, rainy Mid Atlantic.
nice lol
LOL, thanks
I'm driving to Arizona on Monday this is helpful so I can see what's ahead of me
Glad I could help :) Safe travels to you!
thanks for the getaway Jim!
Thanks for watching!
Chris Rea, another underrated singer for roadgeek video songs.
What do you mean saying "Chris Rea is underrated"??? Well, may be in the US... But in Europe this guy was very popular, Even in USSR in the Cold War era. (Actually he is still popular for 40 - 50-y.o. generation).
The Road to Hell is such a good album.
agreed
Idk why but I seriously prefer driving from az into cali. Dunno why
Beautiful choice of music, Jim. Anything from Chris Rea is always soothing!
Thank you, yes he has a few gems.
The music is fitting for a long desert drive like that. I drove I-10 between Los Angeles and Phoenix once, it's also quite beautiful.
Have not driven that yet, hope to someday.
Yeah dessert driving is very different than the tree lined interstates of the east coast, I hope to experience this myself someday. In the meantime enjoying your trips
Thanks, and I really hope you get to drive out west someday, it will change your perspective on things in a big way.
Great job, as always! I'm looking forward to the next video, I-17 is a fun road all the way to Phoenix in my opinion
Thank you, yes I-17 is a very cool ride.
A nice otherworldly drive. Interesting to see those double solid white lines near the weigh station.
Thanks, yeah, don't see that very often.
I love the West. excellent choice of drive song.
Thank you!
One of my favorite stretches! Just now (after watching this a few times in the past) I saw your notation about In n Out in Kingman. Foul, sir! There are decent Route 66-themed eateries right in town. J/K I know you ache for the open road like I do. ;)
LOL, had to go with the sure thing :)
I hear ya! The problem with those retro-themed places is you never know what the food will be like. My wife and I shared a steak at Peggy Sue's in Yermo back in April...never again. I'll stick with burgers.
I live in Atlanta so I don't get to have In-N-Out very often which was also a factor.
Good video, as always.
Nice work!
Thank you!
Thank you so much we love the music!!
Thanks
Really nice, I would pay decent money for this ride. you should drive from Mexico to California
I have no desire to drive in Mexico but I did turn around at the border in San Ysidro in 2013.
Freewayjim aw ok :(
Nice ride and I love Chris Rea....
Thank you!
Interesting video. One thing I noticed missing was any signage at the Arizona state line indicating that the state is on Mountain Standard Time year round. California of course, is in the Pacific Time zone with daylight savings time being observed.MST is one hour ahead of PST. When daylight time is in effect, the two times are the same.
Merci pour ces belles images et aussi ces vidéos salutations depuis la suisse
Awesome Video Interstate 40 is actually one of my favorite Interstates
Thank you!
Great music choice for that stretch of highway. Thanks, Jim. Being the bridge nut that you are, I was surprised that you didn't head south on AZ 95 to see the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City.
Thanks, that bridge does not move my meter for some reason, plus too far out of the way, we were flat out as it was.
Nice that the song syncs with video
That's how I planned it, thanks
Love Chris Rea ! Awesome video, thnks!!
Thank you!
My favorite song by Chris Rea is his most famous " Fool If You Think It's Over " .
That's a good one!
I just realized I may have this stretch of I 40 on a very old VHS tape buried in a long forgotten box here. Problem is, I never marked those tapes with what I had recorded on 'em. Nothing shot on old, bulky VHS equipment in the late 80s could ever compare to your outstanding video and production, Jim... Maybe I *won't* go looking for that tape after all! :-)
LOL Thanks, but I'll bet it's still worth seeing that old footage.
Arizona, hotter than Hell , dirt blowing every where, nothing to see but desert. My sibs and I were all born in Benson Arizona, however our folks moved to California before we started school. None of us have ever gone back and never would live there. My Grandfather was Sheriff of Cochise County Arizona for almost 30 years and my sons loved hearing all about his adventures but the girls didn't like any of it. When the grandparents went to heaven none of us have ever gone back to visit. If you like rattle snakes and all kinds of poison insects, 116 degrees and hotter then you might enjoy an Arizona visit.
good video, I have to correct you on one of your annotations, between Topock, AZ (at the state line) and Seligman, AZ, US 66 followed a completely different route than I-40. From Topock to Kingman, it went down Oatman Hwy through Oatman and the Sacramento Valley of Arizona, then from Kingman to Seligman, it went down what is now AZ 66 through Hackberry and Peach Springs
Thanks, forgot where I read that it followed the same route, or at leats that's what I thought I read, but I went with it. Oh well.
I've been on this freeway before by way of Greyhound. I was so afraid that we would break down. Yes it is a very LONG highway indeed.
The I-40 stretch between Barstow and Needles was one of the most boring stretches of interstate I've ever driven.
I found it interesting.
Yeah's there's a lot of nothing out there.
