Via magazine | Nov+Dec 2021 | AAA by Via magazine | AAA Mountain West Group

NOVEMBER+DECEMBER 2021

Keep your packages secure Best local bookstores Route 66 road-tripping

Going the distance

Tips and tricks from electric vehicle owners

Coverages that give you confidence.

Protect what matters most to you—your family and your belongings—and get Coverage Confidence from AAA. No gimmicks here: just better protection, bundling that saves you hundreds of dollars, and valued customer service from the brand you trust. Not covered by AAA? Get a quote today for your auto, home, and/or life coverage—and don’t forget to check out our motorcycle, RV, boat, and other specialty coverages, too. TM

AAA Insur nce Auto | Home | Life

© 2021 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. All rights reserved. Insurance products in California offered through AAA Northern California Insurance Agency, License #0175868, in Nevada by AAA Nevada, in Utah by AAA Utah, in Arizona through AAA Arizona, Inc., License #8301727, Montana through AAA Montana, Inc., License #9756, and in Wyoming through AAA Mountain West Inc., License No. 172603. The provider of AAA Auto and Home Insurance is CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer. All policies are subject to policy terms, underwriting, guidelines and applicable laws.

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Call 844-298-1527

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Come In

Visit your local branch

9:17 PM AM 11/19/21 1:57

Embark on a picturesque adventure aboard a fully restored, turn-of-the-century train as you travel to one of the most breathtaking destinations in the world. Winter is the perfect time to experience the stunning beauty of the Grand Canyon with cooler temperatures, smaller crowds and the opportunity to see snow-capped canyon walls. Plus, as a AAA member, you’ll enjoy a 15% discount on reservations. To plan your winter escape, call 1-800-THE-TRAIN or visit thetrain.com.

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MAKE A GRAND TRIP THE GRANDEST.

11/19/21 1:53 PM

Editorial

EDITOR Whitney Phaneuf MANAGING EDITOR Katie Henry CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Mandy Ferreira and

Rebecca Smith Hurd

Design + Production

DESIGN DIRECTOR Monica Ewing Jensen PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Amy Mackey PHOTO EDITOR Maggie Perkins

Digital

DIGITAL MARKETING STRATEGIST Valerie St. John

Advertising

ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Natasha Alcalá 2,845,340 COPIES Subscription rate: AAA

primary members, $2 (included in dues). Change of address: Allow four weeks’ advance notice. Contact AAA at (800) 922-8228. Manuscripts and photos: Query ﬁrst; Via assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited material. Reprints from Via: Contents copyrighted 2021 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. No part of Via may be reprinted without written permission. Contact Via Editorial: Address all mail to Via, AAA, P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623, or viamail@via magazine.com. Contact Via Advertising: Address all mail to Via Advertising, AAA, P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623. Fax (510) 899-0525. Via (ISSN 1093-1716) is published two times a year, in March and December by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, 1277 Treat Blvd., Suite 1000, Walnut Creek, CA 94597. Periodicals Postage: Paid at Walnut Creek, CA, and at additional mailing ofﬁces. Postmaster: Send address changes to Via, AAA, P.O. Box 24512, Oakland, CA 94623.

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11/29/21 12:49 PM

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‘Tis the season to make memories. Travel safely and connect with friends and family over the holidays while earning points toward free rental days and upgrades. Not a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® member? Enroll for free at AAA.com/hertzgold. Plus, AAA members receive exclusive rates and benefits*, including: • Free additional driver • Free child seat

• Unlimited miles • Waived Young Renter fee

Book now using your AAA Club Discount Code (CDP#). Click: AAA.com/hertz I Call: 1-800-654-3080 I Visit: Your local AAA branch

*AAA member benefits available at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. AAA CDP# must be included in the reservation. Advance reservation required. Additional Driver and Young Renter (20-24 yrs.) must be AAA member and meet standard rental requirements. Child seat is subject to availability. Taxes and fees are excluded. Additional terms may apply. © 2021 Hertz System, Inc. All rights reserved. CS 821072

Epic vacations await. See and do more on your upcoming journeys—from river and ocean cruising to excursions of near or far-off lands—with AAA Travel. From complimentary expert travel agent services to our best price guarantee, unlock exclusive Member benefits with your AAA Membership.

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© 2021 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. All rights reserved. Certain restrictions and conditions apply. Valid AAA Membership is required to receive Member benefits. See complete Best Price Guarantee Terms and Conditions at AAA.com/ BestPriceGuarantee. Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California. CST 1003968-80

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Discover more at

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888-589-4222

11/19/21 9:11 AM 11/19/21 1:54 PM

CONTENTS

November+December 2021 / Vol. 143 / No. 6

Stop in Oatman, Ariz., for a taste of authentic Route 66, with its historic storefronts. Page 24.

FE AT U R E S

D E PA R T M E N T S

24 Cruising the

6 To Our Members

Mother Road

The spirit of Route 66 is still alive and kicking, if you know where to look for it. by m at t j a f f e

34 No Gas Required

Taking a road trip in an electric vehicle is easier than ever.

DAVID H. COLLIER

by b r a d l e y b e r m a n

Looking back at the past year and forward to the next.

9 Smart Life

44 Backyard Postcard

A foggy winter scene along the Merced River in Yosemite National Park, captured by a AAA Member.

Spread holiday cheer and prevent package theft.

14 On the Road

Your favorite local bookstores. Plus, a leisurly drive along California’s Lost Coast and a weekend in Reno.

41 Annual Meeting Notice The annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah will be held March 2, 2022.

ON THE COVER Connie Cloak and her dog, Flynn, make a stop in her electric vehicle to take in the views in Bodega Bay, Calif. Page 34. Cover photograph by Catherine Karnow A A A | VIA

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11/22/21 3:00 PM

TO OUR MEMBERS

A look back, a look ahead

All my best,

TIM CONDON, PRESIDENT & CEO

Connect with us AAA.com/ facebook AAA.com/ instagram AAA.com/ twitter AAA.com/ pinterest AAA.com/ youtube

Share your thoughts Send comments, tips, or questions to viamail@via magazine.com or Via, AAA, P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623. Your input may be edited and published in print or online.

JEFF XANDER

Much like 2020, this was not the year any of us would have imagined. We were still buffeted by the global pandemic, economic ups and downs, natural disasters, and continuing uncertainty. Still, 2021 was a time for us to hold to our mission to serve our Members and continue to make a difference in our communities. We’re especially proud of our participation in the nationwide Slow Down/Move Over roadside safety program and our sponsorship of the Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day campaign, supporting our School Safety Patrol program. We also expanded GIG Car Share, the nation’s largest free-floating car share system, and broadened our AAA House Manager home maintenance business to new markets; we continued to tailor Smart Home to the needs of our Members, creating home security systems and monitoring plans for every budget; and we were named Best Life Insurance Company for 2021 by Insure.com, which is quite the honor given our esteemed competitors. As 2021 continued to test our organization, we emerged stronger for it. Looking forward to 2022, we see lots of opportunities to build on the considerable momentum we have achieved this year. Along with our more than 5,000 Team Members dedicated to serving you, I hope you’re having a joyful holiday season, and here’s to a wonderful start to the new year. ba.

