Until quite recently Kingman was a place where people stopped on the way to

The neon glows bright in Kingman, Arizona. Photo Jim Hinckley of Jim Hinckley’s America

(fill in the blank). Well not anymore! Kingman is on the fast track to becoming a vacation and weekend getaway destination. If you haven’t visited historic Kingman in awhile award winning microbreweries, a delightful array of diverse restaurants, museums, exciting events, scenic trail systems, art galleries, and neon lit nights are just a few of the surprises awaiting discovery.

The Beale Street corridor one block north of Andy Devine Avenue (Route 66) is at the heart of the historic business districts renaissance. There is a palpable sense of vibrancy and excitement in the air as you stroll from Savon Bath Treats to the Kingman Center for The Arts. it is made manifest at Diana’s Cellar Door, Floyd & Company, Rickety Cricket, and Black Bridge Brewery where laughing people enjoy good food, good beer, good wine, good conversation, and good friends as he sun sinks in the west behind towering buttes, and the glow of vintage neon lights the dusk. 

Plan your visit to Kingman as a weekend getaway. That starts with lodging. It just so happens that there are some wonderful Airbnb rentals now available within blocks of the Beale Street district for as little as $60 per night. To really get the most from your vacation getaway, plan the visit around an exciting event such as First Friday or Chillin’ on Beale (third Saturday evening of each month, April through September. Even better, hit two events in one weekend.

On the weekend of June 16 and 17, Chillin on Beale transforms the historic business district into a scene lifted from American Graffiti on Saturday evening. The following day it is a cruise along historic and scenic Route 66 to Grand Canyon Caverns. Round out the weekend with a Kingman Tourism (a MyMarketing Designs initiative) neon night walking tour led by internationally acclaimed author and historian Jim Hinckley, creator of Jim Hinckley’s America. Hinckley also offers his services as a step on guide to Desert Wonder Tours to enhance area adventures.

Using the photos from the Mohave Museum of History & Arts archives, Hinckley weaves a rich tapestry of history and tall tales on the 2.5-mile, two hour tour under the neon. The tour wraps up with a question and answer session at an historic territorial era saloon.

First Friday events fill Beale Street with artists, vendors, musicians, and craft brewers. The art galleries offer special showings, and there is always some great food to savor at a few of the sidewalk cafes. Vintage cars and hot rods add a bit of color, and throngs of tourists from throughout the world that stop during their Route 66 adventures add an international flavor.

This summer beat the heat with a weekend getaway to Kingman. Bring your mountain bike, your walking shoes, your camera, and your appetite for good food and great beer. This summer discover the great escape in your back yard.