Nothing, Arizona: Nothing, Arizona

Sorry to report there is once again nothing in Nothing, Arizona. Pizza Man Mike has pulled out and left no forwarding information. The store is totally locked up, signs are all down, and a chain-link fence surrounds the property.

I was truly hoping Mike and Bonnie would succeed, but looks like the current economy has claimed another victim.

Nothing, Arizona is back on the map. The entire town (one building) was acquired less than a year ago by Pizza Man Mike; he is restoring the store and has set up a wood fired pizza oven on a trailer. Opening hours are sporadic but the oven was hot and Bonnie was making a personal size pizza for one of the regulars when I stopped by (7-26-09).

Current plans include pizza, convenience store, and RV camp spots. Also planned are slow rock crawl event and a Halloween party this fall. Call for details.

Really hoping this place succeeds because it's 1/2 way between Kingman and Prescott, a regular trip for me.

In 2003 we stopped in Nothing, desperate for fuel. We were on our first road trip with a new RV and misjudged the fuel consumption of our vehicle. It was early in the morning and we were relieved when we came upon this place. The very nice people who lived/worked there looked to have rolled right out of bed when they heard us. They fired up the generator and pumped the gas for us. We were a bit concerned because we felt that we were at their mercy and they could charge anything that they felt like, but they were very fair. I don't remember what we paid but it was not much more than the going rate at the time. We were treated in a friendly manner and had a nice time visiting with the folk there. We left Nothing feeling like it was really something.

Last month we were on our way through again. We were saddened to see that the place was not only abandoned, but the building was collapsing. There is a lot of garbage there, but it still has the feel of a friendly place.

Sadly, Nothing, Arizona is no more. The Rock Shop is closed, as has the gas station and tiny convenience store. The signs are still worth a stop, but there are no restrooms available, nor any chance for an overpriced candy bar.

10+ years ago, while working for a Southern California engineering/surveying company, I found myself deep in the Arizona desert conducting a survey on a lonely bridge somewhere between Wikiup and Wickenburg. It was August and must have been 110 degrees if it was six. My partner and I had left Phoenix in a gas-guzzling beat-up work truck that we kept at a Sky Harbor storage lot after stopping at a Circle-K for a six-pack of beer and a quart of bottled water (we thought it would be plenty).

I was so thirsty after finishing our survey that I thought the huge NOTHING ARIZONA (pop. 4) sign was just another mirage, but nope, it was real. If it wasn't for the beautiful !FREE! well water that was offered by the residents of Nothing, I might have thought the entire experience was just a dream (I was a little dehydrated and a bit loopy after all). We happily bought some stuff at the store, and I would have paid more for the water, but it was free! Just remember if you are ever thirsty in the Arizona desert and you round a bend in the highway where there is a huge red sign identifying NOTHING, ARIZONA, it is not a mirage and you are saved! It does seem a bit like a dream after all these years, but I'll never forget that water, or the friendly residents of Nothing.