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11/22/21 2:50 PM

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Smart Life SMART LIST

5 things to do this winter

Prep your car and house for cold weather before heading out for some holiday cheer. frozen pipes. 1 Prevent Broken and frozen pipes,

and the resulting water damage, are the second leading cause of home insurance claims in the United States—following only hurricanes. Guard against these mishaps by insulating all exposed pipes and setting your thermostat no lower than 55 degrees. Also, make sure you know how to turn off your main water line if necessary.

a ride on a holiday 2 Take train. Put on your pajamas

CREDIT HERE JOVANA RIKALO / STOCKSY

and head to Sunol, Calif., to hop aboard Niles Canyon Railway’s festive Train of Lights. Visit the snack bar to munch while you marvel at the lights and music as you ride in the railway’s antique coaches and open cars for an hour-long chug.

your winter 3 Inventory gear. Your cold-weather

wardrobe has been gathering dust for a year, and now is the perfect time to shake out the cobwebs to see what still works.

Separate clothes and accessories you’ll use this winter, and donate what you no longer need. your car tires. 4 Check Before the roads get slick

with ice and snow, make sure your tires are in proper shape. Inspect the tread first, using the penny test as a guide. (If you can see the top of Abe’s head, your tires need to be replaced.) Then visit your local AAA Approved Auto Repair center to have your tires rotated or replaced. Find a shop near you at AAA.com/autorepair.

for whales. Head 5 Watch to the coast to see one of

nature’s great spectacles. Starting in November, you can spot whales migrating south from the arctic to warmer waters off Mexico’s Baja peninsula. Catch gray whales breaching along Marin County’s Point Reyes National Seashore, or join a whale-watching tour in Monterey Bay to spot humpbacks. — k at i e h e n ry

A A A | VIA

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11/18/21 1:29 PM

Travel protection, near and far.

Travel with confidence with AAA. Plus and Premier

Membership includes:

AAA Membership

• Worldwide trip interruption coverage • Lost baggage coverage • 24/7 helpline for travel emergencies • $25,000 emergency medical transportation coverage (Premier only)

Discover more at

AAA.com/TravelCare or by visiting your local AAA branch.

© 2021 AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. All rights reserved. Terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Plans underwritten by BCS Insurance Company. AGA Service Company is the licensed producer and administrator of these plans. Plans include insurance benefits and assistance services. Contact AGA Service Company at 800-284-8300 or 9950 Maryland Drive, Richmond, VA 23233 or customerservice@allianzassistance.com. For additional details, visit AAA.com/Terms.

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Get Coverage You Can Count on with Blue Shield and AAA.

11/19/21 9:12 AM

Now offering quality coverage you can use while on the go, our health plans1 give you MORE. With us, you’ll have access to your One-Year New or Renewal Classic AAA Membership2, plus: Medical and Prescription Drug Coverage3 Vision and Hearing Aid Benefits4 Access to Doctors on-call 24/7 Acupuncture and Chiropractic Benefits5, and more Your journey to MORE coverage and value starts here. Call (888) 614-5894 (TTY: 711) Visit bsca.com/roadsmart2 Available in select plans and counties in Northern California. For Medicare Advantage Plans, members must qualify to receive the Independence and Safe Mobility with AAA Special Supplemental Benefit for the Chronically Ill. Eligibility approval not required for Medicare Supplement Plan G Inspire. One-year new or renewal Classic AAA Membership, included with your plan, annually upon enrollment, valued at up to $59/year in 2022. The value of the Classic AAA Membership is subject to change. AAA Membership provided by AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah. 3 Prescription Drug coverage only applies to Blue Shield Medicare Advantage Plans. 4 Vision benefits include coverage for costs that are not traditionally covered by Original Medicare, such as eye exam, frames, eyeglass lenses, or contact lenses. Hearing aid benefits offered with: Plan G Inspire, Blue Shield Inspire (HMO), and Blue Shield Inspire (HMO D-SNP). 5 Non-Medicare covered. Acupuncture and Chiropractic benefits only apply to Blue Shield Medicare Advantage Plans. Benefits vary by county and plan. Blue Shield of California is an HMO, HMO D-SNP and PPO plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the California State Medicaid Program. Enrollment in Blue Shield of California depends on contract renewal. The company complies with applicable state laws and federal civil rights laws, and does not discriminate. For more information, visit blueshieldca.com/about/nondiscrimination. © 2022 Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association. A52396 (9/21) Y0118_21_684A_M Accepted 09272021 1

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SMART LIFE

HOME

How to prevent package theft

SASHKIN / SHUTTERSTOCK

Keep your deliveries safe from porch pirates.

There’s no denying the convenience and ease of online shopping. But the rise of porch pirates—thieves who snatch recently delivered packages— means that sometimes your purchases don’t make it inside your home. “Porch theft is a huge problem,” says James Kerr, founder and CEO of Boss Security Screens. A 2020 consumer survey from C+R Research found that 43 percent of respondents had a delivered package stolen—a 7 percent increase from the previous year’s findings. As the holiday season approaches and more packages arrive or are sent to friends and family, stopping these bandits becomes even more essential. Try these tactics to ensure that packages make it inside their destination, whether that’s your home or a loved one’s.

Install a video doorbell. Smart video doorbells are the best way to deter porch pirates, says Jon Perry, president of Sting Alarm. Typically, video doorbells record when motion is detected near your front door and send you an alert, so you’ll know when a delivery person drops off a package or when someone is lingering on your porch who shouldn’t be there. If you’re home, you can bring deliveries inside immediately instead of unknowingly letting them sit unattended for hours.

Turn on the light. Criminals prefer the dark, Kerr notes. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep your entrance well lit. Place long-lasting LED bulbs—which are cheap and don’t use a lot of electricity—in outside fixtures. If you are replacing or A A A | VIA

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SMART LIFE installing a porch light, opt for a model with motion detection so it automatically turns on when someone approaches. Smart Tip: Other smart home devices can also prevent theft. “Just knowing a home has security cameras may dissuade a crook from choosing your home instead of the one down the street,” Kerr notes.

Request a signature. It’s often an option to require a signature when you set up delivery. That way, FedEx, UPS, and other delivery services will wait until someone answers the door and signs for the

package rather than leave items outside. For more expensive items, consider also purchasing insurance, which will cover the costs of replacing a stolen item.

Be aware of the delivery date and time. Many major online retailers share when to expect items and include a link from the delivery provider that lets you watch a package’s progress in real time. Even better, you can sign up for alerts from shipping services, so you’ll know

when packages are set to arrive. Most alerts are free, with paid add-on services available, such as being able to schedule or postpone a delivery time or ask for a package to be sent to another residential location. Some retailers and delivery services also let you add an optional note with delivery instructions. When possible, suggest discreet places to leave the package (think: behind a big planter or tucked behind the back gate) so they’re less visible to thieves. Once packages arrive, “don’t let them sit outside your front door,” Kerr cautions. Bring them inside ASAP, or ask a neighbor to take them in until you’re home.

Consider a parcel drop box. “Many people are investing in package delivery boxes to safeguard items until they can be retrieved,” Kerr says. Delivery workers place items in these oversize package boxes, which are designed so that only someone with the key or access code can retrieve the packages placed inside. Typically, parcel drop boxes are anchored to a wall or pavement for additional security. They can be purchased from hardware stores and big-box stores online.