Nobody seems to know about the Red Rock Cantilever bridge in Topock Originally built for ATSF railroad use in 1890. In 1947, ATSF built a new bridge for trains, this bridge was converted for highway use, and US Route 66 was rerouted from the Old Trails Arch Bridge (As seen in The Grapes of Wrath) to this bridge. In 1966, both US 66 and this bridge were replaced by Interstate 40. The bridge was not dismantled until 1978. It makes a cameo in the opening credits for the 1969 film" Easy Rider". it was located just south of the I-40 bridge. It was one of the largest bridges on Route 66 probably second only second to the multiple different bridges Route 66 used to cross the Mississippi in St. Louis area during its lifetime.
thank you
nice job Jim and for the bumpy pavement on I-40 the California Arizona border it needs to be repaved with concrete pavement since repaving with asphalt would result in another 65 mile per hour speed limit zone at that location.
Thanks, yes concrete would be the right call there.
I love this. I remember going this way many times when I was a kid on my way to the SF bay area from Arkansas. After the 40 ended we had to take the 58 to Bakersfield and I watch the trains go through the tunnels around the mountains. Now I definitely have to ask. Are you going to do the 10 from Indio to Blythe and/or the 8?
Thanks, no the next video is I-17 South and then we are heading east from there, have not driven that part of I-10 yet and I have this video of I-8 from 2015's trip. th-cam.com/video/EsUoJh-mqKI/w-d-xo.html
I usually stop at "in and out" in Kingman to, on my way to Vegas. Because it's way to busy in Vegas to eat at..
Old US Route 66 turned north just after the Colorado River crossing. The bridge it used is still in use to carry a pipeline across the river. The new, new US 66 routing does follow I-40. Look on a road atlas (2016 or 2017) and it shows the US Route 66 signs on the old road alignment. Great videos. Any chance you could do more videos in the Wisconsin area. You will be surprised what we have to offer here.
Thank You for Chris Rea in Your videos!
Thank you for watching
Good video, Jim!
Thank you!
and this same highway basically runs by my neighborhood in NC, every time i cross it i always have to remind myself where that highway goes to
It is quite different on the other end, really I-40 from New Mexico west is a great drive.
Freewayjim agreed. back in 2014, my family was amazed at the rock formations and caves between Albuquerque and the arizona border that was alongside 40.
The ag station on I-15 is still right before Yermo, 100 miles into the state! Plenty of room to build a new one just west of Primm, NV!
And there are ways around that one, just like the one on US-50 just outside South Lake Tahoe.
So happy Caltrans repaved this section of I-40. See my 2012 version of this route to see how bad the pavement really was.
great video man !
Thank you!
Cool song!
Nice one mate
Thank you!
amazing video!!!! congratulations
Thank you very much!
The video was great with the dessert scene and music add together! I saw that one of your videos got muted for copyright so sorry for man TH-cam been kind of doing this to other youtubers lately about copyright and other things.
Thanks, yeah it happens unfortunately.
awesome video
Thank you!
I think there is ag inspection checkpoints on most if not all highways entering CA (correct me if im wrong). I think there was one on US 6 coming into CA 50-60 mi north of Bishop (or about 250 or so mi S of Reno NV). Last time i was on US 6 was about 23 years ago when my dad was a self employed/independent big rig driver. He had his own 18-wheeler and drove it from our home in Bakersfield CA to Gabbs NV and would use US 6 to get there coming out of Bishop CA into NV.
Generally all Interstate and US routes that enter California have them. State routes that cross don't, for example, SR-88, which crosses the Nevada state line south of Minden doesn't have one, and is a popular route for hay truck drivers.
Nice video Jim. Hope you have plenty of road trips lined up for 2017
Thanks, I have nothing set for this year at the moment.
The slithering creatures Jim? You found them in Wendover a few years ago.
^ Yeah, those were two-legged and upright :)
If my vehicle became disabled in the desert I would make sure I'm wearing my snake repellent.
I went down that very same stretch of highway just a few days before you did, on our way back to Arkansas after spending a couple weeks in California. Drove straight through 36 hours, starting in San Francisco, because my daughter had to be back at work by Friday morning. Fortunately we had three drivers to take turns (myself, my wife, and my daughter). BTW, why the no lane changes stretch after entering Arizona?
I believe it is because there's where they want the trucks in the right lane for PrePass, something I'm not familiar with, but that seems to be the purpose of the double-white lines.
If I remember correctly, I-40 through Kingman is pretty scenic too. Why didn't shoot that part too, Jim?
It is, we were stopping there for lunch, we just did not feel like it at the time. If I were travelling alone I would film more.
Nice!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!
Great video and music.
Are you sure the I-40 aligns here with route 66? AFAIK route 66 runs up north, through Oatman.
Thanks, it does for the crossing, I might have mis-interpreted what I was reading on the rest of it as far as Oatman.
The original aligment did go through Oatman, On the Wikipedia entry it said there was a later (1953) alignment that was later taken over by I-40....I try to keep the annotations short so sometimes details do get missed.
Awesome video, Jim. I'm curious to know what the temperature was during your ride, must have been hot!
Thanks, I don't recall, low 100's probably.
What do you use to record???
A Sony camcorder, my equipment is listed in the closing credits.
When and where is your last video of the season?
I-15 from Primm NV to Barstow CA on February 27th.
anyone notice how arizonas lane markers are thicker and shorter?
Where do you live in?
Metro Atlanta
Freewayjim Cool!
Way to the Grand Canyon ?
No, I-17 to Phoenix is next.
Jim is not Grand Canyon kind of guy lol.
Freewayjim my only stop through Phoenix was a BBQ restaurant
I love the desert but not its animals