— m a d e l e i n e b u r ry

TOP: SEAN LOCKE / STOCKSY, BOTTOM: ROCKETCLIPS, INC. / SHUTTERSTOCK

Ship packages elsewhere. Instead of getting packages delivered to your home, send them to a mail center or pickup locker, or get a post office box instead, suggests Kerr. That way, “a human will receive them and keep them safe until you can pick them up,” Kerr says. Many large retailers also allow you to ship items to a nearby store, so you can pick them up directly onsite.

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“My favorite bookstore is Bart’s Books in Ojai, Calif. Open since 1964, its claim to fame is the largest open-air bookstore in the West. It is a great place to spend an hour, or all day. Truly a delight!” — a n n i e st e d m a n

CREDIT HERE

On the Road

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Editor’s note: Before you go, call ahead to check on the status of any place you plan to visit. You should also consult the CDC’s latest travel recommendations at AAA.com/cdc.

MEMBERS’ FAVORITES

Local bookstores ↘ Grab a coffee and settle among the bookshelves of these readers’ delights. “I highly recommend Changing Hands Bookstore, in both Phoenix and Tempe, Ariz., as by far the best in the West. Starting with the great people, then a superb selection of books covering just about any subject you might have in mind. They have really interesting and unusual gifts, too. The Phoenix store includes a wine bar, and both have very good restaurants attached. Plus they host excellent book signings by many wonderful writers—in person and virtually. We started shopping at the original store in Tempe over 50 years ago and still look forward to every visit.” — s ta n d e l a h o y d e “I am partial to used books. And I love supporting local bookstores (a dying breed, unfortunately). So I’ll shout out to Rocket Reuse in Alameda, Calif., a charming throwback shop with used books, games, movies, music, and vintage clothing.”

MELISSA BARNES

CREDIT HERE

—sandi scheuber

“Without a doubt my favorite bookstore in the West (or anywhere else) is Point Reyes Books in Point Reyes Station, Calif. It’s big enough for serendipity but small enough to feel manageable. And it’s carefully, thoughtfully, wonderfully curated by people who know and love both books

and the local community, and how to bring them together. The nature, poetry, and local history sections are particularly strong, as one would expect of a shop in a place of such stunning beauty and fascinating history.” — m a rt i n ko h o u t

“The best bookstore I’ve been to is Our Shabby Shack in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Old books, used books, new books. And then after you read them, you can bring them back for credit and buy more. Plus the people who own the store and manage it are second to none!” — m a ry s k i n n e r “Locally owned, Northtown Books in Arcata, Calif., has an

eclectic selection of books for every adult and child’s taste. The shop is comfortable, friendly, and welcoming to casual browsers. You can find almost any title, and if you can’t, the staff is happy to order it for you. The vintage building is a pleasure all its own!” —barbara goldberg

“The Green Arcade is a small shop in San Francisco owned and operated by the amazingly knowledgeable Patrick Marks, who has been a Bay Area bookseller for decades (Books Inc., Cody’s). The venue also offers wonderful programming (virtual and non) from

local authors and topics broadly related to social justice.” — j i m va n b u s k i r k

“My favorite bookstore is Crawford’s Books in Sacramento. It sells used and new books, and has a credit system: Bring back the books you buy there and receive a discount on any used books purchased. The staff has made several updates recently, including a newly enlarged children’s section. Before the pandemic, it held book signings with local authors, a book club, and a game night for junior high school–age kids. The shop’s latest project is sending books to the military.” — pat w o o d “I love Ruby’s Books in old town Folsom, Calif. It has a warm, friendly atmosphere, and the staff is always helpful. If it doesn’t have the book I am looking for, it can be ordered for me. It’s a great little store.” — m a ry a n n m i tc h e l l

? NE X T QUESTION What is your favorite local coffee shop in the West, and why? Email us at otr@via magazine.com. You may be quoted in a future issue.

A A A | VIA

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ON THE ROAD

left: Drive through the Chandelier Tree in Leggett. right: The iconic Gingerbread Mansion of Ferndale.

Road to the redwoods ↘ Cruise Highway 101 north of San Francisco for a glimpse of a more rugged California.

Heading north from San Francisco, Highway 101 travels across the Golden Gate Bridge—and the scenery only gets more epic from there. As the road winds through Sonoma, Mendocino, and Humboldt Counties, big-city bustle becomes a distant memory as thick stands of redwoods tower above the asphalt. Make a day of the drive, and you’ll be rewarded with sensational wine, charming small towns, and a windswept beach along the way. Downtown Healdsburg might just be the perfect blend of city and country. Surrounded by vineyards and centered on a tree-shaded square, the town encourages a slower pace, but still offers the sophisticated shopping and dining (fine leather goods, Michelin-starred chefs) of a big city. At Banshee Wines’ tasting room, for instance, wine lovers can sip pinot noir perched on a cozy easy chair while enjoying tunes spinning on the record player. Nearby, celeb chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen—

●

the restaurant that turned the town into a culinary destination 20 years ago—is still sending out inventive seasonal fare, such as roasted eggplant casoncelli with tomato conserve, sweet orange peppers, balsamic vinegar, and fresh mint. As for pairing, diners are spoiled for choice, with a wine list 500 bottles deep. Of all the towns tucked into the trees, Leggett earns the title of most intriguing. Exploring the clutch of houses and shops along the highway, you’ll come to the Chandelier Tree, a 276-foot redwood with a six-foot tunnel carved into the base that you can drive through, and—a few miles north— Confusion Hill’s Gravity House, where you feel you have to lean to stand up straight, even if your posture is perfect. Don’t miss the Peg House, a store hawking T-shirts, mugs, and the most delicious salmon burgers on the planet. Order from the handwritten menu, then head to the patio, where you might hear live music.

●

LEFT: DAVID H. COLLIER; RIGHT: CARL NEELEY

SWEET STOPS

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Finally . . . a better mobility solution than Scooters or Power Chairs. The Zoomer’s versatile design and 1-touch joystick operation brings mobility and independence to those who need it most. If you have mobility issues, or know someone who does, then you’ve experienced the difficulties faced by millions of Americans. Simple tasks like getting from the bedroom to the kitchen can become a time-consuming and potentially dangerous ordeal. You may have tried to solve the problem with a power chair or a scooter but neither is ideal. Power chairs are bulky and look like a medical device. Scooters are either unstable or hard to maneuver. Now, there’s a better alternative . . . the Zoomer. My Zoomer is a delight to ride! It has increased my mobility in my apartment, my opportunities to enjoy theout-of-doors, and enabled me to visit the homes of my children for longer periods of time. The various speeds of it match my need for safety, it is easy to turn, and I am most pleased with the freedom of movement it gives me. Sincerely, A. Macon, Williamsburg, VA After just one trip around your home in the Zoomer, you’ll marvel at how easy it is to navigate. It is designed to maneuver in tight spaces like doorways, between furniture, and around corners. It can go over thresholds and works great on any kind of floor or carpet. It’s not bulky or cumbersome, so it can roll right up to a table or desk – there’s no need

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ON THE ROAD Because Sight When you stroll through Ferndale, you could think you’re stepping back in time. And, in a sense, you are: Many of the perfectly preserved Victorians—“butterfat palaces,” in local parlance—have been here since the 1890s, when early settlers earned fortunes in the dairy business. On historic Main Street, the beautifully restored storefronts house art galleries, a bookstore, clothing boutiques, and specialty shops such as Sweetness & Light, where visitors line up to buy handmade salted chocolate caramels and cappuccino chocolate truffles. Just down the street, acoustic and electric guitars gleam on the shelves at Ferndale Music Company. The locally loved shop also puts on live shows in the adjoining historic church building—and hosts the famous Owl Cam, a live feed starring the barn owls in the bell tower.

●

Home to Humboldt State University, Arcata caters to college students, who flock to Tin Can Mailman, a used bookstore literally packed to the rafters with hardbacks and paperbacks, and Los Bagels, a Jewish-Mexican bakery that tops its organic bagels with freshly made guacamole and “Slug Slime,” a savory, crunchy mixture of roasted garlic, onions, and seeds. But the town also retains its hippie credentials with its essential oil emporiums and vegetarian restaurants, especially near the charming town square, which hosts rollicking hacky sack games. Order a latte and a croque madame on freshbaked levain at Café Brio, grab a table on the patio, and take it all in.

top: Divine eats at Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Kitchen. bottom: Views for miles at Sue-meg State Park.

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ON THE ROAD

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↘ Discover art, history, Reno, and a booming food scene under the lights Nevada of this gambling city. The new Neon Line District features stunning art displays. right: Flakey biscuits at Pine State Biscuits.

As gateway to Burning Man, Reno boasts serious alt-culture cred. Original Burner sculptures dot downtown’s Neon Line District along Fourth Street, among them a forbidding Mongolian warrior with a skull face and a rearing, kinetic stallion made of found objects. The giant ●

steel lotus blooming outside the Nevada Museum of Art was created by Burning Man attendee and artist Kate Raudenbush, while on display inside the museum is Gianfranco Gorgoni: Land Art Photographs (through Jan. 22), 50 images by the country’s premier documentarian of earthwork art. ● Pine State Biscuits loads fluffy biscuits with combos such as over-easy eggs and braised greens doused with hot sauce, and gravytopped fried chicken, bacon, and cheese. You’ll also find seasonal “Pop tarts” and pie in the indus-

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LEFT: COURTESY JACOBS ENTERTAINMENT INC.; RIGHT: DAVID L. REAMER

Before the rise of Las Vegas in the 1950s, Reno reigned as the gambling capital of the U.S. These days, casinos remain, but the city—now flush with tech jobs thanks to Tesla, Apple, Google, and the like—is getting its downtown cool on.

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Cruising the

mother road

The spirit of Route 66 is still alive and kicking, if you know where to look for it.

MICHAEL URMANN / ELENAMIV / MATTEO_IT / SHUTTERSTOCK

by m at t j a f f e

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: LEE RENTZ / ALAMY; DAVID H. COLLIER; NPS PHOTO / JAKE HOLGERSON

Every road trip needs a soundtrack.

As my wife, Becky, and I get ready to motor west on Route 66 from New Mexico, bound for California, there’s little mystery about the song that will start the roughly 400-mile drive across Arizona. The only question is which version of “Get Your Kicks on Route 66” to play. There are hundreds of covers of the Bobby Troup song—which he penned with his wife, Cynthia, while on a cross-country drive from Pennsylvania to California—but we choose the one that started it all, Nat King Cole’s 1946 rendition. While every stretch of Route 66 has historic relevance, the Northern Arizona run is the most dramatic of the entire 2,448-mile distance between Chicago and Santa Monica, Calif. Rising to nearly 7,000 feet in elevation—the highway’s greatest altitude in any state—Arizona’s Route 66 spans a spectacular swath of the Southwest. The 158 miles from Ash Fork to Needles connects the Painted Desert, high country ponderosa pine forests, and the Colorado River (the “American Nile”). So we roll down the windows, let the wind rush in, and get our kicks like it’s still 1946 on Route 66.

opposite: A must-stop on Historic Route 66, the former mining town of Oatman is known for roaming burros and Wild West legends. clockwise from top: The Painted Desert Inn’s architectural style emulates traditional Pueblo adobes; 15 tepees make up Holbrook’s Wigwam Motel; Eagle Nest Rock is a landmark of Petrified Forest National Park.

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THIRD STRETCH Grand Canyon Caverns

Cool Springs Station

SELIGMAN

Keyhole Sink Trail

WILLIAMS FLAGSTAFF

KINGMAN 10 miles

FIRST STRETCH

Gallup, N.M., to Winslow, Ariz. The red cliffs at Lupton are like a ceremonial gateway to Arizona. Here in Navajo country we see remnants of the highway’s glory days: abandoned motels, old gas stations, and crumbling diners in the ghost towns of the 20th century. But the highlight is the land itself, a rugged, ruddy terrain that spreads out forever and seems every bit as vast as the skies above. R.B. Burnham & Company Trading Post Using tepees, dinosaurs, and even a giant jackrabbit as lures, trading posts beckon Route 66 travelers with a combination of kitsch and crafts. However, the R.B. Burnham & Company Trading Post in Sanders is the real deal. Fourthgeneration trader Bruce Burnham opened the business with his wife, Virginia, who is Hopi and Navajo. We walk past sacks of flour in the post’s general store to enter the chilly gallery. Hints of smoke from a wood-burning stove hang in the air as we marvel at the baskets, weavings, and turquoise jewelry. The prices are right—better than what we would pay in Santa Fe—and we leave with an elaborately carved Hopi katchina figure and a Navajo blanket in subtle hues, woven of wools dyed with natural pigments. Petrified Forest National Park Route 66’s only stretch in a national park leads us to the Pueblo-style Painted Desert Inn. Built of petrified wood and sandstone, the onetime hotel and restaurant looks out over the multihued landscape that inspired its name. The inn today functions as a museum that’s notable for the evocative 1948 murals depicting Hopi ceremonies and traditions, painted by artist Fred Kabotie. South of the inn we explore Jasper Forest, where an easy footpath quickly leads from parking to a desert expanse devoid of trails, covered by fragments of petrified wood, and scattered with larger, loglike sections.

Holbrook Known for its petrified wood shops and the popular tepee rooms at the 1950 Wigwam Motel, Holbrook is about the last place we expect to find award-winning sake. But since 2017, Atsuo Sakurai, a master brewer who married a local he met in Japan, has crafted his Arizona Sake here. Sakurai discovered to his surprise that Holbrook was ideal for making the traditional Japanese drink, thanks to the high-quality water available from Coconino Aquifer. In 2018, Sakurai earned a gold medal for the best sake made overseas at Tokyo’s prestigious Sake Competition. Open by appointment, the brewing facility greets visitors with the fruity aroma of fermenting rice. It is far from lavish: Sakurai built the spartan, lablike building himself on a dirt lot between a chain hotel and a Dollar General store. We hear about his latest concoction, Navajo Tea Sake, and after a quick tasting, we buy a couple of bottles. Winslow Architect Mary Colter designed La Posada Hotel, the grandest landmark on Route 66, after an 18th-century hacienda, not a structure built in 1929. She conceived it according to a legend she concocted: Generations of a wealthy family lived in and expanded the hacienda for more than 100 years before the building was sold and converted into a railroad hotel. When you explore the rambling structure, with its flagstone floors, ironwork, and exposed ponderosa pine beams, Colter’s fantasy is entirely believable. For all La Posada’s history, real and imagined, the hotel also has a contemporary side. Tina Mion, an artist with work in the National Portrait Gallery, joined efforts to restore the building beginning in 1997. Today her whimsical, provocative paintings are displayed throughout the hotel. Mion also crafted the glass murals of La Posada’s patron saints in the Turquoise Room, the hotel’s restaurant. The Southwest cuisine served here includes fall-off-the-bone sweet-and-spicy braised bison short ribs. Before checking out, we enjoy a regional breakfast: spicy Arizona green chile eggs, and warm prickly pear cactus and spice bread pudding.

MAP: JOYCE PENDOLA; OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: ATMOSPHERE1 / SHUTTERSTOCK; DAVID H. COLLIER (2)

OATMAN

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Walnu Nation

GALLUP

ink Trail

STAFF

FIRST STRETCH SECOND STRETCH Walnut Canyon National Monument

66 Meteor Crater Visitor Center

WINSLOW

Petrified Forest National Park

R.B. Burnham & Co.

A R I ZON A N E W M E X I C O

HOLBROOK

clockwise from top: La Posada Hotel, designed by famed Southwest architect Mary Colter, is the oldest building in Winslow; Arizona Sake owner Atsuo Sakurai checks out a brew in his fermentation room; Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Co. sells goods in Holbrook.

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Winslow to Williams As we drive west from Winslow, the San Francisco Peaks, one of four sacred mountains marking the traditional boundaries of the Navajo Nation, loom along the horizon. People don’t usually think of Route 66 as a high-country highway. But from Winona, the road’s pre-1947 route rolls through majestic ponderosa pine forests, and the peaks, snowcapped in winter and marbled with golden aspens in fall, rise behind Flagstaff. Then, beyond town, Route 66 climbs to 7,335 feet—the highest point on the entire drive from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif. Meteor Crater Fifty thousand years ago it came from outer space—a 150-foot-wide asteroid traveling at 26,000 mph that crashed into Earth, gouging Meteor Crater, a divot in the desert almost a mile across and 550 feet deep. The visitor center movie helps us visualize the devastating impact before we take a guided tour onto the windswept, sunbaked rim for views of the vast crater’s craggy, moonlike beauty. 28

Walnut Canyon National Monument Paved but steep, the one-mile round-trip Island Trail leads us into Arizona’s distant past at Walnut Canyon National Monument. Nearly 200 feet beneath the canyon rim, we walk along a series of limestone alcoves where, starting 900 years ago, the Sinagua people constructed dwellings and storage areas. We peer past the low stone walls into the surviving rooms, imagining what life was like here so long ago. Flagstaff Every classic road needs its classic roadhouse, so we stop to check out Flagstaff ’s Museum Club, a log cabin–style country music haunt with decor that runs to wagon-wheel chandeliers, varnished tree trunks for support beams, and a carved wooden back bar. Over the years, it has featured the likes of Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel. Then it’s on to an even older location—downtown’s 1886 Bank Hotel building, home to the McMillan Bar & Kitchen. Its exposed brick and stone create one of Flagstaff ’s most appealing restaurant interiors. The grilled tri-tip tacos with a house-made salsa go perfectly with a draft Tower Station IPA from Mother Road Brewing Co. Try more of Mother

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: PÉTER MOCSONOKY / ALAMY; COURTESY THE MCMILLAN; DAVID H. COLLIER; OPPOSITE, TOP TO BOTTOM: TRAVELLER70 / SHUTTERSTOCK; COURTESY EXPERIENCE WILLIAMS

SECOND STRETCH

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Road’s craft beer at its cavernous taproom, located in a converted 1920s laundry building in the city’s Southside neighborhood.

opposite, clockwise from left: An aerial view of the Meteor Crater, west of Winslow, shows its size; the pork pozole delights at the McMillan Bar & Kitchen in Flagstaff; Flagstaff’s Museum Club carries on as a roadhouse. top: Ancient limestone cliff dwellings in Walnut Canyon National Monument. bottom: Eat barbecue al fresco in Williams.

Keyhole Sink Trail Desperate for post-lunch exercise, we head to Kaibab National Forest to hike the 1.3-mile roundtrip trail to Keyhole Sink, which delivers plenty for a short outing. We emerge from the forest into an amphitheater of aspens and low basalt cliffs adorned with 1,000-year-old petroglyphs, including a hunting scene. We’re not here at the right time of year to see it, but during spring snowmelt, a gorgeous waterfall forms and plunges into the pond at the base of the cliffs. Williams After an overnight Grand Canyon detour, we stop at Williams, a community set against forested slopes and Arizona’s best-preserved Route 66 townscape. In a narrow 1907 building with a bright red ceiling and walls trimmed with wainscoting, the relaxed and sophisticated Red Raven Restaurant has become a Williams mainstay. Be sure to try the pork tenderloin sandwich, with tangy pineapple-cranberry salsa on a telera roll.

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Williams to the Colorado River For 158 miles, Route 66 is a two-lane highway, little changed for generations. The open road doesn’t get more open than this. We’ve seen only two cars over a 25-mile stretch, though no shortage of freight trains snaking through high valleys and even a pronghorn herd galloping across the flats. Beyond Kingman, the highway climbs into the Black Mountains before twisting down toward the reed-lined Colorado River. We couldn’t ask for a prettier culmination of the drive than the view of the graceful Old Trails Bridge, arching toward California over the shimmering Colorado. Seligman We get our kitsch on Route 66 in Seligman, a town that both weathered the highway’s decline and helped spur its revival. After Interstate 40 bypassed Seligman, local barber Angel Delgadillo launched the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona to generate new interest in the old road. With his wife, Vilma, he then opened Delgadillo’s Original Route 66 Gift Shop at his former place of business, where we found an endless trove of souvenirs and posed in the old barber chair. Down the street is Seligman’s quirkiest landmark, Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In, founded by Angel’s late brother Juan and now managed by his children, which is open from February to late November. Colorful, cluttered, and with a prank-

left: Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In is a quirky spot to grab a cone. right: Grand Canyon Caverns boasts massive limestone chambers.

happy staff, it’s as much fun house as drive-in—perfect for selfies and a quick bite, especially the chocolate-dipped soft-serve cones. Grand Canyon Caverns We ride an elevator 221 feet underground into Grand Canyon Caverns, a natural wonder and vintage roadside attraction. A rare dry cavern (there are no stalactites or stalagmites), it’s hardly pristine, not with lunch by reservation in the Cavern Grotto dining area and even overnight stays available. There’s also a cache of supplies left over from the cave’s stint as a Cold War fallout shelter. But touring the massive limestone chambers, where we see a mummified bobcat purportedly from 1850 and claw marks left by a giant sloth that fell into this abyss eons ago, is an eccentric Route 66 highlight. And at a perpetual 56 degrees, the caverns make for a refreshing retreat on hot Arizona afternoons. Kingman While celebrating the highway’s pop culture heyday, Kingman’s Arizona Route 66 Museum also traces the route’s ancient Native American origins and, in an exhibit dedicated to The Grapes of Wrath, its history as the “mother road” during the Dust Bowl era. The museum is a bit old-fashioned (no techy touch screens here), but with an old Studebaker on display and colorful murals, it’s fun and informative. Route 66—locally known as Andy Devine Boulevard after the cowboy actor and Kingman native son—is a busy thoroughfare here. Downtown’s Beale Street, with its restored early 1900s buildings, is more walkable, and we stop for

DAVID H. COLLIER (2)

THIRD STRETCH

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clockwise from top: Wild burros roam the streets of Oatman. Look for designated areas to feed alfalfa cubes to these adorable equine, available for purchase at local stores; the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona flaunts vintage cars; back in the day, Cool Springs Station was a popular stop.

Cool Springs Station and Sitgreaves Pass After 20 miles of empty desert, Cool Springs Station suddenly appears like a mirage, a Pixar-perfect stone building that resembles something out of the 2006 cartoon Cars. The site’s days as a Route 66 way station date to the 1920s. Along the eastern face of the Black Mountains, it offered services and refreshments before the test of radiators (and driver nerves) on the serpentine, guardrail-less ascent to 3,550-foot Sitgreaves Pass, Route 66’s most challenging stretch. A 1966 fire destroyed the old station before a movie crew rebuilt the structure—and then blew it up—for the 1992 Jean-Claude Van Damme film Universal Soldier. Today’s building, opened in 2004, incorporates some of the original’s stonework. 32

Oatman If Oatman’s wild and woolly past is mostly behind it, the ghost town hasn’t been completely tamed, not with the descendants of burros used in gold mining still wandering around. They’re everywhere, sleeping in the middle of the road and hanging out in front of the Oatman Hotel, where Clark Gable and Carole Lombard spent part of their 1939 honeymoon in a second-floor room after getting hitched in Kingman. Rebuilt in 1924 after a fire destroyed the original building, the two-story adobe hotel is also home to a raucous restaurant and saloon known for its pulled pork sandwiches, buffalo burgers, and walls festooned with dollar bills signed by patrons. ● mat t jaffe is an award-winning journalist focused on California, the Southwest, and Mexico.

DAVID H. COLLIER (3)

pour-over coffee and avocado toast at Liquid Coffee Shop and Bistro, a sleek contemporary café in a converted midcentury modern bank building.

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FIVE GREAT LAKES

ONE GRAND ADVENTURE

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Alaska 1.

Visit Anchorage

Northern California

Canterbury Woods

20. Navajo Nation Tourism

10. All Central California Selections

21. Visit Williams

Arizona

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Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite

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Skunk Train—Mendocino Railway

12. Discover Salt River/Talking Stick Entertainment District

23. Grande Canal Shoppes— Las Vegas

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4. Fresno/Clovis Convention & Visitors Bureau Cruises & Tours 5.

Cruise the Great Lakes

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Pine Acres Lodge

Big Sur Adventures

8. Tickle Pink Inn—at Carmel Highlands

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Tucson Botanical Garden

14. Grand Canyon Railway/Xanterra

Nevada

15. Discover Bisbee

Products and Services

16. Town of Superior

25. AAA Wireless

Visit Arizona

26. Omaha Steaks

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18. Del E Webb Center for the Performing Arts 19. Visit Prescott

27. Napa Auto Parts 28. Hertz Car Rentals

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No gas by b r a d l e y b e r m a n

V I A | NOVEMBER+ D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

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As fast-charging stations fill in service gaps, taking road trips in an electric vehicle is getting easier than ever. Just ask these drivers.

CATHERINE KARNOW

few years ago, Connie Cloak, a retired environmental consultant in Santa Rosa, Calif., bought a used electric vehicle for zipping around town. She had considered buying an EV for some time, and the record-breaking summer heat waves of 2017 pushed her to act. “I was just over fossil fuels,” Cloak says, connecting auto emissions with climate change. She replaced her old Toyota Tercel with a used Nissan Leaf. Cloak was aware that the Leaf ’s battery would provide enough juice to go about 75 miles per charge, max. That range, though relatively short, met her needs. “For the past 20 years, I’d been driving a little gas-powered beater that I never took out of Sonoma County. I rent cars for longer trips,” Cloak says. “I’m very used to the difference between having a local car and a distance car.” With a 240-volt charging station at home, Cloak could fully charge her 2013 Leaf in less than three hours. She used it to run errands and go to Bodega Bay for walks on the beach with her dog. As she grew more comfortable with the Leaf ’s capabilities, she started traveling farther. “The Meritage Resort in Napa has a beautiful property with a cheap, fast charger on-site,” she says. “I have lunch in their café and walk along the trail leading up to the vineyard. It’s a lovely place to charge.” It takes about an hour of charging at Meritage to cover her 40-mile return trip, so her EV is ready to roll when she is. But Cloak says she still didn’t dare rely on the Leaf for the 100-mile drive to her property in

Connie Cloak, with her 2013 Nissan Leaf, takes her dog, Flynn, for a walk in Bodega Bay, Calif. A A A | VIA

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and gives them more freedom to stop when and where they want, even unexpectedly. Cloak was overjoyed when she heard that the small town of Dunnigan, Calif., and neighboring communities along I-5, had installed various DC fast chargers by late 2020. She could now drive her Leaf from Santa Rosa to Colusa and recharge along the way. The new station in Clearlake Oaks means she can skip the interstate and opt for a more scenic drive that includes a stretch of Highway 20. “I can now go the route I want,” she says. A used EV with limited range worked well for Cloak, but that wasn’t going to cut it for Khoi Tran. A property manager in Santa Clara, Calif., Tran puts more than 30,000 miles a year on his 2018 Tesla Model 3, more than double the average U.S. driver’s usage. “I go to Fresno almost every week. That’s about 350 miles round-trip,” he says. Tran also visits his rental property in Oceanside, Calif., near San Diego, three or four times per year and is a devoted schlepper of his athletic progeny. “We drive a lot, easily 200 miles on weekends,” he says. “It adds up.” While shopping for an EV, Tran set a minimum range

Khoi Tran at his home in Santa Clara, Calif., charging his 2018 Tesla Model 3.

HELYNN OSPINA

Colusa, a riverside town north of Sacramento. That is, until something extraordinary happened. Fast-charging stations—run by companies such as Blink, ChargePoint, Electrify America, EVgo, and Tesla—started popping up across the West. When Cloak bought the Leaf in 2017, only about 7,200 DC fast chargers were available to the public nationwide, according to the market research firm Guidehouse Insights. That number is expected to grow to about 26,200 by the end of 2022. Some of these charging spots can add 100 or more miles of range to longer-range EVs in 30 minutes or less. The exact speed depends on the specific charger, the vehicle model, and how much energy is left in the battery when charging begins. The proliferation of charging stations is a game changer for road trips in an EV. In a 2019 AAA survey, nearly six in 10 drivers cited too few places to power up, the fear of running out of charge in transit, and battery ranges unsuitable for long-distance travel as barriers to buying an electric vehicle. As charging stations fill in the gaps along popular routes—both major highways and scenic roads—EV road trips are becoming easier than ever. What’s more, many of the charging stations are situated at or near travel amenities. This expands the potential for road-trippers to vary routes

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LEFT: ROBBIE MCCLARAN; RIGHT: CHRISTIAN HEEB

requirement of 300 miles per charge. He knew about the growing class of electric cars with a range of about 250 miles offered by Chevrolet, Ford, Hyundai, and Volkswagen, but he was set on buying an EV that hit his 300-mile target. “Two hundred fifty miles might be OK, but I wanted extra margin,” he says. At the time, Tesla was the only carmaker with models that fit the bill. Tesla’s network of highway Superchargers is by far the most developed, with nearly 1,200 locations nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuel Data Center. Each location averages 10 chargers, and heavily trafficked Tesla stations commonly have 20 to 40 chargers. Tran starts his near-weekly trips from Silicon Valley to the Central Valley by topping up the Model 3’s battery with his home charger. That charge provides more range than he needs for the 160-mile trip. Before heading home, he plugs his EV into one of the city’s 20-plus Superchargers. Ten minutes later, the battery is up from about 90 to 200 miles. That’s plenty of juice to make it back to his house, even while driving at a fast clip with the AC cranking, Tran says. “People who are frequent fast-chargers and go long distances quickly learn the tricks,” says Norman Hajjar, chief strategy officer at PlugShare, a Yelp-like app for public EV chargers. “If you strategize your charging stops, then you’re able to use the time productively,” Hajjar says. Indeed, human needs often require attention before EVs

left: A Tesla and Chevrolet Volt charging their batteries at an EV charging station in Portland. right: A Tesla driving through the Deschutes National Forest, just beyond Broken Top peak.

reach their range limits. Tran’s favorite first stop when heading south comes at 200 miles. He pulls off I-5 at Kettleman City, Calif., which has an especially super Supercharger site. “They have about 40 Superchargers and a Tesla lounge,” he says. “It’s like one of those first-class airport lounges with sofas and a café. You can do some work or relax on the couch.” Sometimes Tran also stops in Orange County, another 200 or so miles down the stretch, with his wife and kids. They’ll head to Luc Dinh Ky Restaurant in Westminster for the salted fish fried rice with complimentary tea. “We could make it to Oceanside with just the one stop, but that’s pushing it,” he says. “So we plug in for five to 10 minutes and pick up another 50 to 100 miles and go.” The Airbnb that Tran manages in Oceanside has a 240-volt charging station like the one he has at home, so he can easily ready the Model 3 for the return trip. EV charging infrastructure is now sufficient for a multiday road trip using major prescribed routes. Trips off the beaten path in an electric car are already quite manageable. “When you get into less populated areas, or if you’re making a cross-country journey, you might need to stay on major A A A | VIA

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CHRISTIAN HEEB

DAVID H. COLLIER; OPPOSITE: BROWN CANNON III

CREDIT HERE

strategy chief at PlugShare. These so-called highways,” says Hajjar. “But that’s becom“destination chargers” are commonly 240ing the exception, not the rule.” CHARGE volt units that add about 25 miles of range Erich Wise, a sculptor from Southern FOR LESS in an hour. They are often free to guests. “If California, has been making the 900-mile you’re charging while you’re tucked in for drive to his cabin in Chiloquin, Ore., ever the night, the [effect on your] travel time is since he can remember. The cabin has been essentially zero,” he notes. in the family for generations. Wise and his Save on electric vehicle charging at As savvy travelers, Wise and Laird try to partner, Leah Laird, a college professor, EVgo stations avoid driving long distances around peak bought a Chevrolet Bolt in March 2020. Its nationwide with no travel days, including Thanksgiving. Hajjar range is 260 miles on a single charge. “The monthly fees and no acknowledges that busy holiday weekends Bolt is excellent for my 40-mile daily comsession fees for AAA can lead to queues at charging locations. mute to work at UC Irvine, but the question Members. To enroll and find charging But charging networks are increasingly was whether I’d be able to go up to Oregon,” locations, visit able to handle spikes in demand, he says, Wise says. For the first few months they AAA.com/evgo. as they expand to house numerous ports. If owned the Bolt, he explains, “there just you’re concerned about wait times, Hajjar wasn’t any place to charge for the final advises following the same rules you would stretch to the cabin. But at last they put in a bunch of chargers in Klamath Falls, so we did the first trip use to avoid traffic in general. You might also plan charging stops during overnight stops. Most EV charging locations in the Bolt later that summer.” Wise and Laird found it relatively easy to charge in places are open around the clock, seven days a week, just like most they’ve enjoyed stopping on previous trips. That included gas stations. DC fast-charging doesn’t offer the same cost advantage popping into their favorite eatery in Dunsmuir, off I-5 near Shasta. “It’s called Yaks on the 5. It’s a little hipstery, but the over gasoline as home electricity. “It’s pennies to the dolfood is pretty good.” Its juicy gourmet burgers, made with lar when you’re charging at home, but when you’re on the grass-fed Prather Ranch beef, come with toppings as varied highway, it’s not that much cheaper than gas,” Wise says. He as candied bacon, peanut butter sauce, and ginger-lime mar- pegged the cost as cheaper than when he takes his Chevy malade. “The parking lot has two chargers, and I’ve never Suburban to the cabin. Wise uses the four-wheel-drive had to wait,” Wise says. “I get my burger, we sit outside, and Suburban “like a tractor” at the cabin. But the Chevy Bolt the car is right there.” The stop’s 50-kilowatt charger, which serves a more serene purpose. “We like driving an EV in the forest because it’s quiet,” restores 200 miles of range in about 45 minutes, allows Wise says. “You’re not listening to a roaring engine. You’re enough time for eating, stretching, and relaxing, he adds. Wise describes the road trip from Southern California to listening to the forest, and you can see more animals.” ● southern Oregon as a two-day affair with five or six charging stops along the way. On the first day, they take off from bradley berman also writes for the New York Times and their home in Pomona, stopping in Buttonwillow for a first makes independent documentary films. charge. From there, depending on various battery-draining factors—such as carrying heavy cargo, using max AC, and driving at fast highway speeds—they either make a second fast-charge pit stop or head straight to Sacramento, where they stay overnight with friends. In Sacramento, they plug in the Bolt at their friends’ house via a regular 120-volt outlet that adds some 30 miles of range overnight. (A portable 120-volt charger comes standard with all EVs on the market.) Using the average utility rate in Sacramento, those 30 miles cost about $1. On the second day, Wise and Laird make three more stops—including Dunsmuir—before reaching the cabin in southern Oregon. EV road-trippers often choose hotels or other places that provide charging stations. “If you can find overnight accommodations that have chargers, that’s wise,” says Hajjar, the

opposite: Erich Wise and Leah Laird at their family cabin in Chiloquin, Ore. right: A 2020 Chevrolet Bolt on Hwy 1 in Jenner, Calif. A A A | VIA

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11/19/21 9:16 AM 11/19/21 2:05 PM

Annual Meeting Notice and Proxy Statement January 1, 2022 To the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah: Please be advised that the regular annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah (“the Association”) will be held at 8 a.m. Mountain Time on Wed., March 2, 2022, at the Hyatt Place, 222 North Union Avenue, Farmington, Utah. Please bring your Membership card for identification and admittance. If you plan to attend the annual meeting, please observe the following health and safety precautions: ● Do not attend the meeting if you are

experiencing any symptoms of illness, including fever, cough, congestion, or shortness of breath.

● Please wear a facial covering at all times. ● Please keep six feet of physical distance

from all other attendees. Seating at the annual meeting will be arranged appropriately.

● We may be required to limit attendance

at the meeting to comply with state and local laws and guidelines.

It’s important that your vote is counted at the annual meeting, whether or not you plan to attend in person. Please indicate on the proxy form on page 42 your proxy, then sign, date, and return the form to the address listed at right. If you do attend the annual meeting and wish to vote in person, your proxy can be withdrawn at that time. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

The following candidates for election to the Board of Directors have been nominated by the Nominating Committee, per the Bylaws of the Association:

Tom Hayes, Montana

● If you now have a proxy in effect, you

Wendy Paskin-Jordan, California Because the number of nominees and number of open director seats are the same, no election of directors will be held, and the candidates listed above will be considered elected, per Section 9 of the Bylaws.

may substitute a proxy of a more recent date.

● You may revoke your proxy at any time

by written notice.

● Your proxyholder must attend the annual

meeting of Members in person in order to vote.

GENERAL PROXY

PROXY INSTRUCTIONS

The proxy form on the next page appoints the person(s) named on the form as your proxyholder(s) to vote and act for you on any other matter to be voted on at the 2022 annual meeting—or at any other meeting of the Members of the Association—during the term of the proxy. The term of the proxy will be three years, unless you indicate your wish to grant the proxy for a shorter term. Consequently, the proxyholder(s) will have broad discretion to represent you and will vote on your behalf on a broad variety of matters, which may include election of directors of the Association, and/or proposals presented for the approval of Members. As of today, the Association is not aware of any specific proposals to be presented to Members at the 2022 annual meeting or at subsequent Member meetings.

1. Print your name, your address, and your Membership number in the spaces provided on the proxy form.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Before filling out the proxy form, please note: ● Every Member is entitled to vote, either

in person or by proxy.

● You may attend and vote at any regular

annual meeting or at any special meeting of the Membership, whether or not you have signed a proxy.

2. If you wish for anyone other than Tim Condon (Chief Executive Officer) and Clay Creasey (Chief Financial Officer) to act as your proxy(ies), print their name(s) in the space provided. 3. Sign and date the proxy form on the lines provided. If the proxy is undated, your signature authorizes the Association to insert the date of receipt. 4. Your proxy can only be exercised at the regular annual meeting if it has been signed and filed with the Secretary before the polls open for the first contested issue, if any, at the meeting. Mail your completed proxy form to: Secretary AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah P.O. Box 24502, Oakland, CA 94623 You may also fill out the form online at proxyonline.com/AAA. Forms must be received by February 28, 2022.

Kamili Moreland, Secretary

DIRECTOR BIOS Tom Hayes—Member since 2006

Wendy Paskin-Jordan—Member since 1972

OCCUPATION Mr. Hayes is an Accredited Wealth Manager from

OCCUPATION Ms. Paskin-Jordan currently

the Estate and Wealth Strategies Institute at Michigan State University. Tom served as Vice Chair of the AAA MountainWest Board, a club comprised of members from Montana, Wyoming, and Alaska, prior to its merger with AAA NCNU. Tom started his career managing a large farming operation in Montana, then worked as a commodity merchandiser for General Mills prior to starting his career as a financial advisor. Tom worked at RBC Wealth Management until retiring in January of 2021. Tom also served on the Board of Directors of Columbus Hospital in Great Falls, Mont., as well as Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Great Falls. STATEMENT OF VIEWS AAA, like many businesses, is impacted by the disruptive forces of technology. Thriving in this environment requires operational excellence and visionary leadership. We are fortunate to have a team with both qualities—and a commitment to bringing value to our Members now and into the future.

serves as Board Chair for AAA NCNU and Board Member of AAA Insurance Group. She is currently Co-CEO of Paskin & Berler Capital Advisors. Previously, she was Managing Director at Montgomery Asset Management, National Sales Director at Wells Fargo, and a corporate counsel at Bechtel Corporation.

STATEMENT OF VIEWS AAA strives to provide the services and products that Members want, while maintaining a company that is fiscally sound. With increased domestic economic pressures, AAA must continue to focus on improving our technology and delivery systems so that Members receive service and value in the most efficient way possible.

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Submit this form by mail or online at proxyonline.com/AAA.

PRINT YOUR NAME BELOW

Proxy

YOUR AAA MEMBERSHIP NUMBER

LAST

FIRST

INITIAL

Please choose option A or B: Proxy Option A—I wish to appoint Tim Condon (CEO) and Clay Creasey (CFO), and their respective successors as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah as my proxies to attend the annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, on Wed., March 2, 2022, and any adjournment or postponement of that meeting. Proxy Option B—I wish to appoint the person(s) named below as my prox(ies) to attend the annual meeting of the Members of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, a California nonprofit mutual benefit corporation, on Wed., March 2, 2022, and any adjournment or postponement of that meeting.

I APPOINT: NAME(S) OF PROXYHOLDER(S) ADDRESS(ES) IF KNOWN

In the event that a proxyholder is not designated, the Chief Executive Ofﬁcer and Chief Financial Ofﬁcer of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah will be deemed to be the proxyholders appointed hereby. Said proxies shall vote in their discretion on all matters which may come before such meeting(s). Each proxy shall have power of substitution and any one of them shall have the powers hereby granted. You may revoke this proxy at any time. This proxy, unless revoked or replaced by substitution, shall remain in force for three years from the date hereof; but, if you wish this proxy to remain in force for only one year, check here: Voting on other matters and at other meetings. I further appoint the person(s) named above my lawful proxyholder(s) to vote and act for me and in my name at all regular and special meetings of AAA Northern California, Nevada & Utah, or at any adjournment or postponement thereof, held during the term of this proxy, in transacting any business that may come before said meetings, including but not limited to the election of directors, as fully as I could do if personally present. Said proxyholder(s) shall vote at their discretion on all matters that may come before such meetings.

SIGN HERE YOUR SIGNATURE

DATE HERE MONTH

DAY YEAR

(IF UNDATED, THE DATE OF RECEIPT WILL BE INSERTED BY A A A)

NUMBER STREET + UNIT NUMBER

CITY

STATE ZIP CODE

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11/19/21 1:57 9:19 PM AM

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Editor’s note: Before you go, call ahead to check on the status of any place you plan to visit. You should also consult the CDC’s latest travel recommendations at AAA.com/cdc.

Valley blue Yosemite National Park is wildly popular, and for good reasons: granite monoliths, cascading waterfalls, and giant trees. AAA Member Ramesh Hegde, who hails from Santa Clara, Calif., visits often. Earlier this year, he went to capture the “firefall” light phenomenon—when the winter sun hits Horsetail Fall at just the right angle so that the water glows fiery orange and red—but the weather didn’t cooperate. However, his luck changed that evening at the iconic Valley View pull-out alongside the Merced River. “With the clouds and fog, this scene turned out to be mesmerizing and magical,” he says. “Yosemite never disappoints.” —leeanne jones

Share your adventure. Post an original photo of a trip on Facebook or Instagram using #AAABackyardPostcard. Your image may be published in print, or online at AAA.com/via.